Living in Miami with a huge, Latin family, Philip and Maribel felt a destination wedding would be the most practical way to make their celebration small and intimate. Apprehensive and negative towards the idea at first, Maribel’s family came around and ended up being extremely delighted the wedding would be held some place new.

The couple had always heard how incredibly delightful and charming Amelia Island was and so they chose the quaint town as their destination. The island was on the couple’s list of places to visit in Florida and since it was easily accessible by all guests, it seemed like the perfect fit. 

Planning a destination wedding for Philip and Maribel was entirely stress free. The only issue they ran into was on the day of the wedding. The wedding reception could not be held outdoors because of the weather so they had to relocate everything. “We were able to move the reception inside and it ended up turning into a magical experience that we loved,” admits Maribel. 

As for creativity, this wedding was full of it. The bride worked with a close friend to create and assemble the wedding invitations. They then used the same invitation design to decorate several wine bottles used as centerpieces and for guests to enjoy throughout dinner. “We wanted to incorporate the wine theme throughout our décor, as we both are huge wine enthusiasts,” says the bride. For the couple’s sign in station, they used a homemade wine cork board, which served as a picture holder for guests to sign in with their Polaroids. Finally, each cardholder was created using one of several wine corks the couple had collected over the years.

Philip and Maribel were so happy they chose to host a destination wedding despite the concerns their family originally had. Everything went flawlessly with an exception of the unexpected weather, which ended up turning into a blessing. Maribel leaves other couples with a piece of advice. “It’s all about what the bride and groom want to experience on their special day. One needs to prioritize the importance of certain aspects of the wedding. And lastly, you cannot get stressed out about every detail of the wedding.”

Vendors: Photographer: Soul Echo Studios, Ceremony/Reception Site: The Hoyt House Inn, Gown Designer: David’s Bridal, Florist: Dottie’s Florist, Music: Emerald Empire Band, Food & Catering: Chef Robert Camp and Deborah Gold, The Hoyt House Inn