When Mary Miles and Shane thought through their Gulf Breeze Wedding, many things came to mind. Family and their faith came first, they wanted vibrant colors, and they wanted a great time. They pulled it off like no other with an incredible team of vendors, friends, and helping hands.
Proposal Story
Uniquely, the backyard of Mary Miles’s home is also where Shane proposed. Her immediate family was in town for the weekend for a special event. She and Shane had discussed waiting on a proposal since they would soon be moving for Shane’s job. Mary Miles thought it was just another day to sip fresh cocktails by the bay as they usually did. Mary Miles’s Mom was excited to use the new fire pit and roast s’mores and sent the couple ahead. Completely unsuspecting, Mary Miles was confused to see an empty fire pit and a photographer. Shane got down on one knee. Her jaw dropped and of course she said an immediate “yes!” Her family rushed down to congratulate them.
A few weeks later, the couple decided they couldn’t see themselves getting married anywhere else but in the picturesque backyard with a perfect sunset view. As a Gulf Breeze Wedding Photographer, I was elated when they asked if I was available on their wedding date. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
Planning the Big Day
Leading up to the wedding was like anticipating the wedding of the century. A wedding reception at your home involves many moving parts. When we arrived the day before to go over details, it was clear that the couple’s family and vendors thought through every detail. The bride’s veil was redesigned from her mother’s wedding veil, the bottle of bourbon buried in the backyard that led us to great weather for the wedding day. They even had a custom designed invitation with artwork of the brides parents’ home in the envelope.
Getting Ready
Mary Miles and her gorgeous bridesmaid’s got ready at her parents’ home. While they snapped candid polaroid’s, sipped mimosas, and steamed dresses they talked about their excitement for the night and anticipated Shane’s reaction as she walked down the aisle. While the couple opted not to do a first look, she decided to do one with her Dad. Her bridesmaids looked on through the windows with the best smiles.
Shane and his groomsmen got ready at a quaint beach house on Pensacola Beach. They groomsmen shared a shot of bourbon and hopped on the trolleys to head into the greatest night ever.
Ceremony At Gulf Breeze United Methodist
One of the top priorities for their wedding was to make each guest feel like they were a part of their story and include fun and unique details along the way. Mary Miles and Shane were married 15 minutes down the road from her home at the church she grew up going to, and afterwards the guests rode in beach trolleys to her parents’ home for the reception. As I approached Shane before the ceremony he couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. He told me about his plans to “dip” Mary Miles on their moment to kiss and didn’t want to stop halfway down the aisle. It was the sweetest thing in the world to see they had already thought this through and discussed it together. The bride was walked out by her father shortly after all five of their flower girls and ring bearers were walked out.
Cocktail Hour and Reception Details
As the bridal party gathered at the neighbor’s house, the guests were able to divulge in an incredible cocktail hour, complete with passed appetizers by Classic City Catering. The bride and groom, along with their guests took beach trolleys to the reception venue and finally got to take a deep breath and take it all in as they rolled into reception time. The bright, colorful pops of florals combined with the coastal elements made each and every corner of the space unique. Their wedding cake was made by Craft Bakery and surrounded by gorgeous florals.
A minor but personal touch were the Bride and Groom’s two precious pups, Stella and Saide, peeking out from the second third layer of the cake. But, the bourbon bar completely stole the show. The Father of the bride along with help from the groom and others hand-crafted it from oysters directly from the small beach town where they would collect oysters as kids. The bourbon bar is a direct nod to Shane who loves to share a glass with friends. He was even smoking bourbon glasses himself during cocktail hour.
Dancing in the Moonlight
The Reception rolled right into speeches, dancing, and fun. Big Night Dynamite rocked the stage and played hits for every generation at the ceremony. As the guests mingled and interacted with entertainment, we pulled the couple to the side to pop a bottle of champagne. This was Shane’s only photo request because he wanted to recreate the photo from the night he proposed. The sparkler exits came in the blink of an eye. The couple drove off into the night in Mary Miles’s first car. It’s been passed down through generations and was the perfect ending to the night.
Planner: Fete and Flora | @feteandflora
Photo: Jordan West Photography |@jordanwestphoto
Videographer: Celia Hilton | @momentusfilms
Venue: Home of the Bride’s Family
Florals: Sharon Brainard + Townley Pittman
Decor: Wedding Walls | @weddingwalls
Caterer: Classic City Catering | @Classic_city_Catering
MU: Kendall Frazee Bray |@kendalllyn_skin
Hair: Chelsey Domschke | @cdomschkehair
Dress: Sarah Seven | @sarahseven
Live Artist: Barbara Davis Art | @barbaradavisart
Cake: Craft Bakery | @craftbakerypensacola
Cocktail Hour Musicians: White Tied Quartet | @whitetiedquartet
Band: Big Night Dynamite | @big_night_dynamite
Ceremony Venue: Gulf Breeze United Methodist | @gbumc
Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN | @anthropologieweddings
Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux |@theblacktux
Groom Tux Jacket: Ralph Lauren | @ralphlauren
Stationary: Works of Harte | @worksofharte
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Your pictures captured this day spectacularly! So many incredible moments and every detail captured in your photos! ❤️
You’re the best, Mom! Thanks!