Colorful Playa Largo Wedding Weekend | Rebecca & Nick

Miamians Rebecca and Nick met on the set of a movie Nick was making. It wasn’t long before they realized that they were soul mates.

“Fun fact,” recounts Rebecca. “Nick found his way to Miami’s diamond district at the Seybold Building one day after a particularly clarifying early-morning paddleboarding session. He parked, walked in, and found his way to one of the diamond dealers on the first floor. Upon entering the shop, his first words were, ‘I am not going to buy an engagement ring today.’ But diamond dealers know their trade and 90 minutes later Nick walked out with a pink deposit slip, the promise of the ring he’d always envisioned, and a secret to keep—only to find that his car had been towed by a rival diamond dealer whose spot he had unknowingly occupied while he was ‘not buying’ an engagement ring.”

Shortly thereafter, they had their heart set on a tropical wedding in Puerto Rico—until Hurricane Maria devastated the island a week after they started planning. Luckily, this change in plans worked out in their favor.

Although they had initially dreamed of an intimate wedding on a far-flung island, “in the end, we decided we’d rather have all of our friends and family with us and save the far-flung for our honeymoon,” says Rebecca. “But I couldn’t shake the draw of a tropical island getaway. That’s when we centered our search on the Florida Keys—just close enough to make planning convenient, just far enough to make it feel like a vacation. A one-hour-plus drive along a two-lane road entirely surrounded by sparkling ocean wouldn’t hurt, either.”

Thanks to their “magician/sorcerer/ace coordinator” Andi, the new-at-the-time resort Playa Largo Resort & Spa on Key Largo landed on their radar.

“It had everything we were looking for and more: 90 minutes from the Miami airport but a world away, tucked discreetly off the west side of Key Largo, meaning uninterrupted vivid sunsets every evening and the calm, clear turquoise waters of the Florida Bay shimmering all day long,” says Rebecca. “I felt like we had discovered a secret! We both loved the bungalows and villas on the secluded edge of the property that rounded out that tropical vacation feel we were searching for. Nick loved the sailboats, SUPs, and catamarans our guests could rent from the pier on the property.”

They and their guests made good use of the resort’s many amenities both before and after the wedding, and Mother Nature delivered an eye-popping fiery sunset for the rehearsal dinner. The weather that weekend would be unbelievably fantastic.

Despite a few hiccups on their wedding day (weekend traffic in the Keys is no joke!), vows were said, happy tears were shed, rings were exchanged, hips were shaken, and much love and laughter were shared. Our bride dazzled in a sleek, 1940s-style floor-length gown (which was “a giant unfitted idea” until the crafty crew at Sew on Set Tailor altered it), while our groom channeled Humphrey Bogart in his snazzy tuxedo and velvet shoes.

Says Rebecca, “We had a marvelous three-day tropical wedding weekend and every day was my favorite! What made it so special was having all of our friends and family around us, from my bachelorette party on Thursday evening until the last goodbyes at the valet station on Monday morning. Our friends and family are spread out across the country and around the globe so having everyone together, on what felt like a weekend vacation with us, was the most memorable, special, and inimitable part. Having everyone you know, love, and care about in the same place at the same time is a very overwhelming experience, and one that all the while you know will probably never reoccur. It’s like for one weekend the world shrinks to just this one place. And everyone you ever call, FaceTime, see over the holidays, or get on a plane to visit is just down the hall, across the lobby, or at the bungalow on the end just off the beach. I miss everyone so much! And my favorite moment was all of them, all at once, all over again!”

It truly was an incredible weekend and we’re honored that this beautiful couple trusted us to capture it for them, including their after-party, complete with sparklers and fireworks! Wedding aside, we won’t soon forget the sting rays gliding along the sandy gulf/ocean floor in the glassy waters, the iguanas lounging in the sun, nor the geckos keeping our room insect-free. Please enjoy some of our favorite moments from the weekend, followed by the talented vendors Rebecca and Nick used to make it happen.

Bride’s dress: the Annabella by Anna Campbell from The Bridal Project (Miami, FL), altered by Sew on Set Tailor
Bride’s shoes: the Ivy Gold by Emmy London
Bride’s veil: custom Swarovski crystal veil by Veiled Beauty
Bride’s headpiece: the Alexandria Headpiece by Anna Campbell
Groom’s tux: bespoke tuxedo by Suitsupply
Groom’s shoes: velvet tuxedo shoes by Calvin Klein
Groom’s bow tie: the Casino Royale bow tie by Turnbull & Asser
Bride’s rings: custom yellow-gold and radiant-cut diamond engagement ring designed by the groom, plus 2 yellow-gold and diamond wedding bands, from the Seybold Building
Groom’s wedding band: yellow-gold band with white-gold and diamond accents from the Seybold Building
Coordinator: Andi Dyal at ANJÉ Soirées
Hair: Katharina Koeslin (IG @kk.hair.and.makeup.artist)
Make-up: Daniela Gozlan
Caterer: custom Keys seafood menu catered by Playa Largo Resort & Spa
Flowers: Meredith Clarin at Kitanim Floral Design & Events
Dance choreographer: Romny from Arthur Murray Studios, Coral Gables
DJ: Evan LeCompte (aka DJ Cre8)
Invitations calligrapher: Ernesto Leston of Invitations by Leston