Bride Molly shares her playful oceanfront wedding to Austin!
Today’s wedding is just a breath of beachy fresh air full of playful, glam details, and I couldn’t love it more. That’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to today’s bride, Molly, whose beau, Austin, proposed in a pink library on the same darling island where they hosted their wedding. Fittingly, their big day was full of touches of pink complemented by gorgeous watercolor paper goods, tassel details, and lots of blue and white ginger jars!
Everything about these photos is just plain fun, which is why it doesn’t surprise me that not even a power outage could dampen the mood. Molly says, “A huge storm rolled through as we were all on the dance floor that caused the power to go out. It ended up getting resolved, and we had power soon after, but even without lights and music, our guests were still having a blast.” Read on to see the rest of this oceanfront fete!
Thanks to Shannon Kirsten for these lovely photos!
When did y’all get married? May 13th, 2017.
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 190.
Tell us the highlights of finding your wedding dress. My mom, one of my sisters, and two of my best friends joined me on the hunt. I am very particular, so when I saw my dress, I knew it was the one. It ended up being a pretty easy task for me!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Our wedding fell on Mother’s Day weekend so florists were few and far between. We ordered our flowers from Fifty Flowers and our amazing day-of planner (who also doubles as a florist) was able to create all of the floral arrangements the day before. Also, the wedding cake. Since we went simple, it kept the cost down.
What was Southern about your wedding? I loved the traditional children’s wear that we used for the ring bearers and flower girls (all 7 of them) and monogramming anything we could get away with.
What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? I loved walking down the aisle with my veil over my face and having my father lift it up once I met Austin at the end. I also loved the cross that was the backdrop of our ceremony, representing faith in Jesus as the foundation of our marriage.
What was your favorite thing about wedding planning? I loved the design aspect and seeing everything coming together from beginning to end. From the invitation suite, to the centerpieces, to the welcome bags and paper products…making sure it all fit the look and feel we were going for.
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? I’ve always loved the Boca Bay Pass Club as a venue. The beautiful Gulf of Mexico in the background, the blue & white chinoiserie wallpaper in the bathroom, the green lawn where we pitched our reception tent…the list goes on. It was perfect for us. We also loved the fact that it felt like a “destination” wedding even though it’s not far from where we are from.
Our first dance was to Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.” Austin and I love Van Morrison’s music and always knew we wanted to use one of his songs for our first dance. The lyrics of this song are so sweet and meaningful. It was perfect for us. The father-daughter dance was to James Taylor’s “How Sweet it is to be Loved by You.” My dad and I had so much fun dancing to this song. At one point he picked me up and twirled me in his arms. The mother-son dance was to Van Morrison’s “Days like This.” Austin and his mom are both great dancers and love this song.
Tell us your love story in one sentence. Austin and I were high school sweethearts that went our separate ways (but stayed friends) during college and then immediately following my college graduation, we knew we were “the one” for each other.
Tell us all about the proposal! Austin asked if I wanted to go to Boca Grande, FL for the weekend. Since that’s one of my favorite getaway spots, of course I said yes. On Saturday, I was in my bathing suit and cover-up ready to hit the beach, but Austin had different plans. He rented a golf cart for the day and asked if I wanted to take a ride around the [adorable] island. Sounded good to me. We made a little stop at what I’ve always told him was my favorite library. It’s painted pink with huge front doors made of coral with a lush courtyard in the back. We took a stroll through the library, and before I knew it, he was on one knee. of course I said yes, so we popped some champagne and spent the day basking in our excitement and spreading the news. That night Austin took me to my favorite restaurant on the island, The Temptation (aka “the temp”), and low and behold our parents were nestled up in a cozy round booth in the corner of the restaurant. He had invited them down to dinner to help us celebrate!
Did you decide to do a first look? We went back and forth on our decision but ended up doing a first look. I am so happy we did. It was a special moment [and one of the only moments] we had with just us. Plus, it gave us more time to celebrate with everyone at our wedding and more time for pictures.
What did you serve for your wedding cake or dessert? Dessert wasn’t a huge priority of ours so we kept it easy and went with a simple wedding cake from Publix. It was vanilla with a strawberry cream filling and cream cheese icing…delicious!
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? Don’t worry about everyone’s opinion, because everyone will want to share theirs. Whether it be positive or negative. Focus on the positive and that your best, most fun and special day ever is right around the corner!
Photographer: Shannon Kirsten Photography | Planner and Florist: Caroline Ruth Designs | Additional Planning: Sarah Tucker | Venue and Caterer: Boca Bay Pass Club | Flowers: Fifty Flowers | Wedding Cake Baker: Publix Bakery | Lighting and Rentals: US Tent Rental | Specialty Linens: La Tavola | Farm Tables and Vintage Furniture: The Reserve Vintage Rentals | Band: The Atlanta Funk Society | Paper Products: Shannon Kirsten | Bride’s Gown: “Teresa” by Hayley Paige | Earrings: Ann Taylor | Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Ali Pullen & Heather Jo Herman from Acqua Aveda Salon | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Lauren,” “Newbury,” “Lacey,” “DC,” “Lolo,” “Riggs,” and “Amber” in “Going to the Chapel” by Joanna August | Groom’s Attire: Mr. Porter and Burberry | Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux
Wow, what a stunning wedding! Amazing wedding for an amazing couple! Honored to have been a small part! – Priscilla (The Reserve Vintage Rentals)
A fun and special day indeed for Molly and Austin! Love how all the details came together to create a light, fun and breathtaking moment!
My favorite wedding thus far! Thank you for featuring us! – Shannon Kirsten
[…] Then we had my friends Molly & Austins wedding in Boca Grande. We photographed and did all the stationery (more pics to come). It was recently featured on Southern Weddings here […]
[…] So sweet to have this beauty featured on Southern Weddings, you can see more photos and read what Molly had to say about the day here […]