Stephanie & Sylvester's Casa Marina Wedding

Casa Marina Wedding, Key West Wedding, Key West Wedding Photographer, Key Largo Wedding Photographer, Claudia Rios Photography

Stephanie and Sylvester’s wedding at Casa Marina was the definition of perfect! This couple was so sweet, fun, loving, and totally chill their entire wedding day!

Stephanie and Sylvester’s story started out with a workplace meeting! They met in the cafeteria of Cummins. One fateful morning Sylvester approached Stephanie in the cafeteria to spark a conversation. Later, that weekend, Stephanie and Sylvester ran into each other at a local bar where they finally exchanged numbers. From a coffee date quickly spun into several other dates. Soon, they found themselves spending all of their time together!

On their 3 year dating anniversary, Sylvester popped the question! Stephanie had been in San Francisco all week for work and was planning a late arrival home that Friday. Sylvester had planned to pick Stephanie up from the airport.

As Steph was coming down the escalator at the airport, Sylvester was waiting at the bottom. He was holding a slew of papers in his hand! Each paper piece of paper spelled out ‘Will you marry me? Finally, when Stephanie made it down the escalator, Sylvester was on one knee with a ring in hand! Stephanie immediately said yes! How sweet is that for a modern-day proposal?!

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Stephanie and Stylvesters’ wedding day at Casa Marina was just as unique as their meeting and proposal story! There were so many stand-out details from their wedding day that made it such a special occasion!

Stephanies bridesmaids all wore white gowns for the day! It’s rare to see bridesmaids in white gowns but it seems to be taking on as a unique trend. The all-white color palette worked gorgeously for Stephanie and Sylvester’s tropical vows.

Another unique aspect of their wedding day was the first looks! That’s right, two first looks! Stephanie had a first look with her dad in her bridal suite. I captured every moment of the first look between the bride and her dad! You’ll get to see it all below!

After her first look with her dad, Stephanie was off to have a first look with her groom. Sylvester stood facing away from his bride in the gorgeous outdoor hallway of Casa Marina as his bride embraced him from behind. As he turned around to lay eyes on her for the first time that day, tender embraces, sweet kisses, and beaming smiles ensued!

At their vows by the sea, Stephanie and Sylvester’s guests were greeted with a table of fans and scarves that celebrate the groom’s African heritage. The gorgeous rich colors of the fans looked so beautiful against the beachy backdrop!

Casa Marina Wedding Venue

Casa Marina in Key West was the idyllic seaside venue to host Stephanie and Sylvester’s wedding day! Its ambiance is old Key West, and it brings that to its guests in the package of Waldorf Astoria luxury!

Built in 1920, Historic Casa Marina in Key West is a romantic wedding venue that offers its guests access to the largest private beach on the island of Key West! If you are dreaming of a wedding in the Florida Keys, on a white sandy beach with the ocean as your backdrop while you say ‘I do’ to the love of your life, Casa Marina is the perfect wedding venue for you!

Stephanie and Sylvester said their vows in the gorgeous white sands of Casa Marina’s private white sandy beach, overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Atlantic! Their guests sat in white wooden folding chairs facing the ocean. They created an aisle in the sand out of carefully placed Monstera leaves which were placed between the rows of guest’s seats! Their wedding ceremony at Casa Marina was the perfect representation of a tropical luxe beach wedding.

Casa Marina makes their private dock available to all of their couples getting married! This is an amazing location to sneak away from your guests and bridal party after your I dos. Whether you are looking for some private time before heading back to your reception or a great location on-site to take your wedding portraits, it’s a great amenity provided to all of their couples.

Wedding Reception at Casa Marina

While you are off taking your wedding portraits and strolling the dock after your vows, Casa Marina offers your guests a cocktail & hors d’oeuvres hour on one of their patios. The patios at Casa Marina are surrounded by lush tropical foliage for a dining experience that envelops all of your guests’ senses.

Casa Marina’s ballroom is where you will have the wedding reception of your dreams! Their ballroom is outfitted with hardwood floors, arched windows and high ceilings. For Stephnie and Sylvester’s wedding day, the bride and groom outfitted the ballroom with crisp white linens and lush green florals. The florals in the ballroom mimicked their tropical vibes only wedding ceremony decor!

Of course, there was also plenty of room on the dance floor for all of their guests to celebrate the newlyweds and dance the night away!

Activities & Adventures for Destination Weddings at Casa Marina

One thing I love most about the couples that I work with is their sense of adventure. They all have that toes in the sand, my dog is my best man frame of mind! And yes, Casa Marina allows pets at their resort! Typically, my couples also love to make their wedding in the Florida Keys a week-long or weekend-long event. That means inviting friends and family from all over to enjoy the experience of their wedding celebration on-site and scheduling group outings or activities that everyone can enjoy.

The hotel at Casa Marina is perfectly positioned to do everything your heart desires. Or, if your heart desires sitting on the beach listening to the waves crash, you can do that too! It all depends on what kind of wedding getaway you are hoping to experience! Casa Marina provides easy access to a private beach where you can lounge by the oceanfront pool (which is open and heated year-round!). You can also book yourself a massage, or order beach or poolside concierge!

If seeing the sites and exploring the town adventuring is more your thing, Casa Marina is within walking distance from Duval Street, Historic Old Town, the Key West Aquarium, and Ernest Hemingway’s House!

Want to take your guests out for some fun and adventurous water sports on the crystal blue waters of the Atlantic? Casa Marina has easy access to adventures like deep-sea fishing, catamaran cruises, JetSki’s, windsurfing, and diving in America’s only living barrier reef!

Love note from Stephanie & Sylvester:

“WOW, WOW, WOW! Claudia is hands down the best photographer and person I have had the pleasure to meet and work with. From our very first interaction (over the phone) I knew she was the one I wanted to work with for our wedding. She made me feel so at ease with the entire process and truly guided us through our day to capture our most precious moments.”

“She made everyone from our moms to our bridal party, to our guests, to us so comfortable through the entire event. Her attention to detail is unmatched. She came early to our venue, Casa Marina in Key West, to scout the place out to find the best lighting, the best spots for photos, and sure everything was smooth sailing. If you are reading this- stop and work with Claudia. She will be the perfect photographer for you just like she was for us.”