The Estep Family of Tarpon Springs: Still Saying Yes

Inspired by the September 2026 feature in Tarpon Springs Living, written by Valerie Gentry.

Some families remind us that a beautiful life is not necessarily one that unfolds exactly as planned.

Sometimes, it is a life shaped by the decision to keep moving forward—to remain open to new possibilities, support one another through difficult seasons, and continue saying yes.

For Vanessa and Anthony Estep, that spirit has guided more than two decades together. It led them to Tarpon Springs, helped them build a home and raise their family, and carried them through an extraordinarily challenging season.

It also inspired their latest chapter: West & Wylde, a creative boutique and gathering place in downtown Tarpon Springs.

Featured on the September 2026 cover of Tarpon Springs Living, the Estep family’s story is one of resilience, creativity, love, and the remarkable strength of a community that chooses to show up.

The Beginning of the Estep Family’s Story

Vanessa and Anthony met 24 years ago through their work.

At the time, Vanessa was working as an interior designer, and Anthony was one of her clients. What began as a professional relationship gradually became something more.

Their first date did not unfold exactly as expected. They had planned to meet with a group of coworkers, but one by one, everyone else canceled. In the end, it was just the two of them.

Sometimes, the most meaningful plans are the ones that were never really planned at all.

Vanessa jokes that she knew Anthony was the one when she discovered he could play guitar and did not mind doing laundry. Beneath the humor was something more meaningful: she had found a thoughtful and dependable partner with whom she could build a life.

Anthony proposed during a trip to Jamaica, and the couple married in 2007 at Casa Marina in Key West.

Even their wedding required flexibility. A television production crew had taken over part of the hotel and continued working nearby until shortly before the ceremony.

Instead of allowing the unexpected activity to overshadow their day, Vanessa and Anthony embraced it.

That ability to adapt and move forward together would become an important part of their marriage.

Choosing Tarpon Springs as Home

Vanessa grew up in Evergreen Park, outside Chicago, while Anthony was raised in Springfield, Ohio.

Both came from Midwestern communities where neighbors knew one another and looked out for each other. After living in Naples and later Wisconsin, they decided to return to Florida and search carefully for the right place to raise their family.

They visited schools, explored neighborhoods, and spent time getting to know different towns.

Tarpon Springs stood out immediately.

It reminded Vanessa and Anthony of the communities where they had grown up. They found warmth, character, and a sense of connection. Most importantly, they could envision their children growing up there.

Ten years after choosing Tarpon Springs, the Estep family has become deeply connected to the community they fell in love with.

It is where they built their home, raised their children, developed their businesses, and found a network of friends who would later support them through one of the most difficult chapters of their lives.

A Family Filled With Creativity

Creativity, hard work, and individuality are celebrated within the Estep family.

Their oldest daughter, Te’a, graduated from Lynn University with a degree in film and recently opened Sweet Te’a’s Studio Photography. She also uses her creative talents to produce photography, imagery, and video content for West & Wylde.

Chace, 18, recently began classes at Tallahassee State College. A former culinary student at Tarpon Springs High School, he has earned the unofficial title of family chef.

Isla is a junior at Tarpon Springs High School and is dual-enrolled at St. Petersburg College. She is a cheerleader and works with children at the YMCA Kids Club at Tarpon Elementary, where she is affectionately known as “Miss Isla.”

Beyond their individual interests and accomplishments, the Esteps share the traditions that make their family uniquely their own.

Their home is filled with inside jokes, funny movies, laughter, lively personalities, and a particularly enthusiastic version of “Happy Birthday.”

Vanessa has always loved planning celebrations, welcoming people into her home, and creating experiences they will remember.

That welcoming spirit eventually helped inspire West & Wylde.

The Story Behind West & Wylde in Tarpon Springs

Located at 34 Orange Street in downtown Tarpon Springs, West & Wylde is much more than a boutique.

The shop is located inside the historic Innes Manor and offers custom-designed hats, apparel, jewelry, leather goods, and a distinctive Nashville-inspired experience.

Every hat is individually shaped, burned, branded, painted, and designed by hand. No two are identical because each design is meant to reflect the personality and story of the person wearing it.

Built in 1888, Innes Manor still contains its original hand-pull elevator. It was once home to artist George Inness Jr., and the surrounding property previously served as an artists’ colony.

Its creative history makes the building a fitting home for West & Wylde.

Anthony used his experience as a general contractor to help restore the building while preserving its historic character. Vanessa drew upon more than 25 years of interior design experience to create a space that feels distinctive, warm, and welcoming.

Their children contributed to the project, while friends volunteered their time to help prepare the shop.

Like so many parts of the Estep family’s story, West & Wylde was created through collaboration.

More Than a Tarpon Springs Boutique

Vanessa and Anthony envision West & Wylde as more than a place to shop.

Their plans include children’s movie nights on the lawn, country music performances, parties, and community events. They want every visit to feel like an experience and every person who enters the store to feel welcome.

That intention can be felt immediately.

West & Wylde is beautiful, but its personality extends beyond its design. It reflects Vanessa’s love of hospitality, Anthony’s craftsmanship, their children’s creativity, and the family’s connection to Tarpon Springs.

It is a place built to bring people together.

Behind the Portraits: Photographing the Estep Family

The day of our portrait session was far from what most people would consider ideal for photography.

The sky was dark and heavily overcast. The air was intensely humid, and it had rained for hours before I arrived. Everything outside seemed gray, damp, and uncertain.

Then I stepped inside Innes Manor.

The contrast was immediate.

West & Wylde was simply beautiful. Every country-inspired detail felt intentional—from the rich textures and handcrafted pieces to the way the historic architecture blended with the shop’s personality.

It did not feel like an ordinary retail space. It felt warm, creative, personal, and alive.

More importantly, that same warmth was present in the Estep family.

Vanessa and Anthony welcomed me with the most wonderful energy. They were kind, engaging, and completely open to the experience.

Their connection felt natural and unmistakable—the kind that does not need to be manufactured for the camera because it already exists.

The entire family was incredibly personable. There was laughter, playfulness, and an ease between them that made the session feel less like a formal assignment and more like being welcomed into their world.

As a photographer, I am always paying attention to what exists beyond the pose.

I notice the way family members look at one another, how they move together, who makes everyone laugh, and the quiet gestures that reveal affection and trust.

With the Esteps, what stood out most was their contagious energy and genuine sense of togetherness.

Knowing their complete story made those moments even more meaningful.

Behind their smiles was a family that had experienced an extraordinarily difficult season and chosen to meet it with courage, grace, and love.

A Season That Changed Everything

In 2024, Vanessa was diagnosed with breast cancer.

For nine months, she underwent surgery and treatment. She stepped away from her professional work to focus on healing.

Only three months after her diagnosis, Anthony needed emergency back surgery. Two days later, he suffered a heart attack.

What followed included open-heart bypass surgery, complications, another heart attack, additional procedures, and weeks in the hospital.

Their lives changed almost overnight.

Still, the responsibilities of daily life continued. Their children had school, work, activities, and commitments. Their three Goldendoodles needed care. A household still needed to function while both parents faced serious health concerns.

Their children stepped forward.

Te’a regularly returned from New Port Richey to help care for her younger siblings. Friends opened their homes, stayed with the children, and helped wherever they were needed.

Then Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought another challenge.

Flooding damaged the Estep family’s home, forcing them to relocate several times while Anthony remained hospitalized. Moving from place to place, caring for one another, and keeping three dogs safe became a true family effort.

How the Tarpon Springs Community Showed Up

After Hurricane Helene left approximately two feet of water in the garage of their elevated home, nearly 25 friends—and even friends of friends—arrived to help.

Together, they completed the cleanup in one day.

Once their own home was under control, the Esteps joined others in helping neighboring families.

Even during their own recovery, they continued looking outward.

The family also received assistance from The Thread for the Cure, an organization that provides grants to people in the design and construction industries who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

The organization covered a mortgage payment, allowing Vanessa to focus more fully on her healing.

These acts of kindness could not erase what the family was experiencing, but they reminded the Esteps that they were not facing it alone.

Community is easy to celebrate when life is comfortable. Its true meaning becomes visible when someone needs help and people arrive without hesitation.

For the Estep family, that support affirmed everything they had come to love about Tarpon Springs.

Moving Into a Brighter Chapter

Today, Vanessa and Anthony are entering a brighter season.

Their health continues to improve. Their children are creating exciting futures of their own. West & Wylde has officially opened its doors, bringing a long-held vision to life.

The family hopes to expand the business and travel together through France, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

After years shaped by both possibility and uncertainty, they continue to make plans.

They do not do so because life has always been predictable. They do it because they have learned not to wait for perfect circumstances before embracing what comes next.

When asked which lessons they hope their children carry into adulthood, their answer reflects the way they have lived:

Stay strong, even during the hardest circumstances. Work hard. Follow your passions.

Their story also makes room for something equally important: grace.

Families cannot always balance everything perfectly. People become tired. Plans change. Difficult seasons place pressure on even the strongest relationships.

Vanessa believes it is okay not to be perfect. It is also important to extend grace to one another.

That may be one of the most meaningful parts of the Estep family’s story.

Their strength does not come from pretending everything is easy. It comes from honesty, mutual respect, commitment, humor, and the decision to continue showing up for one another.

The Heart of the Estep Family’s Story

The Estep family of Tarpon Springs does not have a story defined by perfect plans.

It is a story of choosing love when circumstances become difficult. It is about accepting help and returning that generosity when someone else is in need. It is about creating beauty after hardship and continuing to believe in the future.

The dark, rainy afternoon of our portrait session could not hide the energy this family brought into the room.

Inside the historic walls of Innes Manor, surrounded by the beautiful details of West & Wylde, I saw a family whose joy had been tested but never lost.

I saw a couple deeply connected by everything they had built and survived together. I saw children growing into their own creative and meaningful lives. And I saw a family who understands that home is more than a physical place.

Home is found in the people who stay.

It is found in the community that arrives when life becomes too heavy to carry alone.

It is found in the grace we offer one another when we cannot do everything perfectly.

And sometimes, home begins with the simple decision to keep saying yes.

Why Behind the Cover?

A magazine cover captures one moment, but the stories behind it often hold so much more.

Through my Behind the Cover series, I share the people, families, and local businesses I have the privilege of photographing for North Pinellas community publications. These stories go beyond the final portraits to explore who they are, what has shaped them, and the meaningful connections I observe from behind my camera.

The Estep family’s cover may be filled with warmth, confidence, and joy, but their complete story reveals something even more powerful: a family strengthened by adversity, supported by community, and still willing to say yes to the possibilities ahead.

If Your Story Is Still Being Written…

You do not need to wait for everything to feel perfect before preserving this chapter of your life.

Your family’s story is being written in the ordinary days, unexpected changes, shared laughter, challenges overcome, and quiet moments that may not feel significant until years later.

Photography gives those moments a place to live.

If your family is entering a new season—or if you simply want to preserve who you are together right now—I would be honored to help tell your story through meaningful, timeless portraits.

Contact Lilia Pereira Photography to begin planning your portrait experience.

Featured Story Details

Series: Behind the Cover
Featured Family: The Estep Family
Featured Community: Tarpon Springs, Florida
Magazine Feature: Tarpon Springs Living Magazine
Story Written By: Valerie Gentry
Photography By: Lilia Pereira Photography
Category: Family Spotlight

Topics: Tarpon Springs families, community, resilience, family connection, breast cancer recovery, hurricane recovery, local entrepreneurship, West & Wylde, downtown Tarpon Springs, and family photography.