Typically when I thought of Boca Raton I thought of resorts and beaches but there is the whole other side of this city that is steeped in history and rich with beauty. This elegant wedding photographed by the queen of Boca Raton weddings, Captured Photography by Jenny, emphasizes that feeling of tradition and is oh-so lovely. And the flowers, oh the flowers! Totally luscious, come-hither, dream boat arrangements by Boca By Design. They are just divine! There is so much more in the full gallery right here!
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From the Bride… Having both been born and raised in south Florida, Jeremy and I knew that we wanted to get married near our family and friends in the small town Florida we remember from our childhood. While we LOVE Florida—the boats, the water, the sand, and lazy days spent at the beach –a beach themed wedding was not us. We wanted a classical, elegant, outdoor wedding laced with history and tradition.
The perfect place would be one with a storied past and unique architecture mixed with iconic palm trees and the charm of old Florida. After days (and months!) of searching and lots of help from my mom, we found The Addison in Boca, built in the 1930s to house Addison Mizner and his architects during the construction of the Boca Resort and Hotel. Addison Mizner is the architect credited with bringing the Spanish style building to South Florida. We immediately fell in love with the towering banyan trees, stone floor and beautiful fountain in the courtyard of the Addison. We knew that we had found the place.
The day began with the girls getting ready at my home, the same home my father has lived in since 1950, and rebuilt in 2000. Surrounded by my family, friends and my dog Dallas (who was sporting a special wedding collar that coordinated with the girls’ dresses and had a white flower!), the girls prepped wearing matching monogrammed robes, a gift from the maid of honor, my best friend since first grade. Each girl received a Kate Spade bracelet with the phrase “there’s strength in numbers” engraved on the inside and “hand in hand” on the outside, which they wore for the ceremony. The bracelets are symbolic of the our friendship and 25% of the proceeds benefited Women for Women International.
The ceremony was held at my family’s church, First Presbyterian of Pompano Beach. The church is an iconic building in Pompano Beach – a true old Florida church that is painted pink and accented with coral walkways into the church entrance. After the ceremony, the bridal party rode in a trolley to take pictures in my backyard, courtyard, and then to a favorite local park on the Intercoastal Waterway. Finally, the wedding party drove to the Addison where Jeremy and I danced (before, during and after dinner), dined, and laughed the night away as man and wife.
We are both extremely close with our families and wanted tradition to be ingrained in each of the day’s events and incorporated into even the smallest details of the wedding decor. It was important that we paid tribute to our supportive families for all the love and guidance they have shown us throughout the years. We set up a marriage picture table showcasing the generations (four and counting!) of successful marriages from both families.
Handmade touches placed at the reception included a gold and white card box created by the my mom, a chalkboard made from the mirror that hung in the entryway of my childhood home, family pictures collected and edited by the my brother, and thank you signs hand cut by the my father. We also asked all of the guests for prayers, advice and favorite memories to be glued into the blank pages in the guest book. My mom and I created our table numbers, place cards, programs, welcome bags and water bottles. We also collected glass votives of differing sizes and shapes to be placed on the tables. These and many more were ways in which the entire family and our guests put their mark on our wedding and added a piece of tradition to the special day.
Throughout the evening guests were moving through the courtyard and rooms of the Addison looking at the history of the building, seeing the tradition of our families, and sharing in our first piece of history as husband and wife—our wedding! The evening was beyond perfect.
Wedding Photography: Jenny Schartner of Captured Photography by Jenny / Wedding Cinematography: Jenny Schartner of Captured Photography by Jenny / Floral Design: Boca By Design / Wedding Ceremony Location: First Presbyterian Church of Pompano Beach / Wedding Reception Location: The Addison / Wedding Invitation Design: Lauren Bennion / Wedding Invitation Printing: Presstige Printing / Bride’s Shoes: Nina / Wedding Dress: Boca Bridal Couture / Bridesmaid Jewelry: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vineyard by Priscilla of Boston / Wedding Cake: Sharron Wriens