Hi lovelies, You know what they say, what starts in Key West returns to Key West as a fully-fledged and beautiful wedding.
Did we get that right?
No matter the case, Katherine and Oscar’s Key West wedding is la crème de la crème from their inspired color palette (gorgeous greens!) to her spectacularly lovely gown. The Church is lovely, the nephew is an overload of fun, and the couple is delightful. With so much of their wedding focused on love and laughter, it’s admirable that these two still made time for style.
Congratulations Katherine and Oscar! A huge thank you to Freas Photography for these stunning photographs!
From Freas Photography:
Katie and Oscar were referred to me by another couple whose wedding I am shooting in February. One of the kindest couples I think I have ever met, and they both stressed the importance of the images. Things immediately started off on the right foot. They took advantage of one of my wedding packages that included the engagement session with their coverage, and it was an amazing session in the Dry Tortuga’s. Needless to say, I got to know them over the course of the months leading up to the wedding, and we all became friends. Another step in the right direction and the imagery of the day was just that. It showcased the real day because I was simply there just to document the fun and festivities.
Their love story is one that is perfect for Key West. They met during the summer, she comes back during Fantasy Fest in search of her Romeo, and the rest is what you will see below. Katie took a DIY approach to her wedding. She was the florist, the makeup artist (with help from her sister), 1/2 the planner, and looked stunning the entire time. Her jewelry was her great-grandmothers which was a unique detail to the day. It had been sewn into the hems of her great-grandmother’s skirts when she fled Germany during WWII. Katie’s mother also created the ring bearers pillow out of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother’s wedding gowns! Oscar is a huge Star Wars fan, so of course, he had Darth Vader cufflinks. Lots of fun details for their Key West wedding, but rather than bore you with more text, take a look below.?
From the Bride and Groom:
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette?
Oscar and I are a pretty casual couple. We love the outdoors, reggae music, traveling and our families and friends. We both enjoy trying new things and live by the mantra that “our life together is one endless adventure”. In that, we wanted our day to be easy-going, romantic, and a ton of fun for everyone. Our color palette was emerald, gold, and white. Due to it being so close to Christmas time and green being our favorite color, it was easy to pull it all together. Oscar grew up in the Catholic church and I am the daughter of the Lutheran Bishop of the ELCA and my mom is also a Lutheran pastor. Being married in the church was not only important to us, but to our families as well. We were married at Oscar’s childhood church and it was absolutely perfect.
What were the florals like at your wedding?
Keeping with the simple elegance of the evening, I ordered Baby’s Breath, White Roses, and White Hydrangeas from Publix and put together the bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces with my bridesmaids the night before the wedding.
Let’s talk about fashion. How did you choose your wedding day look? How did the groom?
OHHHH THE DRESS. It was everything I ever wanted. My Aunt manages a bridal boutique in Port Charlotte, Florida. After trying on what felt like a million gowns, I put on MY dress and that was it! Game over! It was strapless with a simple sweetheart neckline. The entire dress was made of fringed antique lace and layered with a detailed belt made of beads and Australian crystal. The back had the traditional round, white, cloth-buttons and had a 4-foot train.
My veil was also hand-stitched and edged with a small crystal flower accent. Overall, the gown was light and airy; simple but elegant. My jewelry had a story of its own. My silver earring, bracelet, and necklace set were actually sewn into the hem of my great-grandmother’s dress when she fled Germany during WWII. Oscar and the boys wore a traditional black tux with an emerald vest and tie. He is a huge Star Wars fan so of course, his cufflinks were Darth Vader. Oscar also wore a silver Marlin tie clip that I gave him the morning of our wedding.
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
Oscar and I have a funny twist to our story. We met in the summer of 2010. My college roommate was born and raised in Key West with Oscar. I was down visiting her when she told me we were going out on her friend’s boat with a few people. Low and behold, it was Oscar’s boat. We all hung out for the weekend, but Oscar and I were both seeing other people and nothing came of it.
Two years later, I was down again for Fantasy Fest with my friends. In the car on the way down, I told my friend it would be cool to see Oscar again. Sure enough, the first bar I walk into that night, a young man offers to buy me a drink and I turn around to see Oscar. We spent the next two days hanging out with all of our friends, dancing, grilling, boating, etc. Four days later, Oscar drove across the state to St. Petersburg, FL where I was going to college to ask me to be his girlfriend. He’s always been “the one”.
Oscar proposed to me in Britsh Columbia, Canada while we were on one of our adventures skiing and snowboarding. I had broken my leg the previous year so I was terrified to get back on the mountain. After my first successful run, Oscar took me to lunch to celebrate. On the top of the mountain, he asked a random man to take our picture. I had no clue what was going on. Next thing I knew, Oscar was down on one knee asking me to be his wife.
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The most anticipated moment of our day, no matter how cliche, was seeing each other for the first time. Oscar and I did not do a “First Look” and our wedding was not until 3 pm so waiting all day was really hard! During the ride to the church, my mom sat next to me in the limo holding my hand and giving advice about my marriage that I will treasure forever.
When we arrived, all of the ladies and the ring bearer (my darling nephew), exited the limo, leaving me and my dad alone to collect ourselves. Walking down the aisle with my daddy was one of the proudest and happiest moments of my life. When Oscar and I locked eyes, my heart just exploded! I just wanted to run up and kiss him right then and there, but we somehow managed to make it through the ceremony first 🙂
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
Oscar and I actually received the best marriage advice sitting with a random couple in a bar and we always share it with our friends when they ask. “Always make time for each other….it’s as simple and as complicated as that”. Oscar and I have learned through the years together that there is no gift more precious than your time. That is something you can never get back. The couple told us to always give yourselves something to look forward to. With that, we plan a mini-trip quarter-annually. Whether it’s a major vacation to go skiing or cruising, a stay-cation at a local hotel for the night where we act like tourists, or tacking on an extra day when going to visit our family to just have “us” time.
Magic Makers:
Venue: St. Mary’s Star of the Sea
Photographer: Freas Photography
Favors and Gifts: Greene Street Cigar Company
DJ: Visualize Entertainment
Other: Destination Wedding Studio
Caterer: Key West Catering Company
Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Audubon House
Other Location: St. Mary’s Star of the Sea