I had the privilege to travel to Naples, Florida and the Naples Beach Hotel for a spectacular wedding for a dear friend this past December! Carolyn is from Naples, FL and I was so excited when she asked if I would be willing to make the trip to her hometown to photograph her wedding! Of course, it was an absolute yes!
After COVID hit, Carolyn & Jared had to go through so many changes to make sure their dream day happened. After a change of venue, change of location at the new venue, and some safety precautions, C + J finally got their day. The new venue was the spectacular Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club! Carolyn grew up going to the club and made remarks about watching countless couples say their “I Do”s in the same spot she just had. Though it wasn’t their first choice, I’m a sucker for sentimental locations and you really can’t beat the backdrop!
The festivities began the night before with a lovely rehearsal dinner at the Naples Beach Hotel! This is where I learned that after this season, the hotel is being torn down. With so much beach front real estate, I cannot wait to see what they turn the land into! The next day was when the fun really started! I began my coverage with all of Carolyn’s amazing details. Since she’s in the wedding industry and has impeccable taste, I knew I was going to have a lot to work with for detail pictures! One of my favorite details was the oyster shell ring box that had my southern and beach loving heart swooning! A tip to future brides, have extras of your reception details on hand so I can photograph those as well! Carolyn used her custom wax seal of their dog for place cards for the reception and I loved that she had extras for me to include in the detail flat-lays!
Florida is known for its sporadic showers and the whole day I was on rain watch! Thankfully, there was only a tiny bit of rain right after wedding party pictures and the rest of the outdoor wedding went off without a hitch! Carolyn & Jared said “I Do” on the lawn overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The spectacular Naples sunset started to peak through and made for a gorgeous backdrop for portraits after. After taking some of my favorite Bride & Groom portraits to date, we made our way across to the Al Fresco wedding reception. If you’re getting married in a location with a temperate climate, I can’t recommend an outdoor reception enough! There is something so amazing about being under the stars, palm trees, and taking in that sea breeze!
I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from this Naples Beach Hotel Wedding! It truly was the best night, partying under the stars and celebrating Carolyn & Jared! I know you’ll love all the pretty details Carolyn brought together, but I think you’ll love seeing all the joyful moments even more!
Cheers!
Venue, Rehearsal Dinner, Catering: The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
Interested in booking me for your destination wedding? I would love to hear from you! Head to my contact page and fill out my inquiry form to get started!