Wed: Jennifer & Brian’s Best Catch Wedding in St. Petersburg

For these two Florida natives, getting married meant hosting a day in the sunshine, by the crystal-blue water, surrounded by all their fishing buddies and with each other's best catch, yet!

The talented duo behind Caroline & Evan Photography sent over these bright and cheerful images from Jennifer & Brian's February 2012 nautical nuptials. We think you're going to love all the fishing and water inspired details that they captured! Jennifer told us just how much their wedding theme was influenced by their love of the outdoors and Florida's waterways...

We both grew up on the water and the beaches of St. Petersburg, Florida. We both love to fish, scuba dive and boat, spending most of our weekends with our friends, [competing] in fishing tournaments, or just fishing for grouper and red snapper with our two chocolate labradors, Gator and Hobie.

To keep the theme of the water and relaxed fisherman’s wharf feel, I asked my girls to wear seersucker dresses that we found online from a small non-bridal boutique in Key West for $88. I have always been into coral and navy and lucky for me, this was a really popular [color] combo this year, so it made it easy to find things.

I'd say those dresses and adorable coral & gold starfish necklaces make stunning bridesmaids ensembles, especially paired with those ranunculus and rose bouquets!

We knew we wanted a wedding on the water, but not in the sand, and to keep it as representative of both of us as possible. To ask six fisherman and my fiancé to wear tuxes or ties would be like pulling teeth. I’m pretty sure none of them own a tie.

Instead of a formal tux, her groom was comfortable in a light khaki suit, sans tie, of course! Our bride also carried on the fishing theme with her accessories by jazzing up her Badgley Mishka heels with "Best Catch" stickers and a seersucker wrap on her gorgeous bouquet.

The best wedding advice I was given, and I’m glad I listened, was to wear comfortable shoes. I bought a pair of mid-high heels that I spent about $200 on, but [it was] so worth it. I wore my shoes and my dress from 3pm until 3am! I didn’t want to take them off!

Wedding vows were exchanged amid an outdoor backdrop of fishing boats and dock lines. Their gazebo was adorned with more coral and tropical blooms along with an aisle covered in petals.

I think having the groomsmen wear navy dress shirts was a brilliant way to add color to their attire without upping the formality with a necktie. Apparently, one of the guys had his own ideas for an "appropriate nautical wedding dress-code". I guess it wasn't worth arrrrrguing over!

I'm loving the vibrant coral, peach and yellow blossoms against those seersucker dresses!

The Isla Del Sol Yacht & Country Club offered the casual, dockside wedding venue that was an easy choice for the bride and groom...

We were really laid back about the wedding planning; only checked out one venue and made all our decisions fairly quick. We both are really "go with the flow and laid back" in life, that's why the Florida lifestyle suits us just right. We love that both our families and extended families are all local in St. Petersburg and get along. We spend many weekends and holidays together. We couldn’t ask for more in the way of in-laws.

Cakes by Carolynn trimmed this three-layered yummy-wonder with searsucker ribbon and dressed it up with swiss dots and lovely coral roses. How perfect!

Textured navy linens, table cards named after Florida Keys, wave graphics and mini-pilings; Jennifer & Brian reeled in their wedding theme hook, line and sinker! Many of their wedding paper goods were DIY which was a cinch since Jennifer's sister is a graphic artist and Brian works in the printing industry. One of her favorite details of the wedding were her save the dates that she explained were tri-folded cards and an absolute hit among her guests! You know we love some DIY projects around here!

The father-daughter dance was special to me, also. My father picked out the song he wanted months before and I wasn’t allowed to hear it until we went up to dance. He was so proud and it meant so much to me. I will never forget hearing the song, "I Loved Her First.”

Of all the fish in the sea, these two found one another. We just love how Floridian this wedding was and we'd like to wish Jennifer & Brian (and their two labs) a long and salty marriage!

It's so fun when couples build a wedding theme around their hobbies and adventures. Have you seen any unique details like this at a wedding? Let us know!

VENUE/VENDOR INFORMATION:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Isla Del Sol Yacht & Country Club, St. Petersburg | Photography: Caroline & Evan Photography | Cake: Cakes by Carolynn | DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates, Inc. | Floral Design: Luz Florist | Rentals: Signature Event Rentals | Paper Goods: DIY | Submission: Two Bright Lights

you might also like:

• Wed: Danielle & Jonathan at Casa Feliz
• Friday Fresh Squeeze
• Engagement Session Tips: Choosing a location in the Panhandle & Central Florida
• Movie Lovers Engagement: Stephanie & Julian in Coral Gables