Why You Should Hire a Planner for your Key West Wedding (a Photographer's Take)

Your wedding day is naturally one of the best days of your life. It consists of all of the little (and big) things that represent you as a couple, a day for all of your friends and loved ones to enjoy and one that you’ll remember forever. There are so many aspects that you need to focus on in order to bring it all together though, which is why this can be such a stressful period for brides too.

Hiring a wedding planner can make this joyful time a little easier on your nerves. Here are a few reasons why you should consider hiring a professional planner:

Client Education, Wedding PlanningKarrieJune 13, 2023wedding planning, destination wedding, hiring local, timelineComment

Matt and Eric | Casa Marina Resort Wedding Day

It was spring of 2019 when Matt went on a first date to the movies with Eric, and even though they didn’t love the film, they still considered that the first day of their love story. I would eventually meet them when Matt planned a surprise engagement photo shoot and Eric said yes! Fast forward to the big day of the wedding, when the guys came back to Key West and officially tied the knot at the Casa Marina Resort.

Real WeddingsKP StudioMarch 22, 2023Casa Marina Resortdestination wedding, casa marina, same sex coupleComment

Kaitlin and Blaine | The Reach Resort Wedding Day

Going to a friend’s for a birthday party might not seem like the start of a typical love story, but for Kaitlin and Blaine, it was the genesis of a beautiful relationship that started as they both arrived to the party, ended up on the same four-wheeler together, and the rest - as they say - was history! I knew they had something special when I met them first during their Engagement, and was thrilled to find out soon after that their wedding would also take place here in paradise as well at none other than the beautiful Reach Resort.

Key West Destination Wedding Packing Tips

Throwing a wedding in your home city is one thing, but throwing it in a different state, country, or on an island like Key West is another. Destination weddings have become a popular way for brides and grooms across the globe to celebrate some place different and give guests a ceremony they’ll truly never forget. However, planning and hosting a wedding outside of where you live does come with its challenges.

Tips and TricksKarrieDecember 5, 2022wedding planning, destination wedding, what to pack, travel tips, hiring localComment

Alexis and Christian | Opal Key Resort

When Christian’s cousin introduced him to his friend Alexis, the start of a relationship was formed. Fast forwarding from there, they would eventually end up on a boat together, floating down the same river where they’d had their first date, and Christian proposed. It was only natural that between their love of the water and a love of the outdoors, that they should choose Key West for their destination wedding. This is where I met them and was able to capture their big day at the Opal Key Resort and Marina.

Jessica and Shaun| Margaritaville Beach House Wedding

So a girl walks into a bar….The owner’s there…big tall handsome guy, he is. He says ‘Hey, I remember you; you came here a year ago.’ Girl says ‘Yeah? What about it?’. Guy says ‘I’ve been waiting for you to walk back through those doors someday.’ Girl says ‘Why’s that?’. He says ‘So I could ask you on a date, fall in love, and run away to Key West to get married someday’.”!

Okay, so maybe that last part is a liiiiittle bit of an exaggeration, but that girl? That was my bride, Jessica! And the guy? Her handsome groom, Shaun! And they DID go on that date, they DID fall in love, and they DID (of course!) come to Key West to get married!

Megan and Samuel | Old Town Manor Wedding

What’s the perfect remedy for two people in the medical field when they fall in love? Head to Key West and say “I Do!” of course! Sam and Megan met when Megan was working as a nurse and Sam as a medic. They learned quickly their mutual love of family walks, Disney, and fireworks, and a relationship grew.

When it came time to ask Megan to marry him, Sam borrowed a tactic that had worked for his own dad many years before, and wrapped a present, proposing on Christmas Day! From their home in Deerfield Beach, they planned the perfect wedding in paradise, and I had the honor of taking part as their Key West photographer to capture the memories!

Real WeddingsKP StudioSeptember 4, 2022Old Town Manordestination wedding, Old Town Manor, garden wedding, historic venueComment

Shandi and Jason | Smathers Beach and Conch Republic Seafood

How is it that 15 minutes can feel like an eternity, but 15 years can fly by in an instant? When Shandi and Jason first met, it was as coworkers 15 years ago. Their journeys destined for two separate paths, life happened, until early 2018 when they were reunited and realized they loved spending time together. I would later meet them when Jason contacted me to capture his proposal undercover at the Reach Resort. Shandi of course said “Yes!” and a year later, when the couple decided it wasn’t enough just to get engaged in Key West, they wanted to get married here too, I got to be there to see them walk down the aisle as well!

Kimberly and Jason | Pier House Resort and Opal Key

What do you get when a couple meets up for margaritas and hits it off from day one? You get the start of a love story that can only culminate with a wedding in Key West, where “5 o’clock somewhere” is a state of being and margaritas are a way of life. Kimberly and Jason’s relationship then grew over dog walks, Netflix binges, and evening on the back deck sipping whiskey or having a glass of wine, when one rainy day in Portsmouth, Jason surprised Kimberly and asked her to be his wife!

Elizabeth and Eugene | The Reach Resort

When Eugene and Elizabeth met for the first time, celebrating with a first date at the National Whitewater Center, they knew there was something about each other that they loved. With a mutual love of outdoor activities, running, cycling, hiking, yoga, camping, their relationship grew. Even with quiet days spent at home reading or doing home improvement projects, being together was what mattered. Their love of travel and trying new things meant no day would be boring, and is no doubt what led them to choose a destination like Key West for their wedding day!

Real WeddingsKarrieJuly 19, 2022The Reach Key West Curiodestination wedding, the reach resortComment

Adele and Michael | Ocean Key Resort and Smathers Beach

Celebrate with newlyweds Adele and Michael, as they brought their intimate group of family and friends to Key West, Florida, for a lovely ceremony on Smathers Beach, and preparations and reception at Ocean Key Resort.

Christina and James | Southernmost Beach Resort

When a couple who love cooking together and watching British Bake Off, you’ve got the perfect “recipe” for a great match! Christina and James soon realized they also loved playing board games, going for walks, and dancing together…so much so that they danced their way all the way to Key West where they got married at the Southernmost Beach Resort!

Ashley and Alex | Schooner America 2.0

When Ashley and Alex met in college, they realized a mutual love of architecture while hanging out in the same circle of friends, but eventually their affections for each other grew. With a passion for movie nights, ski trips, hiking, brewery-hopping, city sight-seeing, and - appropriate for a wedding in Key West - long naps on the beach. I would get the opportunity to be part of their wedding day celebration, as they invited family and friends down to paradise and got married aboard the historic Schooner America II!

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Elizabeth and Steven | Audubon House

In a town where destination weddings for visiting couples is the norm, it was a welcome delight to celebrate with Elizabeth Toppino and Steven Davies, two Key West locals who brought together friends and family for their joyous celebration as they said their “I do’s” and danced the night away as husband and wife!

Real WeddingsKarrieMay 23, 2022Audubon Housedestination wedding, fort zachary taylor, december weddingComment

Ava and Adam | Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

So much love, family, and happy memories! That’s what comes to mind when I think back on Ava and Adam’s big day in Key West! Originally meeting online, they realized they shared love of the outdoors through fishing and camping trips.

Once Adam knew Ava was “the one”, he proposed during a sunset cruise in Key West, and realized they loved the town so much they had to get married here as well! Enjoy their wedding day below and relive all the happy memories together as they celebrate at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and declare their love to the setting sun.

Rob and Bill | Schooner "When and If" + DoubleTree Grand Key Resort

Every now and then, I get clients like Rob and Bill, who bring a whole new meaning to having a bright, vibrant, colorful kind of wedding day! Between their vibrant ensembles, energetic downtown photo locations, rainbow smoke bombs, and historic schooner ceremony sail amid the blue hue waters of the Atlantic and the warm tones of the sunset, it was a day filled with joy, laughter, and lots of love!

Carly and Ron | Sunset Key Island

Cotton candy skies, colorful sparkly stones, and a circle of loving family members were the order of the day for Carly and Ron’s Key West wedding on Sunset Key! The couple brought together their closest friends for a destination ceremony on the beach, as boats sailed by in the harbor and the sun set over the horizon. It was a magnificent day filled with magic, as the bride and groom exchanged their vows and welcomed in a new chapter in their lives together as husband and wife

Kimberly and Darren | Casa Marina Resort in Key West

As a fun loving couple who loves to travel and go on outdoor adventures in their home state of Colorado, exploring the local food scene and diving into new experiences is just one of the things that Kim and Darren enjoy together. It was no wonder, then, that they would choose a destination like the Florida Keys, where beauty, culture, character, adventure - and yes, good food! - are in abundance!

Real WeddingsKP StudioFebruary 24, 2022Casa Marina Resortcasa marina, destination wedding, jewish wedding, november weddingComment

Ashley and Robert | The Perry Hotel Key West Wedding

Ashley and Robert knew that when they got married, they wanted it to be somewhere warm, beautiful, surrounded by water and loved ones. They found that when they decided to have their wedding at the Perry Hotel in Key West, Florida, where we documented their big day in both photo and video from the first blush of rosy cheeks to the cutting of the cake that evening.

Real WeddingsKarrieDecember 3, 2019The Perry Hoteldestination wedding, key west wedding photographer, PERRY HOTELComment

Lauren and Tim Say I Do at Postcard Inn in Islamorada Florida

Lauren and Tim are an adventurous couple who love, love, LOVE to travel! So we were super excited when they chose Islamorada Florida for their destination wedding, bringing family and friends from near and far to celebrate their vows under the blue skies of the Florida Keys.

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