Full of romance, chic style, and golden rays of sun, this Islamorada wedding captured by Concept Photography is going to sweep you off your feet! From the fashionable bride and groom and intimate ceremony, to handmade elements and dancing under the stars, everything about this destination wedding makes me want to pack up and head down to the Florida Keys! The couple, Angeli and Brandon, are here today to share their wedding planning insight with us:
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
Three things – a massive spreadsheet that kept all our guest information, budget, vendor info, etc. in one place, our really amazing vendors in Florida, and friends and family who pitched in throughout the weekend. Our wedding was in the Florida Keys and we live in Minneapolis, so we had to rely a lot of our vendors and most importantly, our coordinator, Julia Timmins at Blue Water Weddings. Since the Keys are such a small place, not everyone has a detailed website or anything, so it was really helpful to have someone local who knew the area and other vendors. Having her there the day of was essential – we were able to just let it all go and know she would make sure everything happened as close to what we had planned as possible!
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
We had a friend who got married in the Keys a few years earlier, and luckily they were able to recommend their amazing caterer to us. We started from there, and since Islamorada is a pretty small place, it was basically word of mouth on recommendations of who else was awesome in the area. I spent the most amount of time online choosing a photographer – starting out looking on blogs and websites for styles we liked, and then figuring out who was within our budget. We got amazingly lucky to work with Concept Photography. They were a blast, and we loved how the photos turned out.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
We were excited to have a beach wedding (the Florida Keys are obviously gorgeous), but we aren’t really the barefoot on the beach types. So we wanted to make it romantic and elegant, but still feel very relaxed. We didn’t really have wedding colors – I kept describing it as “neutrals” – beige, white, pinks, grays, and navy became sort of our accent color. I got excited with the idea of using paper flowers instead of real ones, which sort of became the focal point. I initially planned to buy them on Etsy, but then in a crazy moment decided to just make them myself using coffee filters and a DIY tutorial I found online. I got a lot of help from my bridesmaids and friends, which was really special to have everyone contribute.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
Having so many of our closest friends and family all in one place. Our vision from the beginning was to have a whole weekend-long celebration where everyone could just hang out and get to know each other. The Chesapeake Resort was the perfect venue – it was only our wedding guests, so throughout the weekend we got to see friends and family from different places getting to know each other, and we were able to get quality time with our guests outside of just the main events. It was a really unforgettable experience.
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
Two things: First, ask for help. I was really bad at this. It’s hard to delegate sometimes, but people want to contribute and get involved so take them up on offers to help out. Secondly, a friend told me once that at your wedding, you won’t remember the way it looked, you’ll remember the way it felt, and I can’t express how true that statement is for me. I spent hours and hours making paper flowers and planning the table settings, and while I’m so happy with how things turned out, I didn’t even notice the tables until I saw pictures after the wedding. But I do remember vividly how amazing it felt to have our closest friends and family with us, and feeling so loved, supported, and happy. It’s easy to get caught up in the details and décor, and that stuff can be fun and important, but it’s really all about you, and your groom, and your friends and family who are there to celebrate with you.
Michael Burgos Films captured the day in motion, and it’s absolutely amazing…
Angeli & Brandon Short Film @ Chesapeake Beach Resort from Michelle March Films on Vimeo.
And some gorgeousness from their Day After session…
Absolutely stunning, right?! Definitely makes me want to throw my own oceanside celebration surrounded by my closest family and friends!
Angeli mentioned her family and friends a lot, and you can certainly tell that the intimacy of her wedding was important. Are any of you also planning a more intimate wedding? Or if you’re not, what are you doing to keep things personal and intimate?
Vendors who made it all happen…
Lauren
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This bride is too cute!
That champagne gown is lovely! x