Scroll down for tips, recent work, and planning ideas from this Key West photographer!
HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER 101 • PLANNING YOUR SESSION • POSING AND BEAUTY TIPS
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!
Read MoreSit in any marketing workshop, download any worksheet, or follow any social media guru, and they will start by telling you the same thing: “Start by identifying your ideal client avatar”. The conventional wisdom makes sense on the surface. If you know who it is you want to buy from you, then you can easily gear your offer around their general preferences. The problem for personal brands, however, is that not all interactions, not all decisions, and not all metrics are quantifiable. So I recommend a different approach.
Read MoreSo 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.
Read MoreEvery 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!
Read MoreCotton 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
Read MoreAs 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!
Read MoreFor most people, December is a time to don your best winter duds and cozy up by the fire. But if you’re Michael and Lauren, winter is a great time to head to Key West, put on a summery wardrobe, and walk down the aisle in Key West, Florida!
Together the couple enjoyed the sights, sounds, and colorful surroundings of paradise, culminating with a heartfelt intimate ceremony atop the historic Ernest Hemingway veranda as they said “I do”!
Read MoreIt was a gorgeous day in Key West as Jennifer and Matthew got married at the Southernmost Point Beach Resort! Surrounded by family and friends who flew in to be with them on their special day, the couple celebrated with an intimate ceremony on the beach, followed by dinner and dancing with their guests under the sunset skies of the Florida Keys.
Read MoreI’ve done every kind of wedding you can think of….on airplanes, on boats, on beaches….in gardens and churches, on rootops and inside historic fortresses….you name it, I’ve done it.
But it was not until recently that I’d ever done a surprise wedding! Yes, you read that correctly. Engaged before the pandemic, plans kept getting pushed back and back. The bride being herself a wedding planner, it was clear planning her own wedding while also tending to her clients would be just too much.
That’s when David decided to plan their day as a complete surprise! And so on a sunny day in Key West, with guests flown in from near and far, the bride who always makes days perfect for everyone else, was surprised with a ceremony she never could have imagined!
Read MoreWhat happens when a social butterfly who loves the water, the beach, and taking care of her garden as much as she loves taking care of other people, runs into an athletic yet handy outdoor enthusiast, as good at building projects around the house as he is at building campfires out on the trail? You get the perfect combination of characteristics that would lead Kacie and Donald to meet and fall in love!
The Keys, being one of their favorite vacation spots (right up there along with Sebastian Inlet, and Crystal River) would naturally be at the top of their list, as the bride and groom were considering a location for their destination wedding.
Read MoreKayla and Greg went to college together in Baltimore and shared a mutual group of friends, but it wasn’t until after graduation at a friend’s party that - over a game of beer pong, no less! - the spark of something more became apparent. A weekend together afterward revealed that they had a lot in common, and that they had both grown up not far from each other in nearby towns back home in Connecticut! Upon returning from the trip, Greg asked Kayla out on a date, and that was the beginning of the journey that would eventually lead them Key West, Florida for their wedding!
Read MoreThey say the best relationships start out as friendships. Such was the case when Katie and Ed’s relationship first began as coworkers and eventually blossomed into friends. Over the years, this grew into a romance, and when she was least expecting it, Katie realized they were meant to be! Combining a love of travel, binge watching their favorite tv shows, playing tennis, and rowing classes, the couple had so much in common that it would naturally lead to their engagement.
Like something out of a fairy tale, Ed flew Katie to Paris, and under the Eiffel Tower, he asked her to spend the rest of their lives together! This is when they decided to invite their closest friends and family to join them in Key West for their romantic destination wedding!
Read MoreReaching your Senior Year of high school is a big rite of passage for everyone. Besides the litany of coursework, the plethora of extracurricular activities, and the inevitable navigation of friendship dynamics, you’ve also got the planning and execution of your very own Senior Portrait Session! For students like Wade, though, not just any old senior photo shoot will do. With an upcoming visit to the Florida Keys, high school senior sessions can be done “destination style”, incorporating the lush landscape and unique surroundings that only Key West can provide.
Read MoreHe proposed during a historic snow storm on the Seattle waterfront, cleverly hiding the ring in some foil so that she wouldn't notice a big clunky box in his pocket. Their Key West wedding was originally set for Summer of 2020, but like so many other couples, Taralynn and Eric would have their big plans put on hold.
But finally on a beautiful afternoon with their children at the altar with them, the couple were finally able to exchange their vows with warmth of the setting sun, accented by a gentle tropical breeze and the love of their friends and family around them.
When a couple reaches out to me to say they’re planning a Vow Renewal, that’s when I sit up a little and take notice. Couples like Monica and Michael are special because despite having hit the bumps, been through the stuff, and come out on the other side ready to not just continue the next chapter of their lives, but want to shout it from the rooftops with a second ceremony in front of all their family and friends, proclaiming to both each other and the world, “we’re in this for the long haul.”
Read MoreGretchen and Bobby were supposed to have their dream Florida Keys wedding when the pandemic hit and everything got put on hold. Come summer of 2021, it was time to make the magic happen, so we made the drive up to the beautiful Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, where we would capture not only their beautiful seaside ceremony, but a family portrait session and a Trash the Dress all in one day!
Read MoreThere’s a stretch of sandy beach in Key West, where the palm trees are tall and plentiful, the surroundings spacious, and the sounds as tranquil as a summer breeze - save for the occasional sniffles, giggles, and smooches coming from those gathered for a romantic wedding ceremony. The location is Smathers Beach, and the couple? None other than my bride and groom, Regan and David.
Read MoreIt was a warm and sunny day in Key West as Danielle and David brought together their two families. Celebrating with their three children in a joyful and tear-jerking ceremony, the couple said “We Do” together as they embarked on their new lives as not only husband and wife, but as a young new family.
Read MoreThe first time Juliana met Bobby, she told him to “buzz off”. Thankfully, he tried again. A few casual first dates turned into a few years, a few adventures, and a few adorable fur-babies, finally landing with them deciding to tie the knot with the picturesque tropical landscape of the Southernmost City as the setting for their perfect summer soiree. Check out their gorgeous Fort Zachary Taylor State Park wedding and Key West Garden Club (West Martello Tower) reception.
Read MoreYou just never know what a little persistence can do when planning the perfect wedding. Amanda and Joe had reached out to me a while back about photographing their Key West wedding, but when scheduling conflicts mixed with COVID19 threatened to postpone their wedding, we were excited to finally get the go-ahead, and I was so glad I got to be part of this amazing couple’s big day!
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