When beach and chic combine, you can guarantee I will be at full attention. Because there is nothing that makes me more giddy than a seaside soiree that has the perfect amount of glamour. This wedding, planned to complete perfection by the beauty of a Bride, is filled with all the reasons my heart does flips for such a fête – and you can see all the reasons why thanks to the gorgeous images from Bob Care right here.
From Bob Care… Erin and Shawn’s style was very clean and simple, white and coral were the colors of her décor. Erin is a professional event planner, so she planned every little detail of her special day, with the help of wedding blogs and bridal magazines. Their story began in the winter of 2011 when Erin moved from New York City to Tallahassee, Florida for a great new job opportunity and little did she know– to meet the love of her life! As Erin started settling in to Tally, her mutual friends introduced her to Shaun one Friday happy hour and the two hit it off instantly! Erin never imagined she would meet her future husband in Tallahassee but this big city girl and small town boy connected instantly through their faith in God and their desire to live a life that honors Him.
Their early dates consisted of LONG conversations full of our hopes, dreams and aspirations. They did fun stuff too– like traveling and meeting family and friends in New Jersey, New York City and Tally. Not much time passed when Erin and Shaun knew this was forever. Labor Day Weekend 2012 Shaun proposed to Erin on Anna Maria Island, their favorite Florida beach. Shaun proposed on Bean’s Point, where the Gulf meets Tampa Bay, just as the sun came down.
From the Bride…The overall experience of planning a destination weddings was much more smooth than I expected it to be. I had never visited the Keys or Islamorada before. It was suggested to me from a co-worker as a great US destination wedding. Near a large airport and not too far of a drive since all my guests would be flying from all over the US. The Postcard Inn was a dream to work with. They handled everything on the catering, day of coordinating, etc. Finding vendors was easy with their preferred vendor list. I visited the venue in December 2012 and met with the hotel, florist and cake designer. Everything else was booked on a hope and a prayer- and it was AWESOME!
I cut out pictures from a ton of bridal magazines of things I liked (also from Style Me Pretty), dresses, invitations, decor, etc. I used those pictures with my vendors and it was extremely helpful. Having a picture is the only way to get what you really want. Since I have been an event planner in my professional career, planning this wedding was never overwhelming to me. It was a medium I kept a checklist from a bridal magazine on my work bulletin board. I looked it over every day to make sure I was on track. It helped organize what I needed to do 1 yr out, 8 months out, 6 months out and so on! It really worked for me.
My wedding day was Perfect, radiant, exciting, full of joy, sunny and cool, it really was the perfect temperature and not a cloud in the sky. I started the day at a bridal luncheon thrown by a dear family friend of my mother-in-law’s. Then make up and hair with my bridesmaids. It was a fun day of relaxing and excitement with my bridesmaids. Seeing Shaun when I walked down the aisle was the moment I most looked forward to. We had both been through a lot to get to this day and we are just in awe of God’s perfect plan for our marriage. He is my best friend, truly. Saying our vows, listening to each word and the pastor’s words was really moving. Remembering God’s purpose for marriage and our deep commitment to each other is most important. The other wedding planning stuff wasn’t as important. I am really glad it all turned out well but if it hadn’t, or something had gone wrong, it would have been OK…because I was there for one reason. To marry the love of my life. I have to say also, the party was SO fun. Food was out of this world and the DJ was the best I have ever hired, and I hired a bunch in NYC for many large parties! It was so amazing to spend all weekend with your closest friends and family and dance the night away on Sunday at our wedding. It was so special to have them all there with us to celebrate.
Some advice from the Bride… *DO NOT STRESS about the small things. It doesn’t matter what your flowers looked like, or if your noses bumped into one another when the Pastor said you can kiss your bride (which happened to us!), or if a detail is forgotten. Remember why you are planning this, to marry your best friend and love. The planning is super fun and will make a difference, for sure, to make your wedding a dream. But remember why you are there and just enjoy it. It’s very rare to have all your closest friends and family in one place. Enjoy that. Don’t sweat the small stuff- it’s likely only you are going to know those things anyway!
*The best advice I got was to pick three things that meant the most to me and let the rest just happen. So I focused on my dress, my food, and my DJ. I wanted to look pretty and I wanted the guests to have full bellies and sore feet by the end of the night. All of which happened. The rest of the planning was easy. I made the best decisions I could and moved on. It’s overwhelming if you don’t!
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Wedding Photography: Bob Care Photography | Wedding Venue: The Postcard Inn, Islamorada, Florida | Officiant: Reverend John Edgar Caterson and Pastor Dean Inserra | Wedding Planner: The Bride | Floral Designer: Petals with Pizzaazz | Catering: The Postcard Inn, Islamorada, Florida | Invitations: Urban Coast | Wedding Dress: Ivy and Aster (Sparrow) via Malindy Elene, Tampa, Florida | Men’s Attire: Jos. A Bank | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew | Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti | Musicians: Daniel of Event My Way | Makeup: Ana Baidet