Real Lakeland Weddings: Josh and Jane-Anne Phelan
By RJ Walters
Photography by Carmela Blackwell
Josh and Jane-Anne phelan love the outdoors. So much so that during the pandemic the Polk County natives installed a platform bed in the back of their Subaru and hit the road for 72 days to visit national parks and quintessential landmarks across the country.
“There were [times] where we didn’t shower for eight days in a row because we had to pay $20 every time we would shower,” Jane-Anne reminisces. “We were basically living out of a car in a cramped space, but I think it made us strong and we didn’t have that many fights…it was definitely life changing to see the country together.”
It’s no surprise that Josh—who sat behind Jane-Anne in world history class at Bartow High School before the 2018 IB graduates became lunch pals that just never stopped talking to each other—proposed to his love at Garrapata Beach on the Big Sur coast about half way through their cross country trek.
And the couple is forever grateful that Lakeland’s latest and largest outdoor gem, Bonnet Springs Park, opened in 2022 with a distinctive event space that accommodates weddings well.
“I really wanted an outdoor wedding in a field, but having that in Florida is kind of impossible,” Jane-Anne says with a laugh. “We really liked how Bonnet Springs had the big windows and the park made it feel like you were outside, even though you were inside.”
The primary colors for their wedding were very earthy: terracotta, sage, eucalyptus and light pink. The outdoor aisleway was lined with everything from cactuses to lavender, and photographer Carmela Blackwell captured shots of the couple and their wedding party in front of a picturesque greenhouse.
One of the bride’s favorite memories from the wedding was when the couple did their “first touch” and privately read their vows to each other while locking hands with their arms draped around the corner of a building.
“It was so emotional, I was crying reading our vows,” Jane-Anne recalls. “After that I was like, OK, I can’t do this, I have to give him a hug. But he still didn’t see me.”
“We really liked how Bonnet Springs had the big windows and the park made it feel like you were outside, even though you were inside.”
– Bride Jane-Anne Phelan
The primary colors for their wedding were very earthy: terracotta, sage, eucalyptus and light pink. The outdoor aisleway was lined with everything from cactuses to lavender, and photographer Carmela Blackwell captured shots of the couple and their wedding party in front of a picturesque greenhouse.
One of the bride’s favorite memories from the wedding was when the couple did their “first touch” and privately read their vows to each other while locking hands with their arms draped around the corner of a building.
“It was so emotional, I was crying reading our vows,” Jane-Anne recalls. “After that I was like, OK, I can’t do this, I have to give him a hug. But he still didn’t see me.”
Vendors for the Phelan Wedding
VENUE
Bonnet Springs
PLANNER
J&S Weddings, Savannah Stutzman
CATERING
TLC Catering
VIDEOGRAPHER
David Harder
RENTALS
Under One Tent
DJ
DJ Malado, Steven Maldonado
FLORIST
Brides n’ Blooms
HAIR & MAKEUP
Alysha Desiree Artistry
DRESS
Simply Elegant Bridal
BAKER
Angie Brown
OFFICIANT
Henry Smith
