Stephanie Ortiz and Jamie Appel

Two Ceremonies Unite.
Honoring each other's beliefs, the couple of different faiths choose two ceremonies -- a Catholic mass and beachside Jewish ceremony to bring two families together.

By Christine Labit | Photography by Victor Junco

Two years ago, when Stephanie was looking for a job, she also found love. Jamie and Stephanie met through mutual friends and would see each other around their South Tampa neighborhood. It wasn't until they ran into each other at the gym that things really got moving. Stephanie asked if he had any ideas for a job and they exchanged contact information. A couple weeks later, Jamie called to see how the job hunt was going. Stephanie had found a good position and they celebrated her achievement on their first date. Stephanie knew she had found someone special.

Jamie asked her to marry him while on a vacation in Turks and Caicos before his work got busy. He is an MLB player's agent and it was just before spring training. On the private balcony of their room, after a romantic candlelit dinner, Jamie got down on one knee and popped the question.

Jamie and Stephanie's wedding, fully planned by Georgia Watson at Weddings by Georgia, incorporated both of their religions with two ceremonies. Initially, there was one ceremony planned, but a search for a rabbi and priest to officiate at one ceremony was not successful. On their wedding day, the 210 guests first gathered at St. Brendan Catholic Church and then gathered at Sandpearl Resort's Gulf Lawn for a Jewish ceremony. After the first ceremony, Stephanie tried to give the wedding band back for the next ceremony, but in the transition didn't take it off. Stephanie was completely overwhelmed when Jamie presented her with a second wedding band at the beachside ceremony. "When I was planning the wedding, I wanted it to be romantic," said Stephanie. "I liked that we had the two ceremonies."

The couple used a Web site to coordinate their guests. The site told their story and also had itinerary information for the guests as well as accommodation information. "It was important to me to be with my family and friends and have a good time," said Stephanie. "We had all our family members, including my grandparents, there with us. I had all my family from Puerto Rico and Texas, and Jamie's family came from Boston."

After the ceremonies, the reception followed at the Sandpearl Resort's Hunter Ballroom. Guests first gathered in the foyer for a cocktail hour to the sounds of the Infinidad Band followed by a formal dinner and dancing in the ballroom.

Despite one of the ceremonies taking place on the beach, the event was a formal affair. The bride liked simple classic things and it was reflected in the details of the wedding. Stephanie wore a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline and long train, encrusted with beautiful beading. The bridesmaids wore dramatic, long red strapless gowns. The groom and groomsmen wore black tuxedos.

Stephanie achieved the romantic look she envisioned with red roses. Kathy Gilbert, of Northside Florist, designed red and white rose bouquets for the bridesmaids, red rose boutonnieres for the groomsmen and dramatic centerpieces for the reception featuring red roses. Stephanie's bouquet was elegant, with red roses and white orchids. The classic, white five-tier cake by Alessi Bakery was also adorned with white and red roses and layered with cream cheese and raspberry preserves. The top layer was a tiramisu created specifically for Jamie.

"The reception with the flowers and candle-lighting was just gorgeous," said Stephanie. "My planner and Sandpearl did an awesome job. It was everything I wanted for my wedding."