Happy Gasparilla! A Pirate's Wedding for Me!

To all my fellow Tampa natives, Happy Gasparilla! As anyone from this area knows, the annual Gasparilla festival is truly a holiday for us. South Tampa is completely taken over and mostly everyone takes part in celebrating.

A little history on Gasparilla...According to the Gasparilla Pirate Fest's official site , the name "Gasparilla" comes from legendary pirate Jose Gaspar, "last of the Buccaneers", who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and 19th century. Hence our pro football team's mascot!

We truly know few facts regarding Jose Gaspar's life and death, but there are accounts from a diary that he kept that noted his conquests and adventures in the early years of his pirate career. After reading the tales of his triumphs, including capturing and burning ships, I was happy to read that Gaspar had a heart. There is a story of his love for Ann Jeffrey, one of his captives, a beautiful English woman. He fell desperately in love with her and proposed to her but she declined his offer as she was in love with one of his pirates! Now, you would assume that a pirate like Gaspar would have made them both walk the plank, but instead he seized a merchant ship and agreed to set it free on the condition that Ann and her pirate be married on board and be brought back to England safely.

This love story got me thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean and, of course, pirate themed weddings! You would be surprised how many couples have decided to take the plunge in a pirate themed wedding. In a quick search you will find some things that look more suited for a 5-year-old's birthday party then a wedding. However, I was able to pull together some great ideas to put together a pirate, or let's say, vintage nautical wedding. I can envision a wedding gown with a corset bodice and a cap style veil and I love the idea of using vintage maps and trunks as decor.  Check out the Pinterest board I created and feel free to pin some of the ideas for your own wedding! 

Ahoy me hearties...

IOBC

P.S. Since Gaspar and his pirates will be invading Tampa Bay tomorrow, January 25th, Isabel O'Neil Bridal Collection will be closed for the day as the shop's location will be affected by traffic. 

 

 

 

 

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