28 May, 2014

The Couple

Jenna and Scott from Connecticut, U.S.A. married on a private island off Marathon Key in Florida on the 13th July, 2014.

The Planning

We chose the Florida Keys because we wanted to do a destination wedding/vacation. Since this was our second marriage for both of us we wanted to include the kids and make it a family vacation at the same time. My favorite place to be is the beach so it was important for us to look for a beach style wedding and happened upon Marathon Key on a little island called Palm Island. It was private and we would be able to reside on it as well which made it even more convenient. We booked the travel about 6 months in advance and I did all my own planning via website searches and recommendations. My husband and I actually went down for an extended weekend about 3 months prior to the wedding to find our vendors. The really neat part of the planning process for us was the opportunity to drive up and down the keys asking local folks for recommendations for our caterer, acoustic guitarist, and florist. We would stop in local bars and restaurants to eat, listen to acoustic guitarists and bands, try the food, and literally planned and booked our particulars each stop of the way. It was both exciting and fun! Planning as you go, if you will...

Legal / Medical Requirements

Getting married in the keys was very easy actually. It is recognized throughout the United States. All we had to do was visit the town hall for Marathon and fill out for a marriage license and once the wedding was complete we just had to file all the needed information back to the town hall and we received our official wedding record in the mail. They were very helpful and friendly and made the process very easy. Unlike other states they do not require any blood work.

Travel Arrangements

We had to fly from our home in Connecticut and we landed in Ft. Lauderdale and then drove down to the keys. In total flight time was about 3 hours and drive time another 2 but we made stops along the way to enjoy the scenery. The drive into the keys is an amazing one that everyone needs to experience. Marathon is located just before the 7 Mile Bridge so you get to go through a lot of the little Key islands like Islamorada that I was not familiar with. The kids loved the differences between each key and the fact that we would go from one island to another in the blink of an eye with nothing but beautiful blue waters on each side. Lots of little bridges along the way.

The Destination - Palm Island

Marathon Key is located approximately 48 miles east of Key West just before the 7 Mile Bridge. Palm Island is a little private island located just off of Marathon Key attached by a small causeway bridge just large enough for one car to drive on. It is located right next to the Coast Guard station. The island was the most amazing place I had ever been and a dream come true. It was way past my expectation. The first time I saw it I couldn't even believe how perfect it could be and then the day of the wedding it was even more amazing. It is a hidden treasure, literally. The island was a private one consisting of 3 houses, the main house, the cabana, and the guest house where we stayed (slept 6 adult and 4 kids comfortably). The island itself had a little bit of everything a kid and an adult could enjoy! There was a dock located outside each house where you could sit and watch the sunset and sunrise, a walkway that traversed the entire island you could walk it in about 20 minutes, a boat, rope swing into the ocean, putting green, pool, hot tub, fishing gear, golf carts, and lots of beautiful palm trees for shade and scenery.

We visited the island 3 months prior to meet with all the vendors and to plan since it's hard to plan your own wedding without seeing the venue. We ended up going down 1 week before the wedding date with the family for a little vacation as well so we were able to enjoy the island even more, and then after the wedding we stayed for 1 week (family free) to celebrate our honeymoon. For fun we went to the dolphin conservatory and had the dolphins paint shirts for the kids. Friends and family took me to Key West for a night for a bachelorette party, and my husband and I were able to do a Jet Ski tour around Key West where I got to see a 4 foot sea turtle live in the ocean. We visited many of the little keys but our favorite stop besides Marathon was Islamorada which is like a little family of its own. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating and would refer us to this little off the beaten path areas for food and activities.

Guests

We invited all of our friends and family, over 150 guests, knowing that we would only end up having a small few make the trip. Ultimately, we ended up with about 35 people. Our goal was always a small intimate beach themed wedding where our immediate family including our children, my parents and brother and his family and my husband's mother could participate. We were fortunate to have some of our very close friends make the trip as well. Our very good friend actually became ordained for the purpose of marrying us! We were lucky that some of our close aunts/uncles/cousins and all of our very close friends were able to make it down to enjoy the day with us. Our immediate family came down the week before with us for a family vacation. Most of our friends and other family members came down a couple days prior to the wedding and some stayed 1-2 days after as well.

The local Holiday Inn Express was where most guests stayed - great rates, their own private marina, and very cool tiki bar on premise. Rather than be traditional and welcome our guests with a "rehearsal dinner" the night before the wedding we had a very informal dinner at a restaurant called the Sunset Grille which is literally right before the 7 mile bridge. If you were not paying attention to the sign you would end up on the bridge and a 14 mile mistake! They have a pool for the kids and a pier that at night has fish lights and an amazing view of the 7 mile bridge. They also have a live local band for entertainment. The kids swam while the adults ate and drank.

The Wedding

Our theme was a casual Florida Keys style wedding where shoes for the guests were optional. Guests wore shorts, linen shirts, hats and sunglasses, and most wore flip flops or sandals. The wedding day went so fast but was the most perfect day. Luckily I found an amazing hairdresser (Medusa's Mane) who actually comes to the island and does everyone's hair and makeup on site. So we were able to stay on the island all day with no worries. The kids and "men" were able to swim most of the day while I, my girls, my mom, and my mother in law remained in one of the cabanas on the island getting hair and makeup done.

The photographer we hired was Mary Veal (an amazing photographer and now friend) who came early and was able to get shots of us getting ready. The guys were able to get ready in another house on the island closer to the time of the wedding. We had picked a location that included a beach style area leading to a dock where we would be holding the ceremony. We had tents set up for the reception with chandelier lights and a mixture of seated style tables and cocktail tables.

Once makeup/hair was done we went out onto the island for some pre-wedding shots with me, my girls and my parents. It started to rain so we got stuck under a cabana on the other side of the island but nothing could ruin the day. We got some amazing photos under that cabana. My dad got worried that I was stuck in the rain so when he found us we got some great pictures with him as well. We hired a wonderful acoustic guitarist and his wife (Micah Gardner) who played "what a wonderful world" for when I walked down the aisle. We held the ceremony on a dock and the sun was the hottest it had ever been that day. A very close friend of ours was the officiate of the ceremony to make it even more special. We did a small sand ceremony with the kids to officially combine our family.

After the wedding was complete we went off for pictures first with the kids and then with just us while everyone listened to music from Micah and enjoyed the appetizers. We came back to the tent and did our first dance, had a few toasts and enjoyed an amazing meal catered by Mangrove Mike, who was recommended by locals and owned a great breakfast spot in Islamorada called Mangrove Mike's. The cake we decided would be a cupcake tower with a small cake on the top. The cupcakes were made by an amazing local shop called Sweet Savanna's. They couldn't have been more accommodating - given the extreme heat the cupcakes held up perfectly and the key lime tarts were divine.

The rest of the evening was relaxing and we danced for hours to the music until a huge thunderstorm came later. Sadly the party had to end as we moved indoors. Our wedding was the most amazing and relaxing experience and especially special due to the people who helped us make it complete and our guests.

Advice for others considering this as a wedding destination

I highly recommend the Keys for a wedding destination - it's a relaxing and friendly place to have your special day. Not only did we get some amazing caterers, flowers, hair etc. but we became friends with all of them. They helped make our day perfect and guided us for activities to do while on the island. I recommend the smaller islands like Marathon and Islamorada because they are away from the busy traveler spots so becomes more intimate. Would not have changed a thing!

Photographer: Mary Veal Photography

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Palm Island - Florida, U.S.A.

Priest/Celebrant: Our friend Pat Tracy was our celebrant.

Flowers: Supplied by Marathon Florist - Dori the owner did an amazing job making me the exact bouquets I wanted and helping tell me how to preserve them. She also provided us with the beautiful lighted vases that helped light the tables at night.

Hair & Makeup: Medusa's Mane - Chris was amazing-came right to the island so I didn't have to worry about getting to and from on my day. He did my hair and makeup just like I asked to make my pictures beautiful and the girls looked amazing. He and his partner are so friendly and accommodating.

Tables/Tents & Decorations: Mile Marker Party Rentals - Jill was amazing and fun! Would recommend her to anyone for anything. She also is ordained so can officiate any wedding for anyone- great sense of humor!

Caterer: Mangrove Mike's - he is located in Islamorada and has a great little restaurant too. Amazing food cooked on site and he was there for the whole thing! Food was delicious and we still get compliments to this day about it.

Hotel Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express, Marathon FL - They accommodated us with allowing us to book rooms, have a beautiful pool area, jet skis are offered on site and they had just opened another restaurant off the back of the hotel. Guests said their accommodations were great and comfortable. Tranquility Bay, Marathon Florida - A bit more upscale than the Holiday Inn but worth every penny. We had some guests stay there. It was located next to Palm Island where the wedding was and has probably the best restaurant on the island, the Butterfly Café. We licked our plates clean (literally!)

Wedding Cake: Sweet Savanna's

Music/Entertainment: Micah Gardner & his wife - he was amazing!!!!!!!!