It was an epic weekend whirlwind (literally thanks to Hurricane Isaias skirting by) for Laurel and Danny’s gorgeous Ocean Reef Club wedding right out by the water. We love the fact that Laurel & Danny embraced our advice for rescheduling your Corona-wedding: If it has to be intimate, make it a destination wedding! When faced with the prospect of rescheduling a second time, Laurel’s chosen grandparents, Carol & Stan, welcomed both families down to the Ocean Reef Club, a stunning members-only community for a show-stopping celebration of love. Ashley (safely) road-tripped down to sunny Florida and was there to capture the whole festive weekend.
Friday Night Portraits at Ocean Reef Club
Whenever we photograph a destination event, our team always make arrangements to arrive at least one day before we’re officially scheduled to photograph, because we never know what complications could come up with traveling. Of course, the biggest complication of the year was Covid-19, but the universe decided to tease us with the thread of a potential hurricane headed right towards Key Largo & the Ocean Reef Club. It was scheduled to hit on Saturday afternoon, just as our weekend should have been starting.
Thankfully, since we checked in on Friday afternoon, we were able to talk Laurel & Danny into an impromptu portrait session against a backdrop of blue ocean, palm trees, and an epic sunset. You’d never know that they weren’t prepared for this session – Laurel had a gorgeous summer dress and part of her wedding planning team jumped in to be her de facto makeup artist for the evening. With just a few hours notice we were crossing the sandy paths of the Ocean Reef Club to capture some of our favorite images of the weekend!
The views couldn’t have been any more perfect during this prelude to an epic weekend of coverage for Laurel and Danny. The blue sky was fading into the summer glow of golden hour. As they strolled along the beach at the Ocean Reef Club, the winds picked up and played with the palm trees and made Laurel laugh as her hair flowed beautifully in the breeze. They danced on the empty beach together, excited that this long awaited weekend had arrived.
As the clouds gathered (remember, hurricane nearby) we captured the beautiful and darkening sky and moved indoors to rest up for the next day’s festivities. Special thank you goes out to Laurel & Danny’s wedding planner, Rayza for her assistance holding our lights through all of sunset so that we could capture these epic images!
Welcome Happy Hour at Ocean Reef Club
Saturday arrived and so did our wonderful second shooter. Because we couldn’t have both Ashley & Rachel out of state given PA’s quarantine rules, we called in another amazing second that we love to work with – Grace from Casablanca Weddings + Events! While Ashley waited for her arrival and in between passing storms, she began to wander the Ocean Reef Club and capture some establishing shots of the resort. From whimsical statues to gorgeous vistas, there was no shortage of spots to photograph. When the weather would take a (nearly instant) turn for the worse, she headed back to her room and started playing with the details of the welcome bags and beautiful paper goods that Laurel had created herself!
Laurel and Danny had crafted beautiful welcome bags for everyone to cover all the party essentials a guest could need in the age of coronavirus. There were mini bottles of hand sanitizer and matching tropical print masks, for fun and safety, plus plenty of snacks (& drinks) to enjoy. As their guests began to arrive and the weather magically started to clear, everyone’s excitement began to build.
By the time that happy hour neared, hurricane Isaias had meandered further east than was originally forecasted – while there was still some wind and passing showers on the horizon, the torrential downpours of the morning were out of sight. To be safe, happy hour was moved from the beach to a gorgeous veranda surrounding the exterior of Carysfort Hall with beautiful views over the marina, filled with dozens of beautiful white yachts and a great view of the slowly setting sun!
When the welcome happy hour began, the almost-married couple greeted family and friends. Lots of laughs were shared over the fabulous food of the Ocean Reef Club. The troubles of the world world and the passing storm were forgotten. Everything became focused on the celebration at hand.
The mother of the groom, Donna, gave a beautiful toast, honoring her son, welcoming Laurel to the family officially, thanking everyone for coming for this beautiful weekend, and setting the tone for the happy occasion. The stage was set, the main event would happen in the morning.
Saturday’s Epic Sunset Portraits with Marius
Happy hour was happily interrupted with the arrival of a most beloved family member – Marius!
Besides each other, Marius the Berne-doodle is Laurel and Danny’s greatest love. It’s easy to see why. He’s a big, fluffy lovebug who was ready to celebrate with his humans who were about to get married. His adorable coordinating bandana and giant sweet eyes about stole Ashley’s heart. He posed with us for about twenty minutes, sitting perfectly for tiny bits of hamburger from the Happy Hour sliders. Once Marius had all the pictures he could handle, he was allowed to finish his “meal,” before being golf carted “home.”
Laurel & Danny spent a few minutes on the docks of the Ocean Reef Club as we waited for just the right moment to hop in our own golf carts to the beautiful infinity pools on the other side of the resort. As the sun sank low, the sky glowed stunningly pink. Quickly, we set up some lighting and shot across the water to capture sky and sea. Laurel and Danny did their part by being absolutely in love and we were able to capture these breathtaking portraits.
Getting Ready at Ocean Reef Club
There is nothing quite like a destination wedding in the Florida Keys! Here at the Ocean Reef Club, the Point was being beautifully adorned with flowers from the first light of morning to prepare for the day ahead. With the remnants of wind from Isaias still whipping about the island, the decision was made – the ceremony would still be outside, but the risk of the Chuppah blowing over was too much of a risk. Amazing South Florida florist, Vivian Colls had the perfect solution that encompassed all of the meaning of a Chuppah without the height. At the edge of the ocean, a gorgeous floral lined pathway led to a small circle where Laurel and Danny would exchange their vows and rings. But before it would be filled with people, these two had to get ready.
Laurel’s room was busy with preparations. There was the usual primping and putting on finishing touches, split up with fun zoom call-ins from family and friends who couldn’t travel in for the day. There may have been some tequila shots shared between Laurel & her soon to be mother in law. (ok, we admit it, there were definitely tequila shots). The energy in the room was ebullient! And then we got to the most exciting part of the morning – the moment when Laurel would don her wedding dress on her wedding day.
Her stunning Rime Arodaky gown fit like a dream. The delicate lace cutouts on the bodice and the fabulous lace train were perfect for a beach wedding. And we loved how Laurel retold the story of having to find a new, beach wedding appropriate gown and how she found this dress on a quick trip Toronto and left the store with the sample in hand (& a great deal)! Paired with peace lily and orchid blooms in her frond filled bouquet, Laurel’s look was exquisite. Everything was utterly perfect, and the moment was drawing close.
Meanwhile, Danny was exactly one floor below Laurel, getting himself ready to meet his bride. His Tom Ford suit was impeccable. He’s a more reserved than Laurel, so the energy in his room was relaxed and low key. The biggest stir came when he opened the gift from Laurel. A fantastic pair of Nikes. Well, actually make that three! In a nod to her nature, which is unwilling to make a decision without knowing all the facts, Laurel actually bought Danny three pairs of new sneakers, with the caveat that she would return whichever ones he didn’t like best. And, as she should have known, her first selection was his favorite pair! These two really do know each other inside & out!
A quick check to make sure Marius was wedding ready as well in his adorable bowtie, and it was time for the Ketubah ceremony.
The Wedding Ceremony at the Point
In keeping with Jewish traditions, Laurel and Danny and their families came together ahead of the public ceremony for the private Ketubah signing in one of the beautiful rooms at Carysfort Hall, the main hub at the Ocean Reef Club. Unique to their day, Danny & Laurel opted out of a formal first look and instead, Danny first saw Laurel as she entered the room for this ceremony. This moment amplified the significance of an already monumental occasion, as the Ketubah signing is the official moment of marriage in a Jewish celebration.
Once everyone was agreed that all was in order, there was a chorus of mazel tov’s, and the public ceremony could begin.
Remember Hurricane Isaias? He didn’t make any real appearance, except to give us some light cloud cover for their ceremony. We still had the chance to celebrate Laurel & Danny’s marriage out on the water at the Ocean Reef Club, just as they had envisioned! All of the guests were there and ready to celebrate Laurel & Danny’s moment in the sun!
As we waited patiently, we learned there was a quick hiccup in the plan – where were the wedding rings?!? Someone had left them back in the room, so two rings were offered up by members of the wedding party for the ceremony – Laurel & Danny would not only have the chance to say their own vows before friends & family, but they would honor their friends’ marriages in this subtle way.
The music came up, and Laurel appeared at the top of the aisle with her parents. She gracefully floated down the aisle, and Danny’s face was alight with joy. They met, and the moment arrived as their hands clasped tightly onto one another’s. They were finally getting married, complete with live-streamed video from New Rez Media.
Their Ocean Reef Club ceremony seemed to whizz by and Danny was soon stomping the glass to the cheers of all. Just as these two made their way back the aisle, some light misting rain began to fall. While most of the guests made their way to cocktail hour, we lingered at the point for few quick family & wedding party portraits in between the sprinkling rain. While we waited out the passing shower, Laurel & Danny swapped out their borrowed wedding bands for their own.
The Reception at Ocean Reef Club
No detail went unplanned when Laurel was pulling together her vision for a perfect Ocean Reef Club wedding. Their cocktail hour was set up with an epic fruit stand that doubled as a gorgeous escort card display, with different tables assigned to different fruits and each guests name delicately calligraphed onto leaves. The tropical vibes continued into the Lovely Tarpon room with towering floral displays and green fronds everywhere. The brunch buffet prepared by the catering staff at the Ocean Reef Club was never-ending and diverse. This was going to be a celebration to remember!
The new Mr and Mrs were announced into a round of applause and beautifully serenaded by Laurel’s friend Diana. It wasn’t long before the toasts were being given and Laurel nuzzled into Danny as they listened to her parents, his best man, and her maid of honor all raise a glass in their honor. Though there was no dancing, there was still cake! They cut it with lots of laughter (really, though, cake cutting is hard!), and sealed it with a kiss.
Thus ended our epic weekend with this beautiful couple at the Ocean Reef Club. While it wasn’t quite the wedding they’d planned originally, we know Laurel and Danny had an amazing time and we wish them many many years of love and joy together!
This was beautifully written and captured all the special moments! What a pleasure working with Ashley and Grace. Can’t wait for next time!