Sara and Michael Say "I Do" on Smathers Beach
The day was perfect as Sara and Michael brought their closest friends and family together to get married on the beaches of Key West. They chose one of the largest beaches on the island - Smathers Beach - for their location, which rewarded us with sprawling sands and a stunning sunset to boot!
Press “PLAY” To Watch the SLIDESHOW below!
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
The couple met online. Sara happened to be in the area, dropping off her dog at her mom's house, and she & Mike matched - first date was at a Mexican restaurant 2 weeks later, and the rest is history :)
The couple love running and do a lot of road races together, but they can also be found just running the neighborhood together with their dog Koda. They also love traveling, family time with the kids, people watching while enjoying a pint of beer, heading to the beach, and shop time (they said that “Mike works while Sara drinks wine” LOL).
ABOUT THE PROPOSAL
Their first family trip to Disney was Mike & the kid's first trip there (Sara used to work for Disney and goes at least 2x/year with her mom). Their parents had gone with them to Disney as well. Mike had been planning the proposal, working with Sara’s mom to have her grandmother’s ring reset to fit her. Mike's original plan was to propose at the end of the Disney Marathon, which he and Sara were running together, but wanted to make sure it was an area the kids and Sara's parents could be involved.
The end of the marathon is mayhem and after a grueling race, so Mike decided to wait until that night. The kids and Sara's parents were all in the know about the proposal and spend the whole day so excited. That night, on their way to dinner, Mike took Sara onto a bridge at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. He had a serious tone and Sara thought she was going to get a lecture for making him run a marathon (haha!)
Instead he pulled out the ring and all Sara could do was start hitting him and saying "shut up shut up shut up!!" She was SO surprised!! Finally said an officially YES OF COURSE and their engagement officially began!
One of the things that I was most excited about when Sara and I were initially in the planning stages of our conversation, was how much she loves fun photos with emotion and smiles and lots of color. When I finally met her in person, I could see why this was important, as she is a very warm, friendly, and enthusiastic person - just my kind of bride!
We rounded up the family after the ceremony to do some fun group photos. Since the group was so small, it was nice to be able to include every single guest in the photos!
We captured both some fun, lively, and silly shots, but also some posed “official” portraits as well, giving the group a nice mix of options.
It was important to get the kids involved in the photos as well, and they did great, helping with palm fronds and being generally very open to ideas. They ran down the beach, climbed the rocks, and added a great element of humor into the images.
Naturally, we also made time to capture images of the couple alone as well, sneaking some epic sunset shots into the end of the session before we headed off the beach and toward dinner.
When I asked about their vision for the big day, they shared that they were looking for casual and fun! The two are not stuffy or traditional. Putting on a good time for their family was the top priority above all else.
Since their love of travel was one of the reasons that brought them to Key West, we wanted to incorporate an iconic Key West element…namely, the Southernmost Point. Once everyone loaded into the limo and other vehicles, we caravanned over to the intersection of Whitehead and South Street where the famous “90 miles to Cuba” landmark was waiting.
Keeping everyone close made the evening fun, lending itself more to a celebration of love and luck finding each other more than anything else. We wrapped up the day with one excited and happy couple!
We wish the couple well and are thrilled to have been part of the start of this new chapter in their lives!
Friends and Family, view their full gallery HERE
Special thanks to the vendors who helped make it happen!
Officiant: Judy (Mom)
Ceremony Venue: Smathers Beach
Reception Venue: Blue Heaven
Hair and Makeup: Beautiful Brides of the Florida Keys
Key West Photographer: Karrie Porter
Bridal Shop: BHLDN
Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Flowers: Marathon Florist
Transportation: AAA Limo
Rings: AC Jewelers
Cake: Sweet Savannah’s