Wed: Sara & Jason at Cheeca Lodge

Party of 12 please? Yes, 12! When I received Sara and Jason's wedding from Daniel Lateulade it was a good reminder to me about what the importance of what marriage is. When the couple thought about planning their big day, all they could envision was their closest family and friends with them. Sometimes we find that the planning of the wedding, the flowers and the cake and the discussions over whether to have personalized cocktail napkins or not, get us lost in the meaning of what the day truly is. Sara and Jason stuck to their nearest and dearest to make their weekend a truly memorable intimate day. Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us!

From the Bride: We both have very large families and we really wanted an intimate wedding. For both Jason and I, it was more about saying our vows in front of the people we loved, than having a big party. It was very difficult to keep the guest list short without offending any of our relatives. This is why we eventually decided on immediate family only. It was the greatest decision we made. The weekend was absolutely perfect. Our new families were really able to spent time together and enjoy each moment.

The reason we chose Cheeca Lodge is that we often drive down to Islamorada and Key Largo on the weekends to dive. Several months before we were engaged, Jason took to me dinner at Cheeca lodge. The food was amazing and we both loved the ambience. Months later we returned with my family to celebrate our engagement and say goodbye to my brother before he went to the military. Jason and I walked out on the sand to watch another wedding down the beach and he told me that this is where he had pictured us saying our vows to each other when we had come so many months earlier. We looked around at other places but always ended up right back at Cheeca lodge.

Jason and I grew up around the corner from each other. We went to the same elementary and middle schools and he ending up becoming one of my older brother Ghen's closest friends. Being 5 years younger, I was always viewed as "Ghen's little sister" and completely off limits. I was 12 years old sitting at my parents kitchen table when I developed my first crush. My brother was throwing a pool party and I spent the day starring out the window at teenage Jason. Little did I know that 16 years later Jason would me my husband.

My mother's family has a house in upstate NY on Hunter mountain. It has been in our family for over a hundred years. I spent every summer and winter vacation of my childhood there. My great grandmother lived there until she passed at 100 yrs old. She was one of the most amazing and inspirational women I have ever met. My family has decided to sell the house and I wanted Jason to see it before it was sold. We went for a vacation through New England May 2011. Jason proposed to me hiking in the woods behind our house in the same spot my grandmother and great grandmother were both engaged. He had no idea at the time that it was the same place, it just felt right to him. Absolutely perfect.

Sandy Espinosa from Twenty7Events was incredible. She helped us to realize exactly what we wanted in our perfect day. If it wasn't for her, we probably would still be in the wedding planning phase. Sandy introduced us to Daniel Lateulade. He has an incredible eye for capturing moments. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and we adore our photographs. He really did an amazing job telling our story.

VENUE/VENDOR INFORMATION:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Cheeca Lodge & Spa | Photography: Daniel Lateulade | Event Coordination: Twenty7Events | Floral Design: Ines Naftali | Hair Styling & Makeup: Medusa's Mane | Musician: Carlos Abanto

you might also like:

• Wed: Lindsay & Brent at the Jupiter Lighthouse
• Wed: Samantha & James at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden
• Wed: Kenny & Angela at The Lodge in Robbins Park
• Oceanside Engagement: McCall & Deividas in Palm Beach Shores