From Hurricanes to Sunshine

We have one of our most memorable weddings from 2019 for you this week. Kari and Ryan experienced what some would call a wedding nightmare- a hurricane on their wedding day! Though it was a tough decision, they made the call to move their wedding a week later. Through their positive attitudes and support from family and friends, they pulled off one of the most unforgettable weddings we have ever been a part of. That is why we are calling this one, From Hurricanes to Sunshine, because that is how it all went down.

It was pretty unbelievable how calm they were, given the circumstances. After getting to know our lovely couple, it was no surprise that they were being positive about the whole ordeal. You may remember these two because we featured their romantic engagement session at Alpine Groves Park a few months ago. To jog your memory, you can visit their feature here: St Augustine Engagement Session.

The unexpected wedding guest

You all may remember Hurricane Dorian from last year. It was on track to hit Florida around early September causing Floridians to get prepared. For Kari and Ryan, moving their date became more of a reality as Hurricane Dorian drew closer to Florida.

Usually the logistics of moving a wedding day, even just a week, is a daunting task. Will the venue still be available? What about any vendors? Will traveling family and friends be able to make it? All of these can cause any bride and groom enormous stress, but Kari and Ryan were true champs. They knew that having guests traveling during potential hurricane weather was out of the question.

Although Hurricane Dorian did not make landfall in Florida, it left a devastating path of destruction in the Atlantic. Everyone involved with the wedding was understanding of Kari and Ryan’s decision to move the wedding. In the end it all worked out and they had a beautiful celebration!

No more hurricanes, just sunshine

Kari and Ryan had a daytime wedding and it was a gorgeous day! It seems kind of weird to be talking about how amazing the weather was considering the other scenario was a hurricane, but that’s Florida.

We started off the beautiful day with photos of their wedding details. One of my favorites was their custom newspaper detailing their love story called The Pucker Post. We even captured a shot of Kari’s sister/maid of honor reading it during some free time. Kari looked absolutely stunning in her dress and I adore her shoes! They were Ted Baker shoes and I instantly fell in love. Kari also wore beautiful pearls from Ryan’s grandmother- love those heirloom pieces. Her father completed her wedding day look by giving her a handkerchief embroidered with a sweet note, too.

We did not forget about the groom! Ryan was looking very sharp in his blue suit with burgundy accents. Ryan got ready with the help of his dad, who was also his best man. It was sweet to then watch Ryan help his dad into his suit afterwards. They even wore matching boots!

Speaking of fathers, Kari and Ryan gave them something special to remember the day. The dads were given custom ties with photos of each of them together when they were younger. Those were so sweet and such a great gift for their dads to have forever.

Nothing but blue skies and sunshine

Kari and Ryan did a first look under beautiful blue skies and those old oak trees that I am obsessed with. We love that they included their dog Winnie for this moment. It was funny because Winnie got so excited to see Kari that she started to move towards her before Ryan was supposed to turn around. After getting Winnie back in position, Ryan and Kari had a beautiful first look moment. They were so happy to see each other, especially Winnie who was so excited to see her beautiful mom.

You will notice that Kari is holding a box at their first look. They wrote each other notes for their wedding day along with ones to read on their first anniversary. They read the wedding day notes to each other and then put the other notes in the box, which they will open and read on their anniversary.

Afterwards, took some amazing portraits. There are so many beautiful places at Up the Creek Farms to take photos, so it is always a great location for us. It is even better when we have a gorgeous couple and perfect weather like we did that day. Kari and Ryan were so happy and in love, so we were lucky to be able to capture all of it.

A dream wedding at Up the Creek Farms

The ceremony took place under the beautiful oak trees overlooking the lawn. Ryan stood proudly at the altar and Kari was all smiles as she walked on her dad’s arm down the aisle. One of the parts I loved was the tree ceremony. They took sand from their parents yards and added it to their tree. It was a unique take on a unity ceremony.

Once the ceremony was over, we did a group photo of the newlyweds along with all of their guests. Afterwards, guests were moved to cocktail hour on the lawn. Guests were welcomed to socialize, participate in yard games and leave well wishes to the couple on a guestbook in the shape of a globe.

Guests were then ushered inside the beautiful reception room where they were treated to Kari and Ryan’s choreographed first dance. There was such great energy from all of the guests and the room was overwhelmed with happiness and love for the couple!

A sendoff for an unforgettable couple

To finish the day, their lively party they did a ribbon exit in front of the boat house doors. There is so much we could say about Kari and Ryan’s beautiful wedding, but the word perfect pretty much sums it up!

We will never forget how these two stayed cool, calm, and collected through all of the hurricane craziness. We cannot help but admire them for that. So, here’s to their beautiful wedding that went from hurricanes to sunshine. At the bottom, see the amazing video from our talented videography team, Love and Lustre Weddings!

xoxo,

Bumby

Venue: Up the Creek Farms

Photography: Bumby Photography

Videography: Love and Lustre Weddings

Florals: Up the Creek Farms

Hair & Makeup: Moments Metro Salon

Catering: Executive Catering

Rentals: Crystal and Crates

Entertainment: Blue Skies Entertainment

Dress: Bridals & More

Designer: Casablanca Bridal