“Say only to one another:
Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law:
Will you give me yourself?
Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?”
-From Song Of The Open Road, by Walt Whitman
Today I’d like to introduce you to Lori and Raj, who were married on the last weekend of 2012 at sunset in tropical Gulf Breeze, Florida at their beautiful destination beach wedding. The day before their wedding, I drove down to Florida in some cold, wet, not exactly tropical, just plain nasty weather. And I could tell that Lori was a bit concerned when I spoke to her on the phone. But Saturday morning came and the rain dried up, leaving behind a very gorgeous cloud cover which let through exactly the right amount of soft sunlight to make amazing portraits all afternoon. The temperature, however, was just a tad brisk… about 45 degrees… and the wind was a bit relentless.. blowing all day around 10+ miles per hour. So although there may have been a small amount of post production work needed to soften their goosebumps, this crew deserves major respect for making it all look effortless in these photos.
Because it was a perfect day, right before sunset Lori and Raj said their vows on the shore of the Gulf as their family and friends looked on. Then, they partied. It may have been that there was extra energy injected into the dancing because it generated heat, but I think it’s more likely that this was just a fun-having crowd… especially since I’ve been getting to know Lori over the past few months by reading her blog (Superfantastic!), and she’s smart and hilarious.. a dangerous combination… so it would logically follow that a smart and hilarious person probably hangs out with other smart and hilarious people. Which is exactly my observation and experience. After all, anybody who can rap all the words to ‘Ice Ice Baby’ has gotta be pretty cool, amIright? Of course I’m right.
So that, my friends, is how you have a superfantastic destination beach wedding in any weather. I want to thank Lori and Raj and their family and friends for being so welcoming and fun. I had so many great conversations with so many people, and this wedding was the perfect way to wrap up 2012. Happy New Year to everyone and Happy New Marriage to Lori and Raj.
Lori and Raj’s Wedding Vendors
Venue: The Dolphin House http://www.homeaway.ca/cottage-rental/p336623
Catering and Cake: Adonna’s Bakery and Cafe www.adonnasbakery.com
Flowers: Fiore of Pensacola www.fioreofpensacola.com
Band: Cool Rayz www.coolrayz.com
Hair: Fusion Spa Salon Pensacola Beach www.fusionspasalonaveda.com
Trollies: Five Flags Trolley www.fiveflagstrolley.com
Bride’s Dress and Shoes: J Crew www.jcrew.com
