It was a bit of a journey to get to Cristina and Anthony’s Cheeca Lodge wedding in Islamorada, Florida. They had originally set their wedding date for February 2018, but the weather had other plans… A few months before the wedding, Hurricane Irma tore through the Florida Keys, flooding Cheeca Lodge and destroying its beautiful landscaping!
They postponed the wedding until Cheeca Lodge had renovated and re-planted, and it could not have been more perfect! The sun came out at all the right times, the venue was absolutely beautiful, and we had the most amazing sunset for Cristina and Tony’s photos!
But the best part for us was getting to hang out at the wedding with so many friends. Because Cristina and Anthony go to our church, we knew many of the guests and vendors! Pastor George, their officiant, was also OUR officiant at our wedding a few weeks later! We knew the planner from church and had worked with the videographers and makeup artist before as well! And since their two-hour engagement session a few months before had accidentally turned into seven (whoops…), hanging out with Cristina and Tony again was just so much fun! The best weddings are when we feel like one of the guests, and we definitely did at their wedding!
From Cristina:
“It still feels so surreal that this was five whole months ago, because I remember every single thing and soaked up each precious moment. Our wedding was as beautiful as I could have ever imagined. It was perfectly simple yet gorgeously chic, and I believe each person was there for a purpose. Our photographers were absolutely amazing and I couldn’t be more gracious to them for their patience and hard work as I know it was one of the longest weddings they’ve ever attended. Thank you for capturing each moment 🙏🏽 We love you!”
These Badgley Mischka heels are amazing wedding shoes!
Cristina looked like a Disney princess on her wedding day! Her flower girls said she looked like Jasmine 🙂
Cristina and Anthony had the sweetest first look ever! Tony doesn’t smile that often, but he was grinning from ear to ear when he saw her in that dress!
From Cristina: “I’m so glad we agreed to first looks! It was such an intimate moment for just the two of us!!”
Francis is an amazing makeup artist! We got to know her when she came along to Cristina and Anthony’s famously long engagement session so she could touch up Cristina’s makeup in the sweltering July heat! She’s since become Cristina’s go-to makeup artist, which we absolutely love!
Not only did they do a first look, but Cristina also had an emotional first look with her dad just before he walked her down the aisle. Just look how sweet :’)
From Cristina to her dad:
“I still remember the first time you saw me in my wedding gown. I was shaking the moment we started walking down the aisle, and you looked at me, grabbed my hand, and said “C’mon let’s get it together, I got you.” I was so full of emotions (obviously) but in true dad fashion you didn’t let me stumble. You walked me down the aisle to meet my amazingly handsome groom. And as you gave me away, I hugged you as hard as I could to remind you that I would always be your little girl. I love you dad! You are and always will be the first man I ever loved.”
The poor sweet flower girl bawled the entire way down the aisle… It’s going to be so funny for her to look back on one day!
Now this is why engagement sessions are so important, friends!
With Cristina and Tony’s timeline, we only had about seventeen minutes of light before the sun set to capture all their romantic portraits! But we had an awesome engagement session with them a few months before! Because they were already comfortable with us and remembered the poses we’d practiced, we were able to use that time effectively to get tons of portraits they LOVED.
Little succulents made the cutest escort cards and favors for their guests!
We LOVE seeing guest books filled with your engagement photos! That’s what we did for our wedding too!
Cristina and Anthony danced to “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake for their first dance. We loved it!
All the happy tears during the toasts :’)
They had a cigar roller out on the balcony, so we decided to get this cool shot of Tony and the cigar smoke!
Sooooo much dancing fun during their hora loca!
How they enjoy their photos:
Cristina and Tony ordered a beautiful handmade 10×10 linen album to preserve their photos for the rest of their lives! They chose the album cover color because it’s similar to their wedding invitation and decor elements. They also got an adorable mini 4×4 copy of their album that they can take in a purse to show coworkers or relatives!
Check out their wedding film:
By amazing film team, Rimas Films!
Thanks so much for having us at your wedding, Cristina and Anthony! It truly was a magical day, and we loved sharing it with you and your sweet family!
The vendor team:
Venue: Cheeca Lodge and Spa / Photographer: Chris and Micaela / Videographer: Rimas Films / Makeup Artist: Francis All Over Makeup / Hair Artist: Hair by Vilma / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Brides of Florida / Groom’s suit: Michael Kors / Groomsmen suits: Mr. Tux / Florist: Marathon Florist / DJ: Event Factor
June 25, 2019
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