Jessica and Shaun| Margaritaville Beach House Wedding
Do you know this one?
“So a girl walks into a bar….a bar she had visited a year ago….she thinks nothing of it. 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 ‘oh yeah? Why’s that?’. You know what he says, this guy? He says ‘So I could ask you on a date, fall in love, and run away to Key West to get married someday’.”
(imagine your best “wait a minute!” ✋🏻 Record scratch sound effect here)
Okay okay, so maybe that last part is a liiiiitle 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!
Press PLAY to relive the beautiful day!
The wedding day began as the sun came up over the Atlantic Ocean, just off of Smathers Beach near the couple’s resort, the Margaritaville Beach House.
I found the bride in her luxurious suite, getting her hair and makeup done by Lorri Bolander of Key West Hair and Makeup. Jessica and her girls looked stunning as they finished their preparations and I took to the task of photographing her dress and other details.
A quick stopover in the guys’ room, and I found Shaun hanging out with the groomsmen and his family, making sure everyone was where they needed to be as he donned his ceremony attire and posed for some handsome portraits before the festivities got underway.
Once back in the girls’ room, it was time to get the bride into her dress, after which we took some portraits of Jessica looking so lovely with her Karro Event Florals Bouquet and her dress by Unusual Junction.
Before long it was time to start heading down to greet their guests and recite their vows! Mother Nature was feeling a little cheeky that day, however, as rain clouds threatened their oceanfront ceremony plans. Not to worry, the team at Say Yes in Key West had been making quick work of moving the ceremony to the covered tiki hut at the resort, and right on time, the family gathered, the officiant arrived, the music started playing, and the bride made her walk down the aisle with her father, shot glass in hand for an extra special liquid ceremony before the nuptials got underway. ☺️
With the newlyweds first kiss as husband and wife, they walked down the aisle and the family gathered together for group photos, me using the lush greenery of the resort as a stunning tropical backdrop. As the group headed to cocktail hour, though, I snuck the couple out so that we could head over to the beach - the rain had since given way, and we had JUST enough window to make it there and back before it threatened to start back up again! With a little photography magic, we turned the cloudy sky into a beautiful scene for the couple’s wedding portraits. It was their first time all day that they’d enjoyed any time to themselves - well, minus me interjecting little suggestions and directions and the clock of the shutter here and there, lol - but you could tell the emotion and love and friendship these two have for each other is so sweet and so genuine, it was wonderful to be part of their story.
We headed back to the reception, where the DJ turned the tunes up and got the couple out for a first dance, parent dances and then of course, everyone!
The couple cut the cake and made their rounds enjoying everyone’s company, telling stories, remembering the past and looking to the future. It was a beautiful evening with much to be celebrated, for a beautiful couple who will now forever be my favorite “walked into a bar” story!
Congratulations Jessica and Shaun! I’m so honored to have been part of your big day as you celebrated your wedding at Margaritaville Beach Resort here in Key West, Florida!
SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO THESE AMAZING WEDDING VENDORS, WHO MADE THIS DAY POSSIBLE!
Planner: Say Yes in Key West
Venue: Margaritaville Beach Resort
Hair and Makeup: Key West Hair and Makeup
Dress: Unusual Junctiom
Groom Attire: David’s Bridal
Florist: Karro Event Florals
Officiant: Carl Ferette
Rings: Diamonds International
Cake: Key West Cakes
DJ: Will Soto