This weekend was our official kick-off into the fall wedding season, and it was one for the ages. All three of us here at AKP were working within a few square miles of one another, and we kept crossing paths (Tiffany shooting in the park an hour after I left; Jeremy working on the same beach as me, but a few miles down; all three of us arriving at the studio to back up our photos at the same time, and sharing a celebratory glass of wine while we did so!). All three of our weddings this weekend were stunning, but I am especially partial to the one planned by my gorgeous Signature clients, Caroline and Joiner.
This couple, living in Tuscaloosa but with family ties to the Gulf Coast, chose Pensacola as the host city for the nuptials, which brought in friends and family from far and wide. They started the day getting ready in Caroline’s mother’s beautiful condo at the Portofino Island Resort, overlooking the sparkling aqua waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier in the week, there had been talk of moving or postponing the wedding due to the threat of Hurricane Irma; and while everyone was aware and concerned about the impact the storm was making on the rest of the state, we were also joyful that our little corner of Florida was spared and that Caroline and Joiner’s wedding was able to proceed. This couple truly brought the best of the Emerald Coast into their wedding choices – the Gulf oyster was the theme and it was incorporated in so many chic ways. The bridesmaids’ dresses were an ethereal oyster color. The dance floor was topped with a bespoke, handmade oyster shell chandelier. The white wedding cake perched atop a oyster-shell cake stand. And of course, there were actual oysters as well! I know their guests enjoyed dining on multiple varieties of raw oysters, and they washed them down with Caroline’s signature cocktail (aptly named, “The Pearl”).
Honestly, this wedding was so pretty that I could have worn earplugs and still had a great time. But you know what made it perfect? The people. Caroline and Joiner were both kind and funny and genuinely so very happy to be married. Their families were absolutely lovely, and their friends undoubtedly had an amazing time dancing the night away under the white tent. And as if every detail of the day wasn’t already stellar, there was a surprise fireworks show over the water, casting shimmering light onto the bridal couple as they walked down the dock to their getaway boat (oh – there was also a getaway boat!). A spectacular end to a wonderful day.
Photographer: Aislinn
PROFESSIONALS WHO MADE IT HAPPEN:
COORDINATION: Megan K. Events // GETTING READY VENUE: Portofino // CEREMONY: Old Christ Church // RECEPTION: Portofino // FLOWERS: Fiore // BAND: Big Bling and the Funk Machine (Atlanta, through Music Garden) // TROLLEY: Beach Bum Trolley // CAKES: Betty Weber // RENTALS: Soho // DRAPING + LINENS: Wedding Walls // OFFICIANT: Tonya Elmore (Enterprise First United Methodist Church) // HAIR: Brooke Miller // MAKEUP: Deshi // WEDDING GOWN DESIGNER: Romona Keveza // WEDDING GOWN BRIDAL SHOP: Ivory and White (Birmingham) // BRIDESMAIDS DRESS DESIGNER: Jenny Yoo // BRIDESMAIDS DRESS SHOP: Bella Bridesmaids // GROOM’S SUIT SHOP: Mobley and Sons (Tuscaloosa) // GROOMSMEN’S SUIT SHOPS: Mobley and Sons (Tuscaloosa) // VIDEOGRAPHY: Lance Holloway // CATERING: Portofino // INVITATIONS: Ginger Bender // OYSTER BAR: The Wandering Oyster Bar (Beth and Bill Walton) // SPECIALTY COCKTAILS // DP Distillers (Johnny Culpepper) // PHOTOBOOTH: Epic Photobooth // BOAT: Portofino One // GUITAR: Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South) // VIOLINIST: Grace Kim // OYSTER CHANDELIERS, WELCOME SIGN, CANDELABRAS: Drift by Anne Lomax
