Nicole and William | Hemingway Home Wedding in Key West
The first time Nicole saw William, they were both sitting at the same table in a Thayer Hall classroom located on West Point, NY at the United States Military Academy. They were set to begin the year-long Eisenhower Leader Development program prior to becoming Tactical Officers at the Academy and the Prep School. When they saw each other again, at a Teachers College "Welcome Brunch" in New York City, Nicole tried to start a conversation with Will; however to her surprise he told her to, "shush!" That shut down any future between them...for the time being.
Not too long after that first interaction, Will and Nicole became friends, Nicole was certain he would never leave the friend zone; however, if you know William, he is too kind and sweet for Nicole to not give him a chance. Finally they went on their first date, to Nicole's favorite place - the mall - he has been by her side ever since!
Press PLAY to relive the beautiful day!
One night while Nicole was working late, Will approached Chastan (the bride's son) to come up with the perfect proposal plan. When this happened, Chastan was not into the idea of planning something too far out. Chastan told Will that he should do it immediately and to not wait... Will wanted this proposal to be special; however, when Nicole got home from work, Chastan told her that Will had a surprise for her. In a matter of minutes Will was on one knee with Chastan recording the moment. To Nicole, nothing could be more special than having Will, Chastan and the pups by her side when she said, "Yes!"
Before COVID, the couple loved to travel and experience different cultures. Since then, they’ve enjoyed spending time at home and watching a good documentary or movie. They also enjoy playing basketball with their 13 year old son and getting past his sweet jump shot!
The wedding day got underway with getting ready photos at the Kimpton Key West Lighthouse Resort, across the street from their ceremony venue at Hemingway Home and Museum. The bride got her hair and makeup done by a longtime friend, Amanda Cave (@artistrybyamanda). The gorgeous wedding gown by Lillian West was a stunning sheer fitted bodice with delicate lace detail and a sumptuous train.
I created a few images using the couple’s invitation suite, created by Rebecca Meixner from Rebecca Illustrated.
The groom, William, was to wear his military uniform, so I made sure to capture details of the buttons, badges and service ribbons before he got ready. His guys helped him get ready, and we captured some individual portraits of the groom before heading back to help the bride get into her dress.
Once Nicole was done after her mom and her girls helped her get her gorgeous wedding gown on, we set up some stunning portraits next to the window where we could see the train and she could show off the colorful bouquet by Duarte Floral Design.
As we were wrapping up, William headed down to the lawn area to wait to see his bride during their “first look” moment.
Both groom and son had a special moment to see her in her dress for the first time, and it was a sweet moment to witness with the family.
After that it was time to hit some of the locations around Key West for couples’ portraits. It was important to the couple to be able to spend as much time with their family as possible, so we got as many photos done before the ceremony as we could.
The Around Key West images started at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, heading inside the fort itself to make use of the historic architecture and unique backgrounds that only a Civil War era fort could offer.
Next we headed downtown to Mac’s Sea Garden, and made use of the beautiful “Welcome to Key West Postcard” mural on the side of the Cuban Coffee Queen building, painted by Letty Nowak.
Heading back to the Hemingway House for ceremony, we also set up some nice posed family groups with the couple, Nicole’s maid of honor and her adorable son and sister!
Soon it was time for the ceremony, so guests found their places and the parents and bridal party processed down the aisle. The breathtaking arch and aisle design by Duarte Florals and Simply You Weddings was absolutely to-die-for, and balanced the natural hues and pops of color perfectly with the natural setting of the Hemingway gardens.
After the vows were exchanged and the nuptials were sealed with a kiss, it was time to head to the party! But first I snuck in a few final portraits of the newlyweds before they headed off to dinner.
Again we were greeted into the reception space with the most decadent of arrangements, with soaring centerpieces, ornate table decor, lovely long stem candles and etched glassware, luxurious fabrics and textures of all kinds. It truly was a masterpiece of design styled by the team at Duarte Florals, Eventfully Yours, and Jenn Perez at Simply You Weddings.
As the evening went on, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of a beautiful Hemingway event, complete with the six-toed cats the venue is known for, and as the couple enjoyed their dinner, I created a series of images reflecting the overall vibe and feel of the space.
Additional evening revelry consisted of poses in the Photo Booth, and of course, cutting that gorgeous cake by Key West Cakes, the delicious food offered up by the team at Great Events Catering, and dancing the night away to the tunes spun by Matthew Fox aka “DJ Gunz”.
The evening concluded with some fun dance floor group photos and some stunning backlit shots of the couple with the lights of their big day glowing behind them.
Congratulations to Nicole and William on your Key West wedding!
Getting Ready Location: Kimpton Key West Lighthouse Resort
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Hemingway Home and Museum
Planner: Jenn Perez | Simply You Weddings
Invitations: Rebecca Meixner | Rebecca Illustrated
Hair and Makeup: Amanda Cave | Artistry by Amanda
Flowers: Duarte Floral Design
Rings: Marrow Fine
Dress: Lillian West | Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique in Beacon, New York
Suit: Military Uniform
Catering: Great Events Catering
Cake: Key West Cakes
Entertainment: Matthew Fox | DJ Gunz
Photographer: Karrie Porter