 Wedding season is booming again and we're always happy to photograph at Fort Zachary Taylor again. Not only the venue is beautiful and you get the park to yourself after the sunset, but we love working with all the great Key West wedding vendors. I asked Tara couple of questions and her wedding tips: 1. How did you meet, who proposed and how? When Paul and i met, I was working in a funeral home in Paul’s hometown . His elderly grandfather passed away and used the funeral home where I worked . Paul’s grandfather always said that he needed to find Paul a nice girl, and we think this was his way of doing that! We are beach people and enjoy taking a couple trips every year . During our vacations we always enjoy taking night walks on the beach. In April, 2018 we were in Melbourne beach walking on the beach at night and Paul surprised me by dropping down to one knee and proposing at the waters edge . 2. Why wedding at Fort Zachary Taylor? Prior to becoming engaged we had taken a trip to Key West. We were out snorkeling and when we were on the boat I noticed the point at Fort Zach being set up for a wedding . I knew right then that if we got engaged that’s where I wanted to get married. Once we were engaged and did some more research we absolutely fell in love with the fortress. Between being able to be married on the beach, have the reception in the fortress and be in Key West it was just perfect. 3. What was your inspiration for the wedding? We wanted the wedding to be simple but romantic . We loved the beautiful simplicity of being married at the point, and then being able to have the romantic moodiness of the Fortress. We tried not to overthink any of the decor and just let the venue shine! 4. Describe some of your favorite moments at the wedding. We definitely enjoyed doing The First Look. It was so nice to see each other beforehand without anyone else around. It really took some of the pressure off ! We also had a blast sneaking off to take sunset photos. Between all the hustle and bustle of the wedding day it was great to have some alone time to really soak it all in ! 5. What would be an advice to other brides from you. When in doubt keep it simple, and try not to stress too much . It will be the best day ever. 6. What are your future plans? Honeymoon? After a week in Key West we went to Negril, Jamaica for a week. It was absolutely amazing! The resort (Couples, Negril) was the best resort we have ever stayed at and all the people and staff were so nice . The ocean water is always the perfect temperature and we absolutely loved being able to snorkel right off the beach . Congratulations Tara and Paul!! We loved being part of your wedding and meeting your families! 
   
   
     
                   
 
    Coordinator- Kirsten Corpion
Flowers- Duarte Floral Design Photographer- Weddings By Romi - Romi Burianova Caterer- Great Events Hair and makeup- Key West Wedding hair and makeup Officiant- Rev. Steve Torrence Dj- DJ Buggy I would recommend every single one of our vendors . Everyone was absolutely amazing! Kirsten thought of everything and was so on top of it . Duarte made the most beautiful bouquets and centerpieces that totally exceeded expectation. Romi made us feel so at ease and comfortable, even though we typically don’t like our picture being taken. Our food was awesome and we got tons of compliments. Everyone’s hair and makeup was perfect. The officiant was so helpful, kind and personable, and the DJ did an awesome job getting and keeping the party going .
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 A Tropical, Lively Wedding at Casa Marina Resort | Brady & Garrett Brady and Garrett’s wedding at Casa Marina Key West was nothing short of magical—tropical, energetic, and filled with love. From getting ready to carefully watching the weather, they embraced every moment, leading to a perfect beachfront ceremony during a rare sunny window. Their vibrant reception was unforgettable—glow sticks, sparklers, dancing, and singing with the band kept the celebration going late into the night. Laughter, love, and pure joy filled the air as family and friends came together to celebrate. Congratulations, Brady and Garrett! We’re so grateful to have captured your incredible day. Cheers to an amazing wedding season—we love you all! 1. How did you meet, who proposed and how? We met in New York City. Garrett had just moved from Santa Monica and Brady from Raleigh, NC. We met at a great little bar called V Bar in the East Village. We only lived a few blocks from each other and were inseparable from that night on. We stayed in NYC for 6 years then moved to Raleigh, NC where Brady is from. Garrett proposed to Brady with his great grandmothers ring in the mountains of North Carolina by a beautiful stream. It was perfect, and even after 8.5 years of dating, Brady was still surprised! 2. Why did you choose Casa Marina for your wedding venue? How did the rain affected your wedding? We love Key West and the beach and have always wanted a destination wedding. We think Key West is such a fun and happy place and wanted our guests to enjoy the great food and bars and beautiful, tropical sites. Casa Marina is such a gorgeous hotel and a great setting for a wedding. We wanted to get married on the beach but have our reception inside (in the AC!) so it was the perfect venue for us. We loved that the cocktail hour and ballroom still had a great view of palm trees and the beach and ocean. The rain wasn't ideal but it didn't stop us from getting married on the beach! There was a moment when we thought we would have to move the ceremony inside, but thankfully the rain let up and we made the decision to head to the beach. The rain ended up making the water super calm and cooled off the sand so we could be barefoot, and the sun came out just as Brady was walking down the aisle. It was perfect. 3. What was your inspiration for the wedding? Tropical and beachy but still elegant and classy. The colors were green, ivory, white. We wanted to keep is simple with the tropical greenery and white/ivory accents. 4. Describe some of your favorite moments at the wedding. The beach ceremony was one of our favorite moments. With the rain making us think we would have to move the ceremony inside, it made it that more special to be out on the beach as the sun started to come out. Brady loved walking down the aisle with her dad and seeing Garrett standing in the sand, right on the edge of the water. While we were standing up there, we turned around to see everyone in the crowd. It was such an amazing feeling to see everyone we love in one place all looking at us. It's a moment we will never forget. The first dances, Brady's dad's speech and the dance party are other favorite memories. At one point we looked around the room and every single person was on the dance floor. Garrett and Brady love a good band and dance party so it was really special, especially when all the fun glow sticks, hats, necklaces and tambourines came out! 5. What advice would you give to other brides from you? Don't let yourself get stressed out. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the planning and all the attention during the wedding but when your wedding weekend kicks off be sure to relax and take it all in. It goes by so fast, so take deep breaths and look around the room so you can remember every moment. Also, make sure to tell your guests how much you appreciate them! 6. What are your future plans? Honeymoon? If you had honeymoon, tell me what you loved the most. We left for our honeymoon on Sunday after the wedding. We went to Santorini first then Mykonos in Greece. We spent 4 days in each place and it was magical. We went on beautiful hikes and boat rides and also spent time relaxing by the pool and exploring the cities. It was one of the most gorgeous places we've ever been.  
           
       
   
          
                                                              
  
                              Wedding venue: Casa Marina Resort
Wedding photography: Weddings By Romi (two photographers/ ceremony) Wedding Planner : Just Save The Date ( Kelly) Wedding Flowers: Milan Event Reception Chairs: Prestige Rentals Wedding Make up/hair: Bella Luxe Wedding Cake: Milk Bar Band: Private Stock Band Wedding Dress: Traditions Wedding Shoes: Zara Tuxedo: Bonobos Loafers: Wolf & Shepard Wedding Rings: Reliable Loans  Are you ready for a vibrant, whimsical garden wedding? I know I was! Regan first discovered my work through my underwater photography displayed in a Key West restaurant. The moment she got engaged to Dan, she reached out, and we had an absolute blast creating underwater portraits for their wedding invitations. Seeing them in print was such a joyful moment! Their wedding was originally set for the following year, but life had other plans, and they had to postpone. When I received Regan’s email saying they were finally moving forward with their big day, I just knew it was going to be something truly special—and I was right! From the moment we arrived, we felt like part of the family. Key West Garden Club (West Martello) provided a stunning setting with lush greenery and ocean views, creating the perfect backdrop for their celebration. It was nearly impossible to choose just a few images for this blog—every moment was filled with love, laughter, and magic. I asked Regan a couple of questions for the blog. 1. How did you two meet, who proposed and how? It's the 4th of July weekend 2013.... I had just moved full time to Key West that March. Dan was living in Ohio and a friend suggested a trip down to Key West for the 4th and they thought, why not!. Meanwhile, Dan's younger brother Matt had just started dating my younger sister Jourdan. Dan remembered Matt's girlfriend's family lived in Key West so, he figured he might want to invite Matt and his girlfriend (my sister) to come too. I didn't know many people yet so, when my sister called to say, she and her new bf (plus his brother and friends) want to come down for the 4th, I was stoked! It turned into a group trip and everyone came over to our parents house to swim and that's when Dan and I met. The group adventured around Key West all day but we found ourselves sitting next to each other watching the fireworks glisten over the Atlantic by nightfall. That's why we say we saw fireworks when we meet... it was literal and figurative because we fell in love that weekend! Fast forward to March 2017.... Dan and I lived together in Key West and had taken on a major project of renovating our own piece of paradise here on the island. After months of working on the house night and weekend we were ready to move in! We were stressed and exhausted but excited for our first night in our new home together. We were sweaty from moving all day, looked a mess and dead tired when Dan pulled the scooter over at the nature walk that overlooks the Beach. He said, "lets just take a moment and watch the sunset and unwind before we head home and start unpacking. I was in a daze and up for any procrastination! We walked to the end of the deck and he just hugged me from behind while we watched the sun start to set over the Atlantic. I was so tired I almost didn't register that he has started saying how excited he was for us to start this new chapter together. He continued with more sweet sentiments and I felt him move away from me so I turned to look at him and he was teary. I went numb and all sound faded away as he lowered to his knee. I could see his mouth moving and a stunning ring presented in a driftwood box. A few seconds went by and then I said, "That box is awesome!". Now, we were both flustered and I quickly said, "I mean, YES!. Of course, I'll marry you! and the ring is perfect!". We both giggled and hugged and continued to cry tears of happiness as we held each other watching the sun fade beyond the horizon. 2. Why did you choose Key West Garden Club for your wedding venue? We both love plants, nature and the garden club is one of our favorite spots on the island for both the surreal magic of the grounds and incredible views looking out onto the Atlantic! We knew we wanted to get married there and it was better than we ever dreamed! 3. What was your inspiration for the wedding? We are both laid back islanders now so we wanted the night to incorporate a Boho Beach feel. We wanted a relaxed environment that brought everyone together for a whimsical, tropical night by the water. 4. Describe some of your favorite moments at the wedding. Our vows.... we were so nervous to speak such intimate feelings in front of our family and closest friends but once we were up there everyone else faded away and we connected in a moment more meaningful and surreal than we could have ever expected! Dinner....we remember looking down the long head table at our family, friends and the magical scene created with decor, lights, lush gardens, and the exquisite sunset feeling so blessed in this ethereal moment. Toasts.... my dads toast left me speechless. The feelings he shared were incredible 5. What advice would you give to other brides? Write your own vows.... we were both nervous and put ourselves under a lot of pressure to make sure we said what we wanted to share with each other but that moment was so incredible and more special than either of us expected that we will likely go back to it time and again through the hardest and happiest situations throughout our life together. 6. What are your future plans? Honeymoon? If you had a honeymoon, tell me what you loved the most. We left that weekend for Italy. I planned the wedding and Dan planned the honeymoon..... it was perfect! We each poured so much of our selves into planning these events for each other that they both exceeded our expectation! We bounced around the country but Venice and Florence were our favorite cities We were both in awe of the history come to life through the architecture. Yes, the food and wine are an incredible as everyone says! We will definitely go back to other cities and continue the adventure.  
      
 
       
 
   
  
                 
                                      Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi (two photographers)
Wedding Location: Key West Garden Club (West Martello) Catering: Catered Affairs ( Martina) Wedding Floral : Greg Slowiak Wedding Officiant: Aaron Wechter Music/Band: The Bay Kings Band Wedding Planner : Simply You Weddings ( Desiree De La Oz)  Paved brick pathways among orchid-filled trees and the grand home that was built by Captain John Huling Geiger in the 1840s as a residence for his family. . The Audubon House and tropical garden is in heart of Old Town Key West and was the choice of Key West wedding venue for Sophia and Andrew. For the sunset we were able to slip just across the street to Mallory Square and watched the sun goes down at this special day. 1. Sophia, how did you meet, who proposed and how? Andrew and I met while I was at college in Davie, FL. We were two kids who ended up growing up together and going through all the obstacles that relationships and your 20’s have to offer and we made it through the best of friends. Andrew proposed on his 30th birthday, which happens to be Valentines Day. We had taken a trip to New York a few days before, in which he planned on proposing but later admitted he was so nervous that every time he had the opportunity to do it, he chickened out. I found it sweet that after nearly 11 years, he still had butterflies when asking me to marry him, even though we already knew we would spend the rest of our lives together. He finally found the courage while we were out on a quiet dinner together the night of his birthday. It was intimate and private and perfect. 2. Why wedding in Audubon House? We chose the Audubon house because without a single decoration, the location is already gorgeous in all its natural beauty. It did not disappoint. 3. What was your inspiration for the wedding? We wanted an outdoor wedding because we wanted a venue with natural beauty and an open environment. The outdoors with a rustic touch. We love the outdoors and fresh air. It was warm, but it was breathtaking and totally worth it! 4. Describe some of your favorite moments at the wedding. Some of our most favorite moments were the dances. The couples 1st dance, father/daughter dance, and mother/son dance. The emotion felt during these moments is something we will cherish for a lifetime! And I can not forget the moment our daughter got on the mic and sang drakes part in the song sicko mode. It was definitely one of the biggest highlights of the evening. 5. What would be an advice to other brides from you. Try to enjoy and be present in every moment even though there is a million things going on and you have a 1000 emotions to manage, because when it’s over, you will look back and wish you could relive it again. It truly is one of the best days of your life. I wish I could have had a little more of it. 6. What are your future plans? Honeymoon? If you had honeymoon, tell me what you loved the most. We plan to continue conquering obstacles together and building the best life we can together with our daughter. We went on our honeymoon two days after our wedding to Tulum, Mexico. We can’t wait to go back! Congratulations Sophia and Andrew!! We loved being part of your wedding day! 
 
    
          
      
     
         
        Venues: (Getting Ready) : Margaritaville Resort
Ceremony/Reception: Audubon House Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi Wedding Planner : Soire Events Wedding Videography: Mark J. Pierson Wedding Film Food : Catered Affairs Decor and Floral : Milan Events DJ: Alivia Adams Wedding Dress : Maggie Sottero Tuxedo: Timmy Tuxedo Rings: Blue Sophia Key West  Every day in Key West is beautiful, and specially the weekends when the celebration of love is solidified in the form of marriage. Shannon and Sean said their I'do's at Fort Zachary Taylor with their closest loved ones, and enjoyed their reception with the stars shinning above and the ocean as their backyard. Shannon and Sean's Love Story: Sean and I met while working together at an insurance company in the fall of 2013. At the company holiday party in January (where I was disappointed that Sean didn’t show), I admitted to a coworker that I had a crush on Sean. She proceeded to play matchmaker and Sean asked me out the first week in February. We ended up having our first date the next week on Valentine’s Day (unintentionally) because that Friday just happened to work for both of us and we didn’t want to push the date back another week. We like to call it our Annivalentinesary. We vacationed in Thailand for our fourth Annivalentinesary last year. Sean proposed while we were watching the sunset together at Promthep Cape, the southernmost point of Phuket, on Valentine’s Day. Two years ago, Sean and I vacationed with my family for our friends’ wedding in Key Largo. We had a great time in Key Largo for the week, but took a day trip to Key West and had a blast. We all talked about how we wished we had spent more time in Key West! I was a swimmer growing up and the water, in particular the ocean, has always been my happy place. A beach wedding was the obvious choice for me, and Sean has a lot of family in Florida, where his mom is from. After we got engaged, we started talking about Key West, and we both agreed it would be a great fit for our wedding. When I stumbled upon Fort Zachary Taylor in my search of Key West venues, it was a no-brainer. I’m an environmental engineer and whole-heartedly support environmental preservation and conservation, so a state park was a perfect fit. Part of the inspiration for the wedding was the venue. We wanted to keep the decorations minimal, because the venue (Fort Zachary Taylor) itself is so gorgeous. We wanted to highlight some of the local cuisine and thought a steel drummer would be a great way to set the laid-back, tropical vibe we were going for! I would say the wedding was a reflection of our styles – a little rustic, a little sophisticated, a little quirky – and truly felt magical. The first look was really special for both of us. We also both thought it was hilarious when a Fury boat passed while we were standing at the arbor and proceeded to cheer us very loudly, in the middle of the ceremony. Really, the whole day was perfect and we had so much fun celebrating with all our family and friends. My advice to other brides (and grooms) would be to relax and enjoy your day! I did most of the planning, but our day-of coordinator was really crucial and ensured that we were not stressing about all the little details on the wedding day. Some little things didn’t necessarily go exactly as planned, but we just rolled with it and enjoyed our day with one another and our loved ones. Sean and I are planning on going on a delayed honeymoon next year. We are talking about visiting a few places in Europe since neither of us has ever been, but we are still working out the details! We are saving up to purchase our first home (hopefully) next year and hope to start a family in the not too distant future. And we both look forward to any excuse to go back to Key West!!! 
 
       
           
           
                     
       Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi
Caterer: Catered Affairs of Key West Cake and Cupcakes: Key West Cakes Flowers: Love In Bloom Steel Drummer: Van Bertie DJ: DJ Erika from Kiss Me Entertainment Hair and Makeup: Talie Ayers Lounge Furniture: Eventfully Yours Rentals Transportation: Conch Tour Train Wedding Coordinator: Jessica Jones Dress: Jadore Evening Suit Vest and Pants: Enzo Custom Shoes: Steve Madden (Hers), Cole Haan (His) Ring: Point No Point Studio (Hers), Blazer Arts (His) We believe that love should be celebrated in all its forms and we are happy to share this blog with you with wedding photos from one of our favorite Key West wedding locations, Fort Zachary Taylor. Laura and Melissa answered couple of questions for our wedding blog. Congratulations Laura & Melissa! We couldn't be happier to be a part of your wedding day! -How did you two met? Chesapeake and Potomac Softball (CAPS), our LGBTQ love connector! -Who proposed and how (where)? Melissa and our dog Maui proposed during a sunset walk on the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA. Maui helped by presenting the ring that was attached to her collar. -Why wedding in Key West? Fort Zachary? We wanted a destination wedding and loved the laid back vibe of Key West. We visited a year ago and went to Fort Zachary at the suggestion of our good friends (our officiant Betsy and her fiancee Lorraine). The park was gorgeous and we loved the idea of getting married on the beach at sunset. -What was your inspiration for your wedding? Fort Zachary was the inspiration in itself, we cannot have picked a more picturesque location. -Describe some of your favorite moments at the wedding? Looking around to see all our loved ones who came to celebrate with us. Our private moments in the woods before our introduction. Our first dance and that we actually pulled it off after a four week crash course of private dance lessons. Watching our mothers dancing like it was Studio 54. Also, we loved the photo shoot at the fortress. It was a fun, peaceful prelude to the adrenaline rush of the actual wedding. -What would be an advice to other brides from you? Take a couple moments during the day to step aside, just the two of you, and take it all in. Journal your favorite moments the next day so you will always remember them with details. We also did toasts the night before at a welcome event - it helped to have most of the tearful and quasi-embarrassing storytelling moments take place before the big day. -What are your future plans? Honeymoon? Trips? We are in the process of planning our honeymoon at an adventure resort in Belize later this year. This summer is all about relaxing with our two dogs Maui and Raja poolside and playing softball, of course ;) -Would you change anything looking back? Not a thing. The weekend was a dream come true...everything was shockingly perfect!     
   
              
                                          
               Caterer - Great Events
Desserts - Matthieson's cookies and Cupcake Sushi Flowers - Mama's Flowers DJ - DJ Erika from Kiss Me DJ Hair - Studio Marie-Pierre Lighting - Eventfully Yours Wedding Planner - Kirsten Corpion And our fabulous photographers- Romi & Stevie :) We traveled to the Big Island, Hawaii home of two of the world's greatest mountains, one of the world's most active volcanoes and 10 of the world's 14 climate zones. This beautiful destination wedding happened at Fairmont Orchid Resort located on the majestic sunny Kohala Coast. Inspired by culture, well being and genuine aloha, this was the perfect place to celebrate the love of Katrina and Leroy. I asked Katrina couple of questions for the blog: Leroy and I met on Match.com our first date was Easter Sunday. We met at a spot in downtown San Diego called Vino Carta. We had a phone conversation before meeting and spent half of the day talking about everything under the sun. He showed up for our first date with a gorgeous bouquet of all of my favorite flowers! One of the many things that won me over instantly. Leroy proposed to me in Italy in a small town called Orvieto its sit on top of a hill and has cobble stone streets and the Duomo di Orvieto which is all breath taking. He proposed at dinner with our friends at a small resturaunt called La Magdalena. It just was perfect! I was born on The Big Island, Hawaii and it holds a special place in my heart. I wanted to share that with Leroy as he actually hadn't been there prior to the wedding. The coastline is just breathtaking and holds many great memories. We loved the grass location at The Fairmont Orchid Resort and Mew the coordinator was very helpful and informative. I felt confident in their ability to help create a very magical setting and occasion. The inspiration was a Romantic and Natural theme, rustic...while still elegant. My favorite moments from our Hawaiian wedding was the First Look, having my Dad walk me down the aisle. Definitely saying Our vows to one another. The flowers were perfection! I think seeing everything come together after all the planning was really exciting as well. Advice for Brides.. try to enjoy the moment as it goes by so fast. Have a moment to yourself before walking down the aisle to clear your head. Designate someone to clean your hotel room after everyone is done getting ready! In our future plans- in spring of 2020 we will be taking a trip to Spain, The Mediterranean and Ibiza. Congratulations Katrina and Leroy, we were so happy to be a part of your Hawaiian destination wedding!!!   
         
  
          
  
   
      
  
              
                          
              Wedding Location: Fairmont Orchid Hawaii
Wedding Planner: Jots and Thoughts (Sara Kam) Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi DJ: DJ Tiger 808 Audio Visual and Entertainment : Hawaii Sound and Vision Wedding Flowers: Grace Flowers Hawaii Wedding Invitations : Hawaii Calligraphy Hair/Make Up: Beauty Lux Salon Wedding Videography: Walczuk Productions Hawaiian Fire Dancers : Olowalu Productions Wedding Dress: Morilee Madeline Gardner Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mishka Event Rental Supplies: Big Island Tents  Jessica and Christopher had a beautiful wedding day with loving family, furry babies and lots of good friends. Having 2 wedding photographers I set my second record with editing images . Around 1300 of them. Here's only little glimpse. As I do for every wedding blog I asked Jessica couple of questions. How did you meet, who proposed and how? We met after we both moved back to our childhood hometown. Neither of us wanted to stay, so we moved to South Florida to build our life together. When we first visited the area we stayed in a small hotel on Hollywood Beach and fell in love the neighborhood. Less then a year later, Chris proposed on the same beach on our two year anniversary with a diamond ring that my father had and was meant to passed down to me. Chris also set up a camera to take our picture while he proposed. It was total surprise. My family already knew and we called them immediately afterwards and celebrated our engagement with bottle of champagne at our favorite restaurant. Because my parents live in the Keys and we often bring our dogs to come visit, we wanted to get married here in beautiful Florida Keys. We often visit Kiki's Sand Bar for a quick lunch and then end up spending most evenings dancing and enjoying the laid back environment and beautiful tropical scenery. We decided these were also perfect vibes for our wedding day. The wedding venue was perfect all around for us. What was your perfect moment? During our ceremony Chris kissed me before he was suppose to and that pretty much encapsulates who we are as a couple. Another perfect moment was when the whole group sung Bohemian Rhapsody and danced whole evening during reception. What would be an advice to other brides from you? It is important let the day unfold as it is and enjoy every moment. When things go wrong, know that you get to marry the love of your life and that is all that really matters. What are your future plans? Honeymoon? We went on a beautiful and relaxing cruise to the Bahamas and now we are continuing to build our life and family here in South Florida. Congratulations Jessica and Christopher and to your whole family!! It was lovely to be a part of your special day and we loved your furry babies!!  
 
    
                 
   
                                        
 
     Wedding venue: Kiki's Sand Bar
Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi Key West DJ: Kiss Me Entertainment Flowers: Marathon Florist Wedding make up/hair: Talie Ayers Wedding Dress: Leggenda Bridal at Coral Gables Wedding Ring: Kay Jewelers This wonderful local wedding had 3 different locations at our beautiful island of Key West. Briana and John got ready at The Reach Hotel, had beautiful beach ceremony at Fort Zachary Taylor and a reception at First Flight Restaurant with big outdoor garden. From Briana: John and I met in Key West, where I'm from and where John was stationed. To fast forward 8 years later, he surprised me with the skydive trip that turned into proposal with over 30 family and friends there and our daughter standing next to him while he went down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the biggest and most incredible surprise of my life. There was no question on the wedding location, we both knew it was going to be in Key West, our home...this incredible gorgeous island. I've always wanted a beach wedding and we both love the ocean. Knowing all that in made sense to have our wedding ceremony at Fort Zachary Taylor. Our reception was at First Flight, our favorite happy hour spot. First Flight is the perfect mix of indoor/outdoor, and did fit our rustic theme . The food was over the top. My favorite moment at the wedding was our first dance. We surprised everyone and took dance lessons and had our first dance choreographed. Rodriguez Cigars came and roller some mad cigars for our guests to enjoy the Key West/Cuban feel. Sweet addition to our wedding was our photo booth where our guests enjoyed some fun props and left with some priceless printed photos. My advice to other brides is to step back and take it all in. It's so overwhelming! Look around, watch our guests having a blast, look at your husband, and breath. Everything you've been planning for over a year has all come together...enjoy it! Looking back the only thing I would change would be adding another hour for the reception. Time went by so fast. For our honeymoon we went for a read trip to Italy for 10 days and it was the perfect addition to our celebration of love. Rome, Venice, Florence. They were all so different and so beautiful. We rented a Vespa in Florence and went up through Tuscany, and down wine road. It was absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations and thank you Briana and John for including us in your celebration, we had so much fun to photographing your Key West wedding! It was also so lovely to see many local faces that we had the chance to meet before or photograph their wedding as well.   
     Briana had her "First Look" with her brother at The Reach Hotel             
  
 
          
       
    
     Venues: The Reach Resort
Fort Zachary Taylor First Flight Island Restaurant Photography: Weddings By Romi Videography: Cineaverde DJ: DJ Gunz Florist: Petals and Vines Cigars: Rodriguez Cigars Sunset Cruise: The Furry Catamaran Cake: Croissants de France Get away to the Gulf at Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, an oasis off Duval Street, on the waterfront. Stroll through Old Town Key West to explore the quaint architecture, bars, and shops at Mallory Square or simply get married at the private beach like Chelsea and Drew did!  I asked Chelsea a few questions for the blog post: How did you meet, who proposed, and how? "Drew and I met in 2010 through mutual friends. He found out which restaurant I worked and came to see me. I wasn't working so he left his name and number on the napkin and kept it by the cash register and when I came in the next day I gave him a call and the rest is history. Drew proposed to me on January 21st. 2018. He asked me to get something from the room, he mentioned on the dresser but I couldn't find it, so I yelled down the hall that I can't find it. He came running down the hall, picked up a ring that had been on the dresser the whole time and proposed to me." Why have your wedding in Key West? "Drew and I don't tend to travel far, or long distances but we always loved adventuring in Key West. We came down for a summer trip in 2017 and talked about how we'd really like to get married there! Why Hyatt Centric Hotel? "After touring a few different locations the Hyatt just seemed like it had everything we were looking for! Great and relaxed atmosphere with beautiful views." What was your inspiration for your wedding? "We wanted to keep the wedding very simple and have very Key West casual vibe" What was your favorite moments from your wedding day? "Many of our wedding guests had never been to Key West before so it was an awesome opportunity for them to explore a new place and watch the sunset after our ceremony all together. We also enjoyed getting on the dance floor with everyone. The vibe of the wedding reception stayed fun and upbeat the whole night! I must also mention my father's toast that meant a lot to both of us. Seeing our parents faces when we invited them to the ceremony for a special "thank you" was priceless. Last but not least the flower we handed to our mothers, a kind protea, stood for transformation." What would be any advice you could give to other brides? If I could give a bride any advice, it would be to enjoy every second of the process and your special day. There are so many things you can get caught up on, but it's way more fun to be caught up in the love that is surrounding you and your future husband. What are your future plans, honeymoon? "We stayed a few extra days in Key West as a mini honeymoon but we also just booked a winter ski trip! From a sand wedding to the snow! As far as future plans, we're taking everyday as it comes! We're back with our "fur babies" and we're enjoying adventuring inner local area. With us both working in the school system, we are enjoying every last second until school begins again in mid August! I found a quote the other day that I put on our letter board because I loved it so much, it reads,"The rest of our life, is the best of our life." Just a fun a little reminder to see each day!! Congratulations Chelsea and Drew!! We enjoyed your wedding celebration and we hope to see you again in the future! 
       Wedding venue: Hyatt Centric Resort & Spa
Wedding Photography: Weddings By Romi Wedding Planner: Simply You Wedding Flowers: Karro Events Wedding Officiant: Michael Vernon DJ/Sound: Soundwave |
