I knew Tammy would be a fun bride to work with when, after receiving one of my pre-planning emails that I send to all my brides, she wrote back instantly recognizing the song from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on which the theme of the email was written (it’s basically a rundown of all the colorful places in Key West to take photos, delivered in the same color-order as Joseph’s coat). She and Joe would be celebrating their wedding in Key West, and asked me to join them to capture the memories.

The couple knew of each other in high school, but never really spoke. Joe was a football player and popular. Tammy was in chorus and drama and spent most of her weekends in Miami Beach with friends. The two reconnected on Facebook about 7 years ago, then eventually met in person and that was that. They discovered that they both love going to hockey games and are huge Florida Panthers fans! They would hop in the car for 3 hour drives down to Key West for lunch or dinner (because... why not?!).

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They have 4….no, wait…5 cats (they had just rescued a kitten as of this writing) and adore them all. Funny thing is, when they first started dating, Joe said he was allergic to cats, but when Tammy told him "that's too bad", he suddenly wasn’t allergic anymore. :D They also have 2 dogs, 2 birds, and Joe breeds and raises ball pythons, so altogether they have about 50 snakes, which Tammy didn’t mind as she has been a snake lover since she was a kid as well. They love going to the farmer's market on the weekends, and always make time for a good concert or a new and interesting restaurant.

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As the day got started, we reminisced about the day Joe proposed. It had been Valentine's Day, in which they went to one of their favorite restaurants (The Whale's Rib in Deerfield Beach). It was suppose to be a normal Valentine's dinner night, or so Tammy thought. There was a wait so they went for a walk on the boardwalk. It was breezy so Tammy was trying to walk on the opposite side to keep out of the breeze. Joe tried to switch back, but Tammy told him she was cold, and she recalled later having seen him move something from one pocket to the other. They went back to the restaurant and sat down, where Joe ordered raw oysters. After a little while, he got a funny look on his face and said "Hmmm" and mumbled "There's pebbles in these oysters. They're big." Suddenly, he had the ring in his hand! Tammy shared that she is very hard to surprise, but Joe managed to do so that night, and she of course said yes!

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The vision for the wedding day was for it to be romantic, fun, and just overall amazing. Tammy had planned out all the details, from the flowers, ribbons and antique gold. She wanted everyone to enjoy some great food and great times and shared that it was important that everyone coming have as much fun as they would, especially since this would be the first time meeting for many of their family members. The colors were splashes of coral, olive green, blush, khaki and hints of bright pink!

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The ceremony was scheduled on the upper deck of Roof Top Cafe in downtown Key West. Kat Domino Newman served as the officiant for the couple, and delivered a heartfelt and beautiful ceremony….there were more than a few misty eyes in the crowd, including Tammy and Joe themselves!

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The convenient downtown location made it easy for grab some photos at the nearby Shipwreck Museum, Customs House, and Sponge Markets.

After making a few stops in Bahama Village and the Higgs Beach walking pier for sunset, we headed back to Roof Top for the reception. The entire upstairs had been reserved for the couple, and was decorated beautifully with a welcome table and the glorious three tier cake topped with flamingoes and gorgeous flowers in the couple’s wedding colors.

Overall it was a beautiful day with amazing people, and a family who clearly have a lot of love for them. Everyone ate, drank, gave toasts, and enjoyed each other’s company as we captured some of the memories throughout the evening. I’m so thankful to have been part of this couple’s Key West love story, and invite you to join me in wishing them the happiest of congratulations in their marriage!