I am full on convinced that rain on your wedding day brings out not only the best in couples but also makes for some fabulous photos. And when those photos are from Vitalic Photo, it’s a fab-photo guarantee. A little sprinkle didn’t phase this completely in love duo, if anything I think the grey skies added to this already lovely Key West soiree – and the full gallery is all the proof you need that this wedding was as fun as it was fabulous!
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From the Bride… When my husband and I first talked about our wedding, there was little doubt where we wanted to tie the knot. We both love the ocean and knew that Islamorada – the tiny island in the Florida Keys where I spent my childhood summers – was the perfect place for the fun and laid back beach wedding we envisioned. We rented out The Drop Anchor Resort, a small 1960s-era motel on the beach, as our wedding location and took to calling it our “Love Shack.” I worked with my friend Lisa, a designer, to create a theme inspired by Mexican folk art. She created a logo of our initials inside a papel picado (Mexican paper flag). We used orange and fuchsia as the primary colors to create a sense of vibrancy and used black as an accent for some added drama. A custom mad lib with our fuchsia logo was at every place setting at dinner and I created black tin can luminaries with our initials hand-punched into them for the tables. Flowers in the Keys were hard to come by without costing a fortune, so I rented potted succulents from a local landscaping company. My husband created the wedding program fans that carried on our theme, and we gave our guests orange maracas made in Mexico as wedding favors.
We planned all of the details down to a “T,” but Mother Nature is one thing that just can’t be planned. The day of our wedding saw torrential downpours (the start of a five-day stretch that would set a Florida record) and our caterer urged us to move our wedding to a nearby restaurant and give up the dream of a beach front wedding. My husband looked at me with calm eyes and assured me it would be okay. I allowed myself five minutes of panic and no more. I was marrying my best friend, so it was going to be one of the happiest days of my life, regardless of the weather. We decided to carry on with our original plan, with the addition of a tent and a lot of umbrellas. Guests sat at communal tables under the tent for our ceremony while the rain poured around us. As soon as the ceremony concluded, the rain let up for the first time all day. Guests mingled on the beach for a cocktail reception, followed by a buffet-style Caribbean dinner. After dinner, with the rain still letting up, we gave guests sparklers and asked them to get into a circle to the tune of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” We then surprised them with a performance from a local fire dancer. My husband and I were even treated to a surprise as fireworks went off over the ocean as the song ended.
The rest of the night saw more rain but by that point we didn’t care — we danced our butts off and ended the evening with an impromptu pool party under the cloudy sky. The day was more amazing than I could have ever imagined. They say rain on your wedding day is good luck, and I truly believe it made our wedding day even better. It made everyone remember why we were together — the food, the drinks and the details are nice, but we were there to be surrounded by and celebrating love. I’m so grateful to our vendors, who helped make the event wonderful, and to our amazing friends and family, who showed us that no storm can dampen their ability to have a really great time.
Wedding Photography: Vitalic Photo / Wedding Venue: Drop Anchor Resort & Marina in Islamorada, Florida / Wedding Coordination: Danielle Pierog of Caribbean Catering / Bouquet: Floral Fantasy Weddings / Table Succulent Rentals: The Banyan Tree / Catering: Caribbean Catering / Baking: Elegant Temptations / Music: Scott Youngberg / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller
Pulling on experiences and favorite moments as a couple is so smart when planning your Big Day. It should be a complete reflection of you and your love (and all the favorite pastimes that make up that love). If you’re a couple that adores to travel and explore, why not head south to the pretty beaches of Key West? It lends an air of easy, breezy, “we’re on vacation” vibe to this destination bash while Simply You Weddings gave it a layer of elegant stylings. Elegance + The Beach + beautiful images by Justin DeMutiis Photography = a great mix. See it all in the full gallery.
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From the Bride… On Tuesday, February 3, 2009, we met for the first time at Alta Restaurant in New York’s West Village. We sat and spoke for hours, and even on our first date, we felt as if we were old friends. Since that day, we have been inseparable. From our travels to the beaches of Nevis, the wine lands of Cape Town and the rainforests of Kauai, to our experiences in and around New York City, we have cherished our time spent together and with family and friends. When discussing where to get married, we wanted a location that reflected our fun-loving spirit as well as our excitement for traveling. We also hoped for some great weather! Key West, the southernmost city in the United States, seemed a worthy destination for a celebration with family and friends.
Wedding Photography: Justin DeMutiis Photography / Wedding Venue: Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Key West, Florida / Wedding Planning: Simply You Weddings / Floral Design: Milan Event Floral & Decor / Officiant: Rabbi Dudai / Cinematography: CineaVerde / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Karol / Ceremony Music: Key West Strings / Cocktail + Reception Music: The Headliner’s Band / Rentals: Florid Keys Party Rentals / Linens: BBJ Linen / Ceremony Sound + Reception Lighting: PSAV / Train: Conch Tour Train / Photo Booth: Eventfully Yours / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair + Makeup: Marie Pierre / Spa: Cloud 9 / Rehearsal Dinner: Roof Top Café
Oh Florida, you sure do know how to throw a breathtaking beach bash. With miles and miles of gorgeous sandy shores, it shouldn’t be a surprise you master all things seaside, yet I always have to pick my jaw off the floor when I see a soiree like this one by Margot Landen Weddings. I’m in total wedding love. Florida, you’ve done it yet again and I have a feeling this won’t be the last time. Click here for more!
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From the bride… The day we got engaged, Matt and I decided to get married in Key West, Florida. We love Key West for its unique and eclectic history. The Cuban influence, culture of acceptance and Caribbean flavor all intertwine to make the Southernmost one of our most treasured places to visit. It was only appropriate that we got married in the most charming island town. The Southernmost House provided the perfect spot. As the boutique hotel was once a private home used for recreation by the Key West elite, it holds a history that truly captures the Ernest Hemingway charm of the city. We are both Florida natives transplanted to San Francisco, and needless to say, planning a wedding 3,000 miles away had some challenging moments. I quickly realized that my all my “DIY” decoration aspirations would have to be bubbled wrapped and shipped across the county, but the end result was more than I could have ever dreamed of. We wanted the wedding to reflect the history of Key West.
Our wedding day was relaxing, as any day in a tropical paradise should be. The Southernmost House has so much beauty and charm that not a lot was needed to transform it for our special night. Our wedding ceremony was simple. We laid a burlap runner down what used to be a helicopter-landing pad and set up chairs on a diagonal, letting the serenity and beauty of the water be the focal point. Our siblings stood beside us as we got married. For the reception, I was lucky to have some amazingly gifted friends take the huge shipments of flowers I ordered from Publix and turn them into perfect centerpieces for the tables, along with the Ikea lanterns we had shipped to the hotel. Because the Southernmost Hotel is vibrantly colorful, I went with a white color scheme. I ordered almost every variety of white flower that was available in Key West in June. The flowers were all placed in bottles, jars and tins we collected and saved for the wedding. The tables we lined with burlap that I purchased from Joann’s fabric store, along with the pale green floral linen I used to make the napkins. The head table was draped with lace left from Matt’s late grandmother, which was an especially personal touch.
The wedding turned out to be more that we had ever imagined. It completely captured the vintage Caribbean feel we were hoping for. But the most special moment of the day, and the weekend, was when Matt played a song he had written for our wedding day during the reception. It left me, and all of our guests, weeping. It was the most romantic and beautiful gift he could have ever given me.
Wedding Photography: Margot Landen Weddings / Wedding Venue: The Southernmost House in Key West, Florida / Event Planning: Swankey Events / Table Flowers: Publix / Bouquets: Liza Chung STYLE (904-294-5216) / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Shoes: Tootsies / Food: Great Events Catering / Dessert: Croissants de France / Music: The Prime Movers of Mile Zero Entertainment
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