Weddings

Scene Together

By Sarasota Scene |

Couples on their wedding day

By Jacqueline Miller

Courtney René Freeman + Elliott Andrew Spann
Married June 7, 2019

No one loves Sarasota as much as Courtney Freeman Spann.

This stunning beauty was born by the rolling waves of our Gulf of Mexico beaches to Brent and Karen Freeman. She went to Venice Christian School, Florida Preparatory Academy, and Venice High School. Courtney met her closest friends growing up here—friends that are still her besties today. Her love of the beaches as well as fashion led to a career in art and lifestyle photography. She also owns her own retail store in Warsaw, Indiana and an online boutique—Meraki Collective.

Elliott is an Indiana boy—born in Fort Wayne to Peter and Lisa Spann and raised in North Manchester. He went to college in Greensboro, NC and in Fort Wayne and started Spann Construction in Warsaw, Indiana, a residential and commercial contracting company.

They met through mutual friends while dating other people, became friends, and quickly figured out that they were the ones meant for one another. Elliott asked Courtney out on a date while she was in Sarasota shooting a look book catalog for Mer Soeur Swim, a Sarasota company. She accepted and their romance began.

His sweet proposal happened when Courtney arrived at Elliott’s house early one morning in November 2018. She noticed a card addressed to her laying on the kitchen table. It was a note along with a clue at the end that led Courtney to the living room where she found another note with a second clue. That clue led her to a little pink velvet box above the sink. As she took down the little box, she turned to call for Elliott, but to her joy he was already behind her on one knee.

As Courtney starting planning for their wedding, she knew it had to be at home in Sarasota, close to the water where she grew up, where she had her best memories, and where all her closest friends live. Her older sister Whitney, who always wanted to be a wedding planner, quickly stepped in to help Courtney with ideas and put her extensive collection of wedding magazine clips she had saved through the years to good use. Courtney chose the beautiful Powel Crosley Estate for her special day.

For her dress, Courtney knew what she wanted. She chose a one-of-a-kind modern Bohemian Art Deco-style pink stunner from Rue De Seine, which she found in Alice in Ivory in Chicago. She let her bridal party choose their own dresses so they could be completely who they are and gave each of them a color palette by Huda Beauty.

Courtney and Elliott’s wedding weekend started with her bachelorette party thrown by friend Crystal Clarke, who just opened a boutique called The Wave Inspired on Siesta Key. They all stayed at Sarasota Modern for a fabulous two-night stay complete with champagne and tons of pampering. Wedding photographer, Sarah Orminson, was on hand to photograph all the fun as the gals got ready for their night on the town, which included celebrating with dinner at Summer House Restaurant followed by drinks at Classico.

The rehearsal dinner was held on Siesta Key with an Italian-inspired menu crafted especially for them by her best friend Megan’s husband, Anthony Petralia, chef at Sarasota Modern Hotel, with dishes from her favorite place in Italy—Capri.

Their special wedding weekend culminated with a perfect Powel Crosley wedding. The couple will honeymoon in Papagayo, Costa Rica, a Secrets resort, this month—the best time to go to Costa Rica!

While Courtney comes back to Sarasota frequently hosting pop-ups for her boutique and photographing look books for local businesses, her goal is to move back in the next few years and open her own boutique and photography studio in Sarasota. With the ambitions and talents of both Courtney and Elliott, we don’t think it will be long before this incredible couple achieves their goal.

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Weddings

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Couples on their wedding day

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