This Couple Said Their Vows Under A Century Old Banyan Tree

Melissa Hammam
August 15, 2022
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Talk about having good roots! This couple vowed to love each other forever under the shade of a century old Banyan tree. The tree stood at the end of a floral filled aisle that seemed to organically grow from the ground designed by the ever talented Kaleidoscope Floral. NK Productions Wedding Planning planned the green and white day and filled it with relaxed elegance. You’ll love every carefully curated detail and sentimental smile all artfully captured in imagery by Hunter Ryan Photo. You can fall in love with every photo in the full gallery.

From Hunter Ryan Photo… Gasparilla Inn opened its doors to guests for the first time in 1911. The Inn has withstood over a century of hurricanes and Florida storms, welcomed financial tycoons and politicians, and most importantly has continued to preserve its rich history and welcoming traditions that make Boca Grande and the Inn such a special and historic place for guests.

Having both been born and raised in Florida, Jon and Kate were inspired by the Old Florida feel of the Gasparilla Inn. Driving onto Boca Grande you are transported to a place that is richly welcoming, undeniably charming and full of history. The couple wanted to create a meaningful wedding that introduced their loved ones to a special place, and it doesn’t get more special than the Gasparilla Inn.

From the bride… We both envisioned a timeless, romantic, but at the same time laid-back, wedding. We wanted the weekend to be about music, eating, drinking and dancing by the Gulf under the stars. The ceremony was made super meaningful by having our family a part of it – both of our mothers read prayers that they personally chose for us. I wore my late grandmother’s pearl bracelet that was gifted to her by my late grandfather on their wedding day. And Jon wore a locket in his tux with photos of his late aunt. We vowed to love each other under the most beautiful banyan tree at the Inn. (From Hunter Ryan Photo: A tree that has stood on the grounds of the Inn since before it first opened its doors in 1911. A tree with over a century of stories written beneath it – and now is integral in the beginning of Kate & Jon’s story) We had visited the tree a number of times prior to our wedding day, dreaming of our special day, talking about what it would look and feel like. Jon even ended up writing his vows underneath that same tree! It will forever be a meaningful spot for us.