Elope Tampa Bay Reviews
Reviews
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![Elizabeth]()
Elizabeth Sent on 04/04/2024Save yourself the money & stress, ELOPE WITH ETB!!!
My husband & I eloped last October at the GORGEOUS Isla Del Sol. We had the best experience with Elope Tampa Bay, and all of the vendors they chose for us. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!!
We had discussed so many different options for our wedding... but at the end of the day, all we really wanted was a short & sweet celebration with our immediate family — and some pretty pictures. We didn't want to spend tons of money on a big wedding, and I didn't want the stress of planning, so we decided this was the best option. I will admit I am naturally a bit of a control freak, so it felt a little risky to go this route— but they came through & made our day pretty damn close to perfect!
The only piece of advice I have is to communicate any preferences VERY early on. For example, I should've communicated my photography preferences earlier in the process (All of their photographers do good work, however, I'm a little picky with editing style preferences). That being said, I lucked out with an amazing photographer, so it all turned out perfect!
Bonnie did an amazing job with our ceremony, our cake was delicious, the flowers were gorgeous, Mariah Lacy Photo took beautiful photos, and Catie was there every step of the way helping us coordinate. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. If you're considering eloping with Elope Tampa Bay, JUST DO IT!!! -
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Megan Sent on 12/06/2023
Absolutely incredible company to work with!
The entire process with Elope Tampa Bay was stress-free and easy, even when Mother Nature decided to tear down our original wedding ceremony space on the pier, ETB was able to reassess and refocus our dream setting somewhere else on the property while still including the gorgeous backdrop and making it special for us!
Wedding day execution was seamless! We did encounter small hiccups, but Michaela and Catie were quick to fix them and make it right by reassuring us that they had everything under total control.
Melissa Dozier with Madimagesinc was amazing! ETB set her up with us for the wedding day and she made my husband and I feel comfortable at first conversation while also being extremely helpful in organizing our family photos. She made us so happy, we both felt like we were laughing the entire time it didn’t even feel like we were being photographed (go figure!). My husband is very shy when it comes to being photographed and we are so grateful to have been paired with her through ETB.
We were in love with our flowers!!! I specifically asked for purples, succulents and some cascading flowers and ETB went above and beyond my expectations! If we would have gone to a florist ourselves, we would’ve never been able to get such a beautiful flower bouquet for myself and boutonnière for my husband that truly reflected us.
Just a little side note :
When Trevor and I first got engaged, we were just so overwhelmed with planning we just didn’t know where to start with everything. Once we stumbled across ETB in December, we just knew this was where we were meant to be for our celebration of marriage. We’ve truly never felt so understood, nonjudgmental and encouraged by a company for what small, intimate moments we wanted to have at our wedding and captured. We’re really so grateful to have had Michaela, Catie and everyone at ETB facilitate that for us. -
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![Alyssa]()
Alyssa Sent on 09/13/2023Best Decision we could have made
I could not have asked for a better to help plan our wedding day. The communication was flawless and they really made myself and my husband not only feel that we were in the best hands but also very special. There were hiccups with the venue and they handled it INCREDIBLY. Although planning a wedding is stressful, we knew that once the Elope Tampa Bay team had in in their hands, it would be taken care of perfectly. The wedding day itself couldn't have been any smoother- choosing them was truly was the best decision we could have made for our special day. Eternally grateful for this team and have already recommended them to friends with upcoming weddings. -
Jackelyn Sent on 08/23/2023
Above and beyond
Big Rave to Catie and the whole team. My husband and I got married at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater we wanted to be close to the beach so wanted something elegant with a beautiful sunset ceremony and Catie and the team made sure that's exactly what we got. The communication between them was more than great they responded fast answered every questions we had. Let me not forget to mention that they was able to get us married in less then 2weeks . And the day of the wedding they walk you through everything and make you feel so comfortable.If I was to do it all over again with my husband I would not change anything . Our photographer was Cara DeHart she was amazing and capture every beautiful moment our Videographer he did such an amazing work video came out beautiful. Flowers decor was just so beautiful and the cake was delicious. Thank you all for making it perfect and so memorable. 🩷💝 -
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Wini Sent on 02/12/2023
Creating a 5-Star Wedding!
Five stars! Elope Tampa Bay is the way to go, ladies! My husband and I could not decide how best to approach our wedding. We wanted a day that was relaxed instead of hectic but yet elegant without breaking the bank. And then I found Elope Tampa Bay! Elope Tampa Bay made our dream wedding a reality. I reached out explaining in a few sentences what we envisioned. Elope Tampa Bay returned my message the same day, explaining how their services work, providing pricing and options. I was so thrilled to learn that we could create a wedding personal to us on the beach. Throughout the planning process, Elope Tampa Bay was a dream to work with. They promptly returned my messages and made planning totally stress-free and fun. We picked our cake, our flowers, music with a first dance, and vows personal to us. On the big day, everything was perfect. Catie was organized and excited, and allowed us to simply enjoy the day, living in each wonderful moment. My flowers were exactly what I envisioned, cake was delicious, and our photos are absolutely gorgeous! Don’t stress about your big day—let Elope Tampa Bay handle everything. You will be so happy you did. -
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![Cortnee]()
Cortnee Sent on 11/30/2022Highly recommend!! Perfect day!!
My husband and I had the best experience with Elope Tampa Bay! We were randomly searching for destination wedding ideas and locations in Florida and ended up booking with Elope Tampa Bay due to the variety of venue options offered and the stress-free process of it all when signing up for the package options! The only real planning we had to do was picking the date, travel plans, wedding dress/suit & the dinner reception! Their communication was the best and they would reach out with different questionnaires to get an idea for what we liked for each part of the planning for our big day (cakes, flowers, day of details, etc.)! Thank you so so much Elope Tampa Bay! We communicated mainly with Catie who was awesome and very responsive even the day of which eased our anxiety since all of the planning was basically a big surprise for the day of (thank you Catie)! Everything fell into place perfectly and we could not have asked for a more perfect day—felt like a dream! Highly recommend Elope Tampa Bay if you want a more affordable, intimate ceremony!! Thank you again!!!!
-Mr. & Mrs. Spurrier -
Janna Sent on 05/04/2022
Grateful for elope tampa bay
We are so glad we found Elope Tampa Bay, and were able to work with them for our wedding. We planned two different weddings prior to deciding to elope, but due to pandemic, decided this would be the best option for us. Everyone at Elope Tampa Bay were very professional, kind, and enthusiastic about the work they do! They responded to our emails quickly, were affordable, resourceful, and made us feel special throughout the process. We were at ease the entire time. I still tear up when I think about our wedding because it was such a special day for us! Would recommend this service to any couple. -
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![Brianna]()
Brianna Sent on 04/14/2022I couldn't have had a better experience!
Elope Tampa Bay gave my husband and I the BEST wedding we could’ve asked for. Everything was so simple and Catie was seriously a lifesaver. She was always there to answer any question questions I had. The response time to questions was insane. Sometimes, I’d hear back like 10 minutes later. We had everything we could’ve asked for at such a reasonable price. The flowers were gorgeous. The cake was delicious. The photographer and videographer they set up for us were wonderful. The quality is insane for the price. I cannot recommend this company enough. It made planning so simple. I didn’t have to worry about booking any other vendor (besides transportation and where to eat after). Everything was done for us. We just had to show up! They really take your likes/dislikes into consideration when planning so everything is exactly what you’d like. -
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![Vicky]()
Vicky Sent on 03/17/2022Don't hesitate on ETB!
I LOVED working with ETB and cannot say enough good things about the team (especially my lead planner Catie). I would highly recommend them to my friends or anyone looking to have an elopement / small ceremony! Catie was SUPER easy to work with - she was very responsive, organized, and most importantly, patient with all my questions (ranging from if there will be water at the venue to which side would I stand). She had at least two calls with me before I even booked with them to talk about the entire process. She made sure I was comfortable with everything and that all questions were answered. The team took care of everything like contacting and hiring vendors and made the whole planning process stress-free. On the day of, Catie and Melanie were so warming and enthusiastic and made sure everything go smoothly and perfectly. They were super efficient and on top of everything - I did not have worry about anything at all! Choosing ETB was the best decision - it truly made our ceremony so enjoyable and memorable. -
Amanda Sent on 03/16/2022
Highly recommend Elope Tampa Bay !!
When starting the wedding planning process I felt overwhelmed and unsure. We wanted to Elope but also wanted to keep our families happy by involving/inviting them. In the end it all fell together perfectly thanks to Elope Tampa Bay!! Catie and the team helped us but together a beach "micro-wedding" that fit us perfectly. We had so much fun and so did our families/friends. Thanks Elope Tampa Bay for being so fun and easy to work with! We HIGHLY recommend using Elope Tampa Bay if an elopement or micro-wedding is what you're planning 💕
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Janine Sent on 01/02/2022
It was honestly a pleasant surprise as to how smoothly everything went.
Much thanks and appreciation to: Catie, Nyssa, and the Elope Tampa Bay team. You guys did a wonderful job making our dream wedding come true. Every detail was executed beautifully. It was honestly a pleasant surprise as to how smoothly everything went.
The vendors that you work with (i.e. Bonnie Sanchez, Amber McWhorter, Imagery Wedding Films, Lemon Drops, and Alessi Bakery) we're fantastic as well. Very professional but personable too.
You guys are aces in our book and we will highly recommend you to others. Much thanks!!! -
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![Maria]()
Maria Sent on 12/15/2021Thank you, Elope Tampa Bay
I would highly recommend Elope Tampa Bay. The process was so easy and stress-free. They were great at keeping in touch with me and answering all of my questions through Honeybook. Also, Catie called us about a week before the wedding to discuss all of the details for the day of. Everything went smoothly, and we were very happy with our officiant, photographer and cinematographer. They did a great job. The flowers were beautiful, too, and when the gorgeous cake fell in the sand (after we cut it, tasted it and took photos, thankfully), Catie assured me she would bring us another cake the next morning... and she did. Thank you Elope Tampa Bay and Catie! -
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![Brian]()
Brian Sent on 11/10/2021Tens across the board!
Planning a wedding is supposed to be one of the most stressful events of a person's life. With Elope Tampa Bay, that was not even close to being the case. Melanie and Catie were there every step of the way and guided us through booking vendors, picking a venue, choosing floral themes, and any other wedding-related topic you could possibly come up with. They gave us their personal contact info and urged us to reach out with any questions or concerns as soon as they arose, and they always made us feel better when we started to get those jitters leading up to the big day. I cannot recommend Elope Tampa Bay enough for those of you planning small weddings and elopements in the Tampa Bay area. -
Nicole Sent on 10/07/2021
Magical Wedding Experience!
When starting wedding planning, everything was so overwhelming and stressful. I didn't know where to begin or how to put my special day together from beginning to end without help. With wanting to go with a smaller and intimate wedding to save money, Elope Tampa Bay was my saving grace!
It was almost too good to be true that a company took over and planned your wedding day with everything and more you could have wanted. From start to end, communication was impeccable. They are so caring, understanding and fast with responding. They covered everything from venue permits, officiant, photography and videography, music with first dance, cake, flowers and champagne in the package I purchased. Anything else I needed help with was easy to navigate with their welcome packet and references.
Having amazing photos was my priority for my wedding day, and they definitely did not disappoint! I could have not asked for a more magical day. Seeing the venue when I arrived set up to perfection in addition with the gorgeous cake and flowers was truly breathtaking.
Amazing, amazing, 5 stars! I could not recommend this company more. Affordable and stress free. You will feel like you hardly did any planning because they take the worry right off your hands! -
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Cherri Sent on 05/24/2021
Perfect elopement ❤️
This was the best choice we could have made!!!! The whole experience was wonderful and stress free! They are professional, efficient and go above and beyond to make sure that everything is taken care of of!
Elope Tampa Bay gave me everything I wanted and more than I knew to even ask for!!! Great communication, beautiful flowers and breathtaking pictures and scenery ❤️ I could not recommend them enough!!!!! -
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![Sheila]()
Sheila Sent on 04/04/2021A dream experience!
After having to postpone our large October 2020 wedding, Aaron and I had grown frustrated with waiting until our new October 2021 date. In January of 2021 we started floating around the idea of eloping and I told him the only way I would give up the big wedding is if we went to St. Pete and it had to be an upscale/luxury experience ... and I didn't want to do any of the work. Because we don't live in the Tampa area (Kansas City), I wanted to make sure I did my research. I stumbled upon Elope Tampa Bay and I was SOLD! They work with so many locations from more urban/industrial settings to right on the beach. Melanie made sure that we had the experience of our lives! Communication was great. The experience was 100% stress free. Every detail was taken care of: the location of outrdreams (SUNKEN GARDENS!), the flowers (beautiful! I sent inspo pics and and they did the rest), the cake (delicious!), the music, the officiant (so sweet!), the photographer (INCREDIBLE) and the videographer (INCREDIBLE). We were absolutely blown away by everything. I have NO REGRETS about not having the big wedding!!
THIS WAS SO MUCH BETTER!! Without Melanie and her team, we would have not had such an amazing experience. We cannot recommend Elope Tampa Bay enough to anyone looking for an amazing elopement/micro-wedding experience! Thank you again, Melanie!! -
![Kirstin]()
Kirstin Sent on 12/07/2020Perfection
I can't even to begin to express how amazing Melanie and her team are at Elope Tampa Bay. With all of the hurdles my husband and I jumped through this year to get married, when we finally decided to elope, Melanie was there every step of the way to put my mind at ease and make it perfect. When we finally decided to cancel our destination wedding in Jamaica back in July, we put everything on pause...until three weeks before our wedding date (in Jamaica) when we decided to elope. I found Elope Tampa Bay by just searching Tampa elopements and everything fell into place within days. Our elopement was at Sunken Gardens, and could not have been more beautiful. Everything from the team, the flowers, the cake, the location, the photographer and the officiant were just flawless. Even with dealing with a hurricane in November and having to postpone the wedding once more two days out, the show went on without skipping a beat. All vendors were able to postpone and make it happen, which I was so grateful for. It was everything we wanted it to be...simple, quiet and stress free. Thank you so much for everything and I will recommend this team to everyone! -
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Whitney Sent on 11/06/2020
The best of the best!
Where do I even begin? Melanie & Emily with Elope Tampa Bay made our wedding day absolutely perfect and stress free, just the way we wanted it. After postponing, cancelling, and then attempting to plan a last minute courthouse wedding in the middle of the pandemic, I stumbled across their Instagram while searching for a photographer in the area to do photos for us at the courthouse. Shortly after that, we found out our courthouse was no longer doing weddings because of Covid. Once I handed over the reigns to Melanie and Emily it was like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. It didn’t take long for me to realize that they were quite literally two of the sweetest people I had ever come into contact with. They literally took care of every single thing in the weeks leading up to our wedding day and the day itself was seamless. From helping me pick a venue to having my dream bouquet made and our favorite cake to cut after the ceremony, they did all of it and were able to keep me within my budget. I was feeling a little too relaxed in the week leading up to the big day and Melanie assured me it really was that easy! The communication regarding details could not have been better and they really did everything to make sure we had the wedding of our dreams despite all of then bumps in the road along the way. I would 100% absolutely recommend Elope Tampa Bay to anyone looking for an alternative to the big traditional wedding. You can have all you want and more without the headache by letting Melanie & Emily be your wedding planners! -
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![Sabrina]()
Sabrina Sent on 03/23/2022Started off well... ended poorly
*** UPDATE: ETB finally reached out to us… through their lawyer! We tried negotiations but couldn’t agree. We told them we no longer wanted the updated videos (for several reasons I won’t state here) instead we wanted a small refund for the failure of the videographer to meet the time length requirement of the deluxe highlight reel within the 4 to 6-week deadline period, and for unresolved static in the ceremony audio. They refused and stated they’ll give us the tone-corrected photos only if we removed the reviews & signed a waiver.
To summarize,
1. ETB tried to collect additional money from us because we wanted to incorporate our thoughts & preferences into the final highlight reel but failed to realize they hadn’t even met the time length requirement (which was told to them in direct correspondence). Perhaps, if there had been more focus on delivering a product that welcomed our feedback, there wouldn’t have been missing ceremonial content and the videographer would’ve likely met the time requirement without issue.
2. ETB’s lawyer sent us a letter because they didn’t like our online reviews and claimed defamation. We felt they unjustifiably used a lawyer as a scare tactic under the guise of a good-faith negotiation effort in retaliation for our online reviews.
3. They finally had the videographer complete our highlight reel and sent it 3 weeks past the deadline. Of course, we still cannot provide feedback because “those were the contract terms you agreed to.” So, we declined to watch it, download it, listen to it, or use it (because any time we take the opposite action they claim we must be happy with the product). Please Note: if you want to be able to give feedback and your preferences concerning your highlight film, you better have it written into your contract or find another company/vendor!
4. They haven’t genuinely apologized for their oversights and for treating us like we wanted something for nothing (the apology they offered here is only a formality). We paid them thousands of dollars upfront and on time to plan a beautiful elopement ceremony and to deliver completed and satisfactory wedding photos and videos that were reflective of our perspective. They incorporated our preferences into the planning of the wedding ceremony but after the credit card transaction cleared and the ceremony was over, meeting our expectations concerning the video and photo products became irrelevant.
5. We’re not disputing the photographer’s achievements; we just don’t like the editing style used on our wedding photos. Out of 200 photos, we asked for 48 images to be tone-corrected but they won’t do it without placing more demands on us through waivers we don’t agree with.
6. Four of our sneak peek wedding photos were posted on my personal Instagram page 5 days after our ceremony because I was excited to share I got married, not because I approved of the editing style. What the lurkers forgot to mention is another photo hasn’t been posted since and ETB nor the photography company was tagged. Properly managing the sunlight and not having us appear overly dark in our wedding photos was the main thing we asked of them. They said and reinforced in correspondence they could accomplish the task but failed miserably.
7. READ YOUR CONTRACT & negotiate upfront if there is something you don’t agree with! From our experience, they’ll want a pass if they don’t meet contractual obligations, but they’ll hold you to strict compliance and somehow still fault you for their shortcomings.
Throughout the process, we have been respectful and specific when explaining what we were dissatisfied with, but ETB saw our feedback as frivolous complaints. We immediately spoke up when we didn’t like something and allowed them the opportunity to rectify things, but when they still didn’t get it right or were dismissive, we continued to speak up. That’s when we were hit with false accusations of wanting free services and products, inappropriate requests for more payment, insulting waivers, and lawyer letters. We’re appalled by the lack of empathy, accountability, and business integrity ETB has shown post our wedding ceremony. Maybe we’re the first couple who is bold enough to speak out and couldn’t be coerced into silence.
Don’t be blindsided by the flattery and bootlicking act and think they are doing things with your best interests in mind – it’s about making money first and foremost and pushing out products that satisfy their interests. We have been repeatedly told our opinions of our wedding videos and photos don’t matter because they have met the terms of the contract.
Maybe my husband and I will look back on this experience one day and laugh, but today is just not that day. ***
ORIGINAL REVIEW: This review is long but maybe it’ll help you decide whether to move forward with hiring Elope Tampa Bay as your all-inclusive wedding planner…
My husband and I were married in February 2022, and we employed Elope Tampa Bay (ETB) as our wedding planner. We are saddened we must give them a below-average rating due to how they have behaved toward us post-wedding.
Our pre-wedding preparations and wedding day went smoothly. Our wedding coordinator and the vendors were kind and made us feel good on our wedding day. Since ETB offers an all-inclusive wedding package, they hired all but one of our vendors. We were pleased with the services of the officiant, florist, and pastry chef vendors. Unfortunately, we are displeased with the services of the photographer and videographer. I’ve read that a good vendor will seek your input throughout the wedding process, from the first time you meet to after the wedding has ended. This was not our case.
Before signing the wedding contract, ETB was made aware we needed a photographer who was apt in photographing darker skin tone subjects with a setting sun in the background. ETB assured us they had photographers who were “great at shooting different skin tones during different times of day and elements.” After viewing our sneak peek wedding photos, we expressed to the photographer we were not happy with the photo edits mostly due to improper light management. Early on, we communicated we didn’t like the editing because the photos were not a good representation of my, my husband’s, and our wedding guests’ true skin complexions (in the photos our skin tones appear much darker than they are; see example photos attached). The photographer did little to correct the lighting issue. I’m not certain she even knew how to correct the issue. Once we received the full wedding gallery, we promptly notified ETB we were dissatisfied with the photo edits, and they stated via email, “We do want you to love the photos like we do and be just as happy. We'll do everything we can."
Furthermore, we paid for a “deluxe” wedding package and cinematography. Viewing a replay of our wedding day indeed made us smile and we were happy with the initial progress made on the videos. However, in the initial video edits, we noticed technical imperfections such as an errant video clip of the ground in the ceremony video and missing relevant ceremonial content from the highlight reel, which was corrected after being brought to the videographer’s attention. After rewatching the updated films, we also noticed static in some of the ceremony audio. A request to eliminate the static, as well as add specified footage and rearrange content in the highlight film was met with a demand for additional payment. This came as a complete shock because the deluxe cinematography package advertises a 4 to 5-minute highlight film will be provided and our video is 3:09.
If you look at ETB’s YouTube page, the same videographer who filmed our wedding has several samples of his work posted on their page. We observed each video created by this videographer ends the same – with the couple’s name and wedding date. The same font style and colors are used. It appears as if he uses the same template. Thus, the outro is not creative or unique. We asked the videographer to change the blue “&” symbol to purple (our wedding color) and, of course, without additional payment, the request was denied.
My husband and I have been saddled with unproductive back and forth email exchanges with ETB without resolution. The lack of accountability, the unfinished video and photo edits we are being forced to accept, and ETB’s attempt to have us sign a general release of liability before they release our revised photo edits is earnestly disappointing. Perhaps if our input and preferences had initially been considered and been a key and center point of the videography and photography efforts, we would not have had to come to the two vendors for re-edits that continue to not meet expectations. We have been told further edits are out of the scope of the contracted services and additional payment is needed for corrections or changes.
Buyer, please beware. Upfront they were personable, asked for details to personalize our wedding day, and made planning our intimate wedding stress-free; however, the stress ensued after the wedding. In our opinion, we have not received the high-quality photography and videography services they claim to offer. We have carefully communicated our feelings and dissatisfaction with the photography and videography edits as we believe it to be subpar and uncompleted work that deviates from the guarantees made on their website, in the wedding contract, and subsequent emails. For ETB to ask us to sign a liability waiver when they haven’t honored the first contract adds insult to injury.
We cannot in good faith recommend ETB or their vendors. This has truly been a disappointing wedding experience for us – the very experience they’ve declared they do not want couples to have. If you decide to move forward with ETB, hopefully, you’ll have a much better experience than we’re having. Please read your entire contract and hold them accountable to deliver high-quality services throughout the process!
P.S. If purchasing the deluxe cinematography package, I recommend you have a family member or friend record your cake cutting, champagne toast, and first dance. As we’ve asked for the raw film content to be made available to us, in response we were met with an additional editing fee. -
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