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Top 5 Reasons to Have Your Destination Wedding in the Florida Keys

by Peggy | Destination Wedding, Florida Keys Wedding, Florida Keys Wedding Planning, Florida Wedding Planner

The Florida Keys continuously remain one of the most popular wedding destinations in the U.S. and with good reason. With a plethora of delectable eateries, charming stores, brilliant colors, both above and below the sea, vibrant nightlife, breathtaking panoramas, and an infinite amount of stories, both told and untold, it truly is unparalleled. Whether you’re driving over one of its many bridges or swaying lazily in a hammock as the ocean lulls you into a mid-afternoon sleep or taking in one of it’s famous sunsets, there is something magical about the Keys that never grows old, which is why the Florida Keys are one of the best, if not the best place to have your destination wedding. It wasn’t easy but here is a list of the top 5 reasons to have your destination wedding in the Florida Keys.

#1 – Postcard Ready
Everything Becomes a Postcard in the Florida Keys! And we mean everything! From the Conch Houses of old Key West and the Florida Keys to the flora and fauna native to the area to the picturesque and always memorable sunsets, everything in the Keys is the perfect backdrop to your big day. So don’t fret, your pictures are going to be beautiful. They can’t help but not be!

#2 – Hassle Free
The Florida Keys are hassle free! Contrary to some other destination wedding locales, what we love about the Keys is that they’re like being out of the country without all the hassle to get out of the country. No need to ask your guests to get a passport or pay to renew their passport. There’s no need to get a visa. No special shots. No travel bans. All your guests have to do is commit, buy their tickets, and voila, before they know they’re sipping pina coladas poolside while listening to the waves and Jimmy Buffet in the background.

#3 – Great Weather
The Florida Keys guarantee great destination wedding weather! It’s not called the Sunshine State for nothing. The Florida Keys have an average of 260 sunny days a year so any wedding in the Florida Keys has a 70% chance of falling on a sunny day- pretty good odds. And what makes that number look even better is that if you happen to not be part of the 70%, you’re looking at clouds (not too shabby) and warm weather or rain, which doesn’t seem all that great at first glance, but when looked at within the context of a longstanding wedding tradition of ‘good luck’, a little fun, and possibly epic photographs- WORTH IT!

#4 – Diverse Venues
There is a venue for everyone and every wedding in the Keys! Somewhere along the 43 islands and 138 miles that comprise the Florida Keys you can find the perfect place to exchange your I do’s and celebrate the night away. As rich in diversity each island is, so too are the wedding locales and venue spots from which you can choose. Whether you want to be barefoot on the beach or dressed in black tie attire or somewhere in between, it can be found in the Keys! Whether your theme is rustic chic or multicultural or classic romance or seaside celebration it can be made possible in the Keys! It is all possible in the Keys!

#5 – Vacation Destination
The Florida Keys are a vacation destination wedding for you and your guests! Every wedding requires that some or most of the guests inevitably have to travel, but not all locations will leave your guests feeling like they’ve just gone on vacation. That isn’t the case with the Florida Keys.
It doesn’t matter if your guests are traveling from Miami or Seattle or from overseas, they will without a doubt feel like they’re on vacation the moment they step foot in the Florida Keys. We don’t know exactly what it is but there is something in the air in the Keys that makes one want to unplug, lay back, relax, and soak it all in. You can’t ask for anything more! And trust us when we say, your guests will thank you, more than once!

Destination weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get all those you know and love together in the same place at the same time to celebrate you and your love story. And if this is your once-in-a-lifetime, why not do that with sand between your toes, the ocean breeze, saltwater in your hair, and sunshine in the sky. For a truly unforgettable destination wedding look no further than the Florida Keys!

For all the other reasons you should have your destination wedding in the Florida Keys contact Destination Wedding Studio at email hidden; JavaScript is required. Thank you to Care Studios, Evan Rich Photography, Daniel Lateulade Photography for your beautiful images.

Wedding Styling Tips: Q&A With Peggy Russell

by Peggy | Florida Wedding Planner, wedding decor, wedding design ideas, wedding design inspiration, Wedding Planner, Wedding Styling Tips

It’s safe to say after 10 years of coordinating and designing weddings that our founder and principal stylist, Peggy Russell, knows a thing or two about weddings. Yet that didn’t stop her from putting on her travel boots this year to take a mini tour of the U.S. to study with some of the wedding industry’s best. What most people don’t know initially about Peggy, but what becomes abundantly clear after only a few minutes in her presence, is that she is a lifelong learner, always seeking to expand her circle of influence and inspiration, especially in the creative realm. So during my last trip to Miami I took the opportunity to sit down for a Q&A with Peggy to ask her about her most recent trip to Charleston, styling, and her newest endeavor – foraging and creating bouquets.

The School of Styling Charleston

Alex: What, if any, was the inspiration behind how you styled your bride?

Peggy Russell: For the most part, I am always inspired by a bride’s story and the vision they give me for their wedding day. However, in this particular instance, it was impossible not to be inspired by the ethereal and timeless beauty of the location, which was a 100 year old property outside of Charleston, South Carolina, so I felt deeply inspired to honor the period of the location. I picked a dress with clean and simple lines made of raw silk that had a touch of modernity but could have been an heirloom as well. I also wanted a less busy dress because I really wanted to accent the bride’s florals, which were created by blending an array of both greens, which were foraged from the location, and florals. I loved the randomness of the bouquet. It seemed so much more like this great bundle of nature versus a more contrived bouquet. It really felt inspired by the place. I loved that aspect of it! And the veil I picked because it so perfectly and delicately framed both the dress and the bride. Also, the intricacies of the lace added that last something extra that brought the whole look together.

The School of Styling Charleston

Alex: What was the creative process like of putting a wedding bouquet together? How, if in any way, is it similar or different to wedding decor design + styling?

Peggy: When we do a bouquet it is almost always dependent on the dress. If the dress has lace and/or is very detailed we look to keep the bouquet simple and understated. If the dress is simple and elegant we can do two things, we can have the bouquet be a statement piece or keep it simple and refined just like the dress. The newest trend is to capture nature and give the bouquet a much more free, less compact look. In regards to the second question, decor usually gives an overall feeling of the evening, the framework for everything else we do, where a bouquet really makes a simple statement either on its own or within the framework of the decor. In the wedding industry, trends usually move west to east, so if you look at some of the real well-known wedding stylists, they are showing us a much more natural, classic, timeless decor and I would say we are beginning to see the same with bouquets.

The School of Styling Charleston

Alex: How did it feel once your bouquet was wrapped in it’s ribbon and ready to be held?

Peggy: Honestly, I really didn’t fully appreciate it until I saw it within the backdrop and next to the dress. But once I saw it being held and there were these wonderfully cascading trees all around, I really felt like I had accomplished what I wanted, which was to make a statement piece yet still maintain the integrity of the surroundings. The great part was I designed 2 or 3 so there was some freedom to see how each one integrated with the dress. Did it make you feel any more connected to the bride? To me, the bouquet, being one of the most important accompaniments to a bride’s dress, is also one of the most personal parts of the design process because it’s really a gift to the bride, so for sure, it made me feel much more connected to the bride.

The School of Styling Charleston

Alex: Any advice to your brides in regards to choosing the right flowers, bouquet style and/or floral design aesthetic for their wedding day?

Peggy: Always try and have a picture that serves for inspiration or a piece of material or lace you can share with both the wedding and floral design teams. Often a single image, a piece of fabric, or the wedding dress can can help inspire the decor and flowers in ways unforeseeable and unimaginable.