Does it get any chicer than this fall fete right here? The answer? Nope, it just doesn’t. This elegant Miami wedding stuns in every single one of Simply Sarah’s photos, from the beautiful Bride in her gown to her ridiculously fashion-forward bridesmaids. And the inspiration continues with all the decor by Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design. Our Pinterest boards not only got an upgrade with all this beauty but they took up it several stylish notches. Don’t you agree!?
From the Bride…
Mike and I met as undergrads at SMU in Dallas, TX. He was best friends with my roommate Geneva so they were always over at our apartment. He finally asked me to a formal two days before my 21st birthday and we’ve been together ever since! When it came to getting engaged about seven years later, he worked closely with my best friend and mom to pick out the ring. I was in business school at the time and he asked me if we could go to dinner during me studying for finals (which I had to be talked into). He said our friends Jenna and Taylor would be joining us for dinner so we went to their townhouse and went to the roof where he said they “must be up there watching the game.” I immediately saw the rose petals and Cheesecake Factory takeout bags (our first date!) and he was down on one knee. I then realized my best friend Lesley was videoing in from someone’s phone so the phone was taped up on the wall so she could watch, Taylor was hiding behind a couch filming and his roommate John was hiding in another room up there – all popped out afterwards and I had NO idea. We then went to dinner at Nonna with my mom and his parents who flew in and said promptly after dinner they were going to tuck in for the night. Only to pull up to our house where all our best friends were hiding to have a party and celebrate our engagement. He pulled a good one on me!!
I kept saying over and over to our planner Katie that I am/was the anti-bride. When we got engaged I had just lost my father and really would have been happy to have gotten married in our living room at home in Arkansas. I was also in school and just needed a minute to breathe before planning started. Once we selected the Biltmore, I immediately hired Katie and let her whip us in wedding planning shape. Since we live in Dallas and the wedding was in Miami, we knew already a majority of our friends would be traveling to attend. We loved the Biltmore because of it’s history and the old-world Spanish look and feel. In terms of colors, I was always attracted to the darker floral reds and doing something that didn’t feel too bridal or hadn’t been done already.
I think all of the preparation, waiting and anticipation of the day can make you feel anxious and question every decision but I loved how easy the day felt (shout out to Collins Coordination). Having all the big personalities in our lives in one place for the weekend was so much fun and the point of the wedding was to make sure all our guests had the time of their lives. From my bridesmaids dancing on stage with the band, to my Aunt Kitty’s face when she saw the Hora Loca come out to Mike dancing to “My Pony” by Ginuwine are some of my favorite memories and I can’t wait to relive these moments through photos for years to come. I’m also most thankful we could have the ceremony inside (damn Miami humidity) and we all had a reprieve from the heat during our record short ceremony time.
Sarah and Will from Simply Sarah were a dynamic duo and I trusted them implicitly for the moment we met. I am so excited about the images they captured and know the photos will be the most treasured memory from our big day for years and years to come.
Photography: Elizabeth Lanier Photography | Videography: Denis and Dezi | Event Planning: Katie McCann Crow | Floral Design: Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design | Wedding Dress: Warren Barrón Bridal | Cake: Earth And Sugar | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Catering: Biltmore Hotel | Hair + Makeup: Face2Face Studios | Lighting: Biltmore Hotel | Ceremony Music: AA Musicians | Wedding Venue: Biltmore Hotel | Decor: Ines Naftali Floral & Event Design | Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints | Hora Loca Performers: Black & Wine Events | Paper Goods: Ellis Hill | Reception Music: Project Soul | Rentals: Biltmore Hotel