Florida Weddings

These two are absolutely breathtaking in their Hindu wedding attire, custom made by Zimaya for their nuptials at the Ocean Reef Club in the Florida Keys. The floral embroidery on the Bride’s top that carried onto the bottom half of her skirt and the trim of the Groom’s ensemble is majorly gorgeous! Erika Delgado Photography was there to capture their vibrant and traditional wedding by the ocean. Some of our favorite moments are below, but there’s more in the Vault!

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From the Erika Delgado Photography… Beejel and Amit had a traditional Hindu wedding at the gorgeous Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, where they were wed at the furtherest part of the resort (the pointe) surrounded by the sea and their nearest and dearest family and friends. It was an intimate celebration. Keeping true to traditions, they both wore matching Hindu wedding outfits. They celebrated with a bonfire and a relaxing yet lively evening with Indian dances and beautiful speeches all amongst the ocean and open air of the Florida Keys.

Photography: Erika Delgado Photography | Wedding Dress: Zimaya Couture | Bride's Shoes: Zimaya Couture | Hair and Makeup: Amy Marzullo Alfano | Groom's Attire: Zimaya Couture | Venue: Ocean Reef Club | Wedding Band: J R Dunn

Key Largo is one of those tropical hidden gems without the international flight and it served as the perfect backdrop for Arthur and Danielle’s “I do” designed by Destination Wedding Studio. They created a lush escape for each one of the couple’s guests, including an outdoor meal to remember by Bill Hansen Luxury Catering. Take a peek at the photos from Lauren Kinsey for a virtual escape guaranteed to make this weekday so much sweeter.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

Arthur and Danielle ventured all the way down to the Florida Keys from New York City for their intimate destination wedding. The beautiful Largo Resort was the perfect backdrop for such an affair- serene bungalows for their family and friends, lush foliage that made you feel as though you had stepped into an exotic destination, and crystal clear waters.

Peggy Russell from Destination Wedding Studio was at the helm of styling this event, and created an outdoor dinner experience under the palms that provided the perfect ambiance for the low-key, laid back Florida Keys affair.

Photography: Lauren Kinsey Fine Art Weddings | Event Design: Destination Wedding Studio | Cake: Misha's Cupcakes | Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas | Catering: Bill Hansen Luxury Catering and Event Production | Makeup + Hair: Beauty Boutique | DJ: DJ Gunz (Matthew Fox) | Venue: Largo Resort

Carolina Guzik Photography has officially made citrus chic, and it’s all thanks to this fabulously fragrant affair. With reception tables filled with fruit trees it’s a refreshing approach to centerpieces that has got us blooming with excitement. Organic yet elegantly styled, every component of the day is an oasis waiting to be discovered. See it all here!

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Carolina Guzik Photography… This Ocean Reef Club wedding was fantastic! Paige + Christian are from the North East and decided to have a destination wedding in Key Largo, a place where Paige and her family have been vacationing since she was a little girl. 100 of their closest friends and family joined them to celebrate their love and commitment for each other.

And as you know, Love is in the details! This wedding had some spectacular decorations. It couldn’t be any more Floridian with the centerpieces being orange and lemon trees, plus some other gorgeous and simple flowers like chamomile plants, and Lily of the valley that Paige’s family brought straight from her grandma’s garden in Philadelphia. This wedding was a complete beauty all around!

Photography: Carolina Guzik Photography | Floral Design: Anthology Co. | Wedding Dress: Celestina Agostino | Band: CTO High Voltage | Venue: Ocean Reef Club | Cake Designer : Momofuku Milk Bar | Makeup Artis: Shirley Baptista

Give me a tropical beach wedding and I’m one happy lady. It might be the sky-high palms, the pup in pearls or the beachy-white bouquets from Parrish Designs that have reeled me into this seaside soiree from Binary Flips, but as one pretty package, this breezy romance has hit the spot. See sooo much more in the gallery!

From Binary Flips… Weddings by the beach will always have a place in our hearts. We were almost at a loss for words when we first saw the breathtaking venue. The color palette that Ashley picked for her day perfectly matched the club’s tropical setting. They exchanged vows on the ‘ceremony island’ with an almost endless ocean view. Ashley looked stunning in her Monique Lhuillier as she walked down the isle that is perfectly lined by towering palm trees. As the sun settled, everyone was treated with a gorgeous early moonlight backdrop. Everybody wished it never ended, but nevertheless it was the perfect way to remember it.

Photography: BINARYFLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY | Floral Design: Parrish Designs | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Monique Lhuillier | Band: Soul Survivors | Ceremony & Reception: Ocean Reef Club | Design & Planning: Mother of the Bride | Paper Design: Epitome Papers

Having spent the majority of my childhood + adulthood in the landlocked state of Montana, beach weddings (and the sunny blue skies that accompany them) have always been some of my favorites. Maybe that’s because attending one always feels like the best vacation ever, with family and friends joining forces with acres of sand and fabulous locales perfect for celebrating.  This is one of those awesome weddings.  A Key Largo affair with vibrant hues, gorgeous stylings and a bride and groom who couldn’t be more perfect.  See it all captured by Elle Golden right here.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Elle Golden Photography… When Kala contacted me about possibly photographing her Florida Keys wedding I almost fell out of my computer chair. A beach destination wedding with some of the world’s best sunsets as a backdrop? A stunning bride with an equally gorgeous bridal party who happened to be my friends? A love so strong Kala moved from one state to another just to be sure she wouldn’t miss out on it? Um… yes please! I knew a wedding hundreds of miles away would mean a lot of firsts for me (boarding a plane in Atlanta for a wedding with thousands of dollars worth of gear is some seriously nerve-racking stuff), but I was more than ready for the challenge. When the day finally arrived I couldn’t ask for a more perfect couple with whom to begin my official travels! Joe and Kala’s love radiates from within, making it oh so easy to capture in photographs. You’ll notice quickly how absolutely swoon-worthy Joe and Kala’s coral, mint, and sage colored beach nuptials were and then you’ll understand why I’m so lucky to document love.

Although they’re originally from Georgia, Joe and Kala are now Florida through and through. They were engaged and had their engagement session in St. Augustine. But when it came to their wedding they wanted something a little closer to home their home in Ft. Lauderdale yet a place that gave the feeling of being away from it all. Anyone who has visited the Keys knows it’s the perfect place to “get away.” Cue the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo!”

Kala opted to keep things simple by having a near all-inclusive wedding at the Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort. The pair wed under a simple seashell-adorned arbor with the ocean in the background. They then moved to the reception inside the hotel’s ballroom. The central location made it easy for all their guests who traveled hundreds of miles to enjoy the wedding weekend to its full potential. Which speaking of the guests, Joe and Kala were surrounded by amazing friends and family who are a reflection of the type of people this couple is. Their charismatic officiant made sure the happy couple took time to revel in the beauty of their wedding ceremony. The best men gave me a better ab workout during their speeches than I could ever get in a session of crossfit! Kala’s maid of honor, a mutual friend, almost brought me to tears with her moving speech on their lifelong friendship. Even chatting with Joe’s mother after a more funny than inconveniencing hotel-wide blackout near the end of the reception was a special treat! Joe and Kala added a few personal touches by having a fun photobooth at their reception and a hand-painted canvas guestbook made by a bridesmaid.

These two are truly blessed and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for them. I want to thank both Joe and Kala so much for being my first official destination wedding couple and throwing a wedding celebration as beautiful as their love!

Photography: Elle Golden Photography | Floral Design: Petals With Pizazz | Wedding Dress: Sottero And Midgley | Bridesmaid's Dresses: Dessy Collection By Vivian Diamond | Caterer: Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort | Makeup: Medusa's Mane | Entertainment: Vision DJs | Suits: Maggie Sottero | Hotel: Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort | Bridal Boutique: Maggie Sottero | Cake Artist: Cake Designs by Edda | Honeymoon: Thailand | Photobooth: Elle Golden Photography

It doesn’t get much prettier than a beach wedding in Key Largo.  Well, actually, I take that back… add in some darling DIY details and a stop-you-in-your-tracks vintage vibe and it’s prettier than you could ever imagine.  Case in point?  This sweet Hilton Key Largo Resort affair captured perfectly by the talents at Stay Forever Photography.  It’s a true labor of love with gorgeous blooms from Flowers By Darenda, a to-die-for cake from Mighty Fine Cakes and ear to ear smiles (of course) complimenting all of the crafty goodness.  See every last detail in the full gallery.

Share this gorgeous gallery on

 

From Stay Forever Photography… Laura and Brian had a destination wedding in Key Largo Florida. They traveled with close friends and family from Michigan to the warm Keys for a fun, vintage beachside January wedding. The Bride made all of the vases and jars that the flowers were in. She also made the place cards, ceremony programs and table decor (burlap and lace). The beautiful wood cross was also constructed by the hotel specifically for this wedding. Guests dined and danced under the stars following the sunset beach wedding. 

[dotted]

Wedding Photography: Stay Forever Photography | Wedding Venue: Hilton Key Largo Resort in Key Largo, Florida | Floral Design: Flowers By Darenda | Wedding Cake: Mighty Fine Cakes | Wedding Dress: Jovani | Shoes: Vera Wang

It’s 4th of July, the sun is shining and there’s a whole lot of BBQ yumminess in our future… what a wonderful day to celebrate.  So wonderful, in fact, that we couldn’t help but spice it up even more with this breathtaking Key Largo affair by Bob Care Photography.  Filled to the very brim with gorgeous florals by Parrish Designs, clear blue skies and perfectly pretty hues, it’s just what we needed to get us in the festive, fireworks watching mood.  See sooo much more right here.

From the Bride… I wanted a laid-back, beachy wedding with colorful corals, sun, the beach and tropical drinks where guests would be able to relax and get some sun in May, away from the hustle and bustle of cold NYC. A beautiful place where the setting would take over and minimal decoration would be needed. I also wanted to have a fun dance party that would go on all night with lots of energy and party music. Our guests were able to kayak, paddle board, play soccer, swim, tan and drink plenty of planter’s punches. I love in Ocean Reef — the setting, the indescribable view during the ceremony at The Point, the gorgeous blue ocean and sky … you don’t even need decorations. I wanted to incorporate details from my Brazilian culture: I had the Brazilian wish bracelet on the escort cards, and I knew I wanted samba dancers. They were a blast and set the tone for a fun dance party. It was a surprise for the guests, and they loved it!

My best advice to future brides and grooms of destination weddings, is try to visit the location if you can to get a feel for the space. Sometimes just being there will inspire ideas and help with the planning. Have a wedding planner at the location — someone who knows local vendors and has experience throwing events at your location. Be flexible because things will go wrong or not as expected, but it’s not the end of the world, and it will still be the best night of your life! Make sure you have a plan about your wedding gown. How are you taking it? I would recommend shipping it and having the dress pressed at the location (trying to get the dress wrinkle-free to the location through airports, layovers, etc. will just stress you out)!

The best memory of the wedding was after the wedding when we walked over to the bridal suite, sad everything was over (it goes by in a flash!) and our wedding planner had set up a cheese platter, champagne on ice and little gift for us (an Ocean Reef picture frame). It was so unexpected and so sweet, not to mention so welcome since we were starving! Ocean Reef provided complimentary wedding planning, which was key to a successful event. Having someone at the location with experience planning weddings at the location was wonderful because she was able to provide advice on best vendors, day-of timeline, etc.

Wedding Photography: Bob Care Photography / Wedding Venue + Catering: Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida / Event Planning: Amanda Gilbo of Ocean Reef Club / Floral Design: Parrish Designs / Wedding Cake: Ocean Reef Club / Musicians: AA Musicians + Brazilian & Latin Sounds Co. by Paulo Gualano  / Wedding Dress: J.Crew / Hair + Makeup: Ocean Reef Spa / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

We’re wrapping up another lovely week of inspiration here on Style Me Pretty Florida with this fabulous Key Largo affair that’s guaranteed to leave you smiling through the weekend.  From the outrageously gorgeous ceremony set against an ocean backdrop to the oh-so-pretty color palette to the brilliant images by Haring Photography, this wedding is one part beach chic, one part traditional and all parts perfect.  Not to mention those ah.ma.zing bridesmaid dresses from twobirds Bridesmaid that are simply stunning in every way possible.  Swoon.  With every last detail designed by Divine Design by Guerdy, there’s a lot to love in this elegant soiree, so be sure to join me in the gallery for all of the pretty and then stay tuned for more fabulous from Serendipity Studios!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Oh, and there’s more.  Feast your eyes on this amazing video by Serendipity Studios.  Absolute perfection.

From the Bride… JJ and I met in Med School in Miami in 2006. I grew up spending my summers at the Ocean Reef Club, a private community in the upper Keys, and when JJ and I started dating he began to spend summers there with us too.  We shared many special moments there, so while we both moved to California a couple of years before our wedding, we knew we wanted to get married at this special place where our relationship first started to grow.

Planning a wedding from the opposite coast has its set of challenges, but after hiring my wedding planner Guerdy Rejouis-Abraira to help coordinate the process became much much easier! Having a bridal party of 11 girls with different body types and scattered across the country, I fell in love with the twobirds Bridesmaid dresses. They were one size fits all and could flatter every figure. I was able to have twobirds custom color the dress to fit the wedding theme that I wanted— not too matchy matchy, very elegant, very glamorous, but most of all fun.

Most of my other vendors I found on the SMP Little Black Book and on Etsy. There were a few components that we insisted on including in our wedding- we wanted a weekend event so we could be around our friends and family for as long as possible, we wanted a beach ceremony because that is where we both feel at home, and we wanted it to feel elegant without being too contrived. The ceremony took place outside on the beach at sunset. Aside from our wedding canopy, decorated with a mix of spring roses and flowers, we kept the other decorations minimal so that everyone could enjoy the spectacular ocean view. Ocean Flowers and Guerdy transformed this nautical themed ballroom into our dream space, with wall draping, uplights, and a massive upholstered center bar that made sure everyone was having a great time. The band played until midnight when a DJ kept the party going until 3AM. I know a lot of brides get stressed about planning their weddings and I certainly had my moments but over all from start to finish, planning to party I wouldn’t change a thing!

Wedding Photography: Haring Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Serendipity Studios / Floral Design: Ocean Flowers / Event Design + Planning: Divine Design by Guerdy / Location: Ocean Reef Club / Invitations: Aileen Invitations / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Dior / Wedding Dress: Oscar de la Renta via Ever After Miami / Bride’s Belt: Maria Elena via Ever After Miami / Bridesmaid Dresses: twobirds Bridesmaid / Groom + Groomsmen Suits: J.Crew / Groom’s Shoes: Gucci

Oh destination weddings, why do you tease us so? You combine two of our most favorite things – absolutely FAB weddings and exotic locales. A double whammy that leaves us in a wedding and vacation induced haze. Thank goodness we have our Destination Blog, filled to the brim with destination weddings just like this. The couple wed in sunny Key Largo, in an amazing, fresh, fun filled wedding weekend, planned and executed by Pineapple Productions – so you know it was just as good as the photos from Lynne Brubaker Photography let on. Take a holiday and visit the gallery for more!

Stationery from the best – Just Paper & Tea.

From Allison of Pineapple Productions … In keeping with their free spirited and generous natures, Laura and Greg dreamed of a fun, informal wedding celebration that would leave their guests feeling as if they had just experienced a wonderful vacation.  They settled on a destination wedding at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida – a wonderful resort Laura had grown up going to with her family.

For the wedding ceremony, guests were invited to a hedged garden overlooking the resort’s marina.  Besides the beautiful Florida Keys sunshine and water backdrop, the ceremony featured a very lush cherry blossom arch highlighting the spring season and serving as a subtle reminder of the Laura’s Washington, DC roots.  Coral rose petals carpeted the grass aisle, and staked torches pointed guests in the direction of the ceremony seating.

A calypso band played for the ceremony and concluded on an upbeat island note with Bob Marley’s “One Love” as the recessional piece.  Following the steel drum player, Laura and Greg led the wedding party and wedding guests through the garden, alongside the marina path to the cocktail reception.

In the ballroom, rectangular and round tables were dressed in sand colored natural linen tablecloths.  The table design incorporated other natural touches like dark brown wicker chargers, white coral, black fan coral and nautilus shells.  White peonies and phalaeonopsis orchids, mixed with coral mokara orchids and garden roses, were incorporated into the tablescapes.  Different blown glass pieces – sea urchin cups, coral shaped candlesticks, pillars of varying heights and oversized fishbowls – were utilized throughout.

Overall, the wedding weekend – its subtly exotic decorative elements and its low-key, fun vibe – celebrated the wondrous natural environment and relaxed entertaining style of the Florida Keys.   Laura and Greg, their friends and families left the Ocean Reef Club with fabulous wedding and vacation memories!  Everything a destination wedding is meant to do.

Event Planner: Allison Jackson, Pineapple Productions / Floral Design and Lighting:  Parrish Designs / Photographer: Lynne Brubaker Photography / Reception Venue & Catering: Ocean Reef Club / Cake: Ocean Reef Club / Band: Right On! from East Coast Entertainment / Cocktail Music: Sir Cedrick Steel Drum Band / Hair: April Smith, Ocean Reef Club Salon / Make-up:  Elenne Hurley / Custom Itinerary: Just Paper and Tea / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Amsale / Calligraphy: Arney Walker / Bridal Gown: Vera Wang from The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel

I loved these pics that the talented KT Merry sent me from a wedding that she recently shot in Key Largo. The cute bride was obsessed with all things J Crew and with simple, perfect details. I just wanted to feature a little tidbit from the affair, as I thought the colors and the light, airy feeling was wonderfully SMP.

To me, this wedding looks like an ad for J Crew, an inspiration board that I would design, an absolutely gorgeous affair straight off the cover of a glossy. Plus, I love a bride that rocks a baby’s breath bouquet. So, super chic. To see the wedding in its entirety, head over to KT Merry’s blog.

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

KT Merry Photography

View Portfolio