Intimate Key West wedding at Fort Zachary Taylor

Pivoting to a tropical wedding in the US

If there ever was a wedding that proved ‘tropical waterfront ceremony’ doesn’t always require a passport, Jessica and Josh’s Key West wedding at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is it.

Jessica & Josh dreamed of a tropical Caribbean wedding, but then the events of 2020/2021 threw a wrench in their international travel plans.

Jessica was smart enough to hire a destination wedding planner and with Atlas Affairs on their side we were ready with a stateside solution.  

South Florida is a great vacation destination but especially The Florida Keys have the laid back island vibe on lock.

A Key west beach wedding location fit for an intimate wedding

One of the first steps when considering a Florida Keys wedding is to pick your exact island to narrow down your options.

The Florida Keys has 5 main islands: Key Largo, Marathon, Islamorada, Big Pine Key and Key West. Venue searching can get overwhelming when you live out of state but we made things easier for Jessica with our venue scouting service.

We created a presentation of venue options that fit their criterias to make it faster and easier to pick a venue.

Jessica and Josh wanted to get married at a beach location and decided on the southernmost point which is Key West.

They were planning for a small wedding and therefore considering a big hotel was not their first choice.

While you can certainly get married on a public beach like Smathers Beach, Jessica wanted a bit more privacy and the guarantee of a reserved spot. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic state park fit the bill. 

This picturesque 54 acre park offers 5 reservable sites for a wedding by the water or on the beach. In order to have a bit more tranquility Jessica and Josh chose to exchange their vows at ‘The East Beach’ .

The East beach at Fort Zachary Taylor historic state park is nestled on white sand  between Jamaican palms and lush sea grapes, which creates a secluded atmosphere for a ceremony away from the park crowds.

Tropical wedding theme with soft neutral tones

When Jessica approached us,she knew they wanted a setting that was tropical and minimalistic, while still feeling elegant—and that’s exactly what we worked to bring to this neutral tropical wedding.

Jessica chose a natural color palette of emerald & sage green, white and tan.

We’re obsessed with the bride’s lush tropical bouquet and their ceremony arch filled with tropical greenery and tropical white florals.

The Groom wore a linen suits which were perfect for the Florida heat - opting for a light color suit for tropical outdoor weddings is always the way to go!

The groomsmaid and bridesmaid wore emerald green dresses. Jessica had a beautiful dress with lace that was lightweight, totally fit for a waterfront wedding in Key West.

It was a beautiful, relaxed intimate wedding day!

The day started at Parrot Key Hotel & Villas, located 2.9 miles from Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

They got ready in a nice spacious villa with water views and amazing  lighting coming in from the windows.

After their private wedding ceremony at the East beach of Fort Zachary Taylor park they headed to the lovely A&B Lobster House for dinner with their guests.

This all came together through our intimate wedding planning service

Jessica, Josh and their guests traveled from out of state, so to make things super easy for them we assisted with everything they needed for their day.

Our intimate wedding service included:

• Venue scouting + booking their venue

• Decor design and florals for their ceremony and dinner

• Booking their photographer

• Booking hair and make up service

• Assistance with accommodation and transportation

• Making their post ceremony dinner arrangements

• Creating their wedding day timeline

• Venue and vendor details communication

• Wedding day coordination from start to finish

IN THE BRIDE’S OWN WORDS

“Originally we chose Shandra because she planned weddings in Curaçao and we wanted a small ceremony there. Unfortunately 2020 made that unable to happen. Shandra however planned weddings in south Florida as well. She was able to give us different options in Florida that would still have that island feel. I am not a hands-on bride. The thought of planning a wedding completely overwhelmed me. The great thing about Shandra was that I was able to give her a general idea of what I liked and had in mind and she made the rest happen. It was very stress free. She is extremely personable and has really great taste. The spot we found at Fort Zachary State Park turned out really beautiful and although it was a public beach the ceremony felt very private. I would highly recommend Atlas Affairs for your destination wedding. Shandra will make it so easy and so beautiful. She also chose a photographer who took some really amazing shots. Check out the bridal bouquet... it blew my mind.”

We Can’t wait till our next Key West Wedding!

If you loved reading about this wedding and are inspired to have a wedding in the Florida Keys, shoot us a message and we’ll be more than happy to help!

THANKS TO THE TEAM THAT BROUGHT THIS DAY TOGETHER

Venue:Fort Zachary Taylor State Park | Florist: Floral Brittanica | Photographer: Diane Cecilia photography | Makeup & Hair: Studio Marie Pierre

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