Every now and then I find a couple after my own wedding-loving heart. Today, Jennifer and Kiel are that duo. They were together for 8 years before getting engaged and married at 9 and they knew a waterside celebration was in the cards for them—two things my husband and I shared in common with them. I see my own wedding day in theirs… in the smiles, the laughter, the sunset kisses and the beautiful touches thanks to Fabulously Chic Weddings. I hope you’ll see a reflection of your own future day, too, in these images by Trenholm Photo.
From the bride… I always knew I wanted to get married on the beach, barefoot, with my toes in the sand. It’s funny because I wasn’t hell bent on getting married, but if I did, I knew the beach location was going to be a non negotiable for me. Luckily, Kiel couldn’t have agreed more that it made total sense for us.
When we sat down and began to think about locations, our immediate thought was Sanibel Island; my aunt has lived there 20+ years and I grew up going there with my family. We toured 3 places on the island plus 4 in Naples (in full disclosure, I never really gave Naples a fair shot – yes, it’s insanely beautiful but it didn’t hold any emotional connection for me) and decided on Casa Ybel. Funny as my dad also said he thought I’d get married there.
Our wedding planning journey was less than stressful as we had our eyes, ears and wedding therapist on the ground in the form of our planner, recommended by the venue. We had a few ideas in mind before our initial planning meeting – farm tables, great live music and hosting the best dance party wedding ever. I’d say in all, it was a huge success and more beautiful than either of us could have ever imagined.
Our day was a little different than some more traditional weddings – firstly, we got engaged after 8 years and married after 9.5 together (neither of us were in a huge rush – we already lived together and were acting married, for all intents and purposes, and we felt already so lucky for our life together, plus we wanted to make sure that this was going to be IT.). Secondly, we didn’t have a bridal party. As our wedding was destination, we only had 75 guests which meant that everyone there was extremely special to us. I had my 10 best friends at my bachelorette party and that group plus more at our wedding. We did have Kiel’s best friend and my best friend from childhood as our MOH and BM. That said, they wore what made them feel good, made the most incredible speeches and were just there for us – no walking down the aisle or much pomp and circumstance. Just an acknowledgement of our love for them. Thirdly, my college roommate and one of our best friends married us. We asked him to marry us with a hand written card, printed photos and an original poem whiling sailing over July 4th in Massachusetts, and he said yes!
The ceremony was everything – there was crying, there was laughing, and then there were a few PGish rated comments. Our officiant really made it his own – we only gave him the shell of the ceremony, when we walk down the aisle, when Kiel breaks the glass, etc. The rest was complete artistic license for a Danny to put his own spin on the ceremony. We put our trust in him completely. After all, I guess that’s true friendship! The only person who read the ceremony in advance was my MOH as she hand-wrote it out in a beautiful leather bound book for Danny to use day of. Danny can officiate a wedding like none other, but handwriting isn’t his strongest talent. Kiel and I wrote our own vows and didn’t share them with anyone in advance. I couldn’t stop looking over at my parents – now married 38 years – and honestly my heart wouldn’t stop exploding for the moment. My dad suggested Danny become an officiant for hire but I think he’s planning an early retirement. Finally, we sat with our guests – not at a sweetheart or head table. We wanted to be part of the festivities and experiencing our day along with our guests.
In full disclosure and our planner will attest to this, I had zero idea what I wanted design wise (minus the farm tables) when I booked our venue. I barely knew a rose from a tulip! When Courtney and I first met, I was a little all over the place, and she really helped narrow and develop my wedding vision and style. I initially wanted to have the reception on an open lawn, but quickly realized that Florida rain can be unpredictable and it was probably best to just make plan B a really good plan A. Courtney suggested hanging greenery inside the tent to “bring the outside in”. The only other thing I really wanted was dreamy lighting. Courtney had the idea of hanging glass globes with tea lights in them directly over the guest tables, which is also where we decided the greenery would be most impactful. We hung them low enough that they would be very impactful, but not awkward. Kaleidoscope truly brought our floral vision (the vision I didn’t even know I had!) to life. We wanted a lush, yet whimsical look, with lots of texture and some pops of color. They nailed it!
We’re incredibly grateful to all of our friends and family and our vendors who made everything more than we could have ever imagined. I vote we do it again, and change absolutely nothing.
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Photography: Austin Trenholm | Videography : IheART Films | Florist : Kaleidoscope Floral | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Band : Wiley Entertainment | Ceremony & Reception: Casa Ybel Resort | Chargers: A Different Look | Hair & make up : Duality Artistry | Linen : BBJ La Tavola | Planner & Designer : Fabulously Chic Weddings | Rentals : Niche Event Rentals | Tables & chairs: Niche Event Rentals