Blustery Beach Wedding |Hutchinson Island

Blustery, Beach Wedding Success. 5 Tips for Success!

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing a most blustery beach wedding at the very beautiful Aria Beach House on Hutchinson Island. From this amazing experience I wanted to share some thoughts and tips that I realized from this beach wedding.

I will admit this post is a bit of a parody. But there are some things that a couple should always remember especially if they are planning a beach wedding. I photograph A LOT of beach weddings and if it one thing that I have learned…have a backup plan! Mother nature is both uncontrollable and unpredictable (as are long range weather forecasts)!  I find that here in Florida it is either rain or thunderstorms that thwart outdoor wedding ceremonies most of the time. But this time..the wind was just not going to cooperate.

Keep these 5 tips in mind to make your wedding day an instant success!

1.Have a plan and surround yourself with friends and family who are ready to jump into action at a moments notice!
2. Make sure you are surrounded the cutest Jr. bridesmaids and flower girls ever (and one very handsome ring bearer). They are sure to take your mind off of the situation.
3. Have an awesome mother who will run out to Dillard’s at the last moment to buy you the most perfect, cozy jacket to slip over your delicate lace dress.
4. Rent space heaters.
5. Go with the flow and eat lots and lots Cupcakes!

Our nemesis at this beach wedding, however, was the wind. Sure you say… you are in Florida.. how bad could it possibly be? BAD… like the kind of wind where you have to cup your hands and yell in order for a person 10ft away to hear you. It was the kind of wind where you actually have to tuck your head down and lean into it just to take a step. As a photographer I believe that you can create something beautiful was every situation. I just wanted to find a tiny “gift” where I could take some outdoor portraits. There was no escape from the wind. Have I mentioned that a cold front just passed through? Usually I would be ecstatic to finally shoot in a situation where I would not have to feel the sweat dripping down my back. However, this was COLD. The kind of cold where I had to literally peal my fingers off my camera and have my assistant rub them to make them move again. Was it possible to get frostbit in FL?

Yet, with all these obstacles, this couple was not shaken. Early in the day it was decided that a beach ceremony was just not going to happen. Could we pull off the outside, poolside reception without risking pneumonia? Perhaps the rented space heaters would do the trick. Or the gorgeous wrap that the bride’s mother rushed out to purchase in order to keep her beautiful daughter warm in her delicate lace dress.

In the end, the wind thwarted our plans of an outside reception. However, the terrace of the beach house provided us with just a tad bit of shelter. The ceremony, at least, would be on the deck. Family and friends huddle under the heat lamps, beaming with joy and happiness. The bride was composed, beautiful and elegant, yet I knew she had a super care-free side because she opted to go barefoot for the ceremony! LOVE IT. So as the wind whipped ties, coat jackets, hair and dresses, Dianna and David said their “I do’s”. The chilly temperatures and howling wind just didn’t matter. Everyone was warmed by their love.

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