Tallahassee Couple Merges History and Future

Historic Bricks and Brass held family memories as couple created new life together

By Rebecca Padgett

Not many people can claim their wedding reception was held in the same location as their childhood nursery, but Caitlin Munroe can. On June 26, 2021, Caitlin celebrated her marriage to Ian Murphy at Bricks and Brass in Tallahassee, a building her grandfather once owned.

Today, Bricks and Brass is a beautiful venue located at the pulse of downtown Tallahassee that merges the original brick structure with modern decorative elements. In 1947, after years of working for Mays Electric Company, Caitlin’s grandparents, Ray Sr. and Peggy Munroe, purchased the Mays & Bryson Building, later changing it to what Tallahassee residents know as Mays-Munroe, an appliance sales and service center.

Caitlin formed some of her earliest memories in that building. Her mother, who worked for the company, created a nursery in a back room, which is now Bricks and Brass’ kitchen. It was in that very nursery, in 1995, that Caitlin and her mother took cover from a tornado that touched down in the area and damaged the Civic Center.

As an FSU family growing up, they used the building as their tailgating location. They used the fully functional display kitchen to eat, played games in the parking lot and then loaded up the family van and headed to the stadium.

She recalls listening to her grandfather’s stories as he sat as his desk in an antique banker’s chair. For the reception, she ensured that the dance floor was set up near where his office once was.

As companies do, Mays-Munroe moved locations, leaving the building unoccupied for years until the group that owns Four Points by Sheraton purchased it in 2013, later opening Bricks and Brass.

Sadly, Caitlin’s grandfather passed away in early 2021, but long before, she knew she wanted to pay homage to him and her family’s history.

“Ian and I had been dating for four years, I knew a proposal was in the works and I had I heard about Bricks and Brass opening,” said Munroe. “I quickly looked up images online and knew I had to have my wedding reception there. I loved the idea of starting our new life together in a place rooted in so much personal history. It felt like the perfect place to merge my family’s past with my new future with my husband and his family.”

Although Caitlin and Ian met at different colleges while living in Atlanta, they always knew they would wed in Tallahassee. Their rehearsal dinner was at The Edison, another historic Tallahassee landmark, and the ceremony was held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church before partying into the night at Bricks and Brass.

Caitlin credits Kendyl Smith and Elyssa Brooks with making the space that held family history into something that was also uniquely her and Ian. While planning a wedding during COVID-19 certainly wasn’t easy, the Bricks and Brass team had plans in place that aligned with the changing guidelines. Fortunately, with the vaccine and extra precautions, they were able to safely celebrate.

The Bricks and Brass team helped them to emphasize personal details, such as signature cocktails named after their cats, customized Coca-Cola bottles as a tribute to their past in Atlanta and a playlist that had music for all genre lovers to dance to.

“It felt as if we were adding a piece of history,” said Kendyl Smith, catering and events manager with Bricks and Brass. “What I loved about this space already is the character, and then the Munroe family told us even more about it. This is what amazes me about this venue — creating new memories in a building that already means so much to the community as well as the family.”

Caitlin and Ian opted not to do a first look, and they noted their first time seeing one another down the aisle as the most meaningful moment alongside being surrounded by friends and family the entire weekend. They credit their parents, vendors and day-of planning team for exceeding all expectations of the day.

Wedding Planner: Karyn Tarmey

Church: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

Officiant: Father Tim Holeda

Reception: Bricks & Brass

Rehearsal: The Edison

Flowers: A Country Rose

Photography: Whigham Images

Dress: Vocelles

Alterations: The Couture Seamstress

Makeup: Aysia Sylvia

Hair: Beauty and Grace Salon

Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse

Cake: The Cake Shop

Invitations: My Favorite Things

DJ: Amplify DJs

Rentals: Terri Smith Details

Transportation: Five Star Limo