Naples Florida

Bryan & Christopher

L O V E -is- L O V E

On January 6, 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized in the state of Florida - six months before the US Supreme Court made it legal in all 50 states. 

When Bryan & Christopher invited us to capture the day as they prepared to become the first gay couple in Collier County history to get married, we couldn't WAIT to celebrate with them!

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It was a historic day - one that MSP was so proud to be a part of! 
But this blog isn't about that day, as you can find those details in many publications and magazines (check out Equal & Forever, LGBTWeddings.com, H&H Weddings, or any others out there on Google).

Instead, this month's blog is about Bryan & Christopher's SECOND wedding day.
While the first took place at the county courthouse with their closest family and friends, B&C wanted to celebrate in a more personalized style - an event with all the trimmings, the extended guest list, and the formal celebration of their marriage! We think the couple put it best on their Save the Dates (done by the talented DM Paper Designs, featuring an MSP image, of course!):

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The day started off at the Bayfront Inn 5th Avenue in Naples, Florida, where Bryan & Christopher were spending the day with their very best friends!

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This is Bryan - TV news anchor and all-around cutie pie!

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And here's Christopher - talented dancer, choreographer, and all-around great guy!

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Super cute couple, right?! And their besties were also SO wonderful to be around, if you couldn't tell from the ridiculously adorable blue plaid shirts!

B&C have SUCH creative souls in their crew - we instantly fell in love with this gift idea from one of their groomsmen: a bottle of wine for each milestone the newlyweds will hit in the future!

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Not to mention the musical talent...

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But of course, none of them would have made it there if it weren't for the jewel-toned invitation suite DM Paper Designs provided (featuring the couple's special peacock feather design!)

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With both grooms ready, it was time for the First Glance at the Naples Performing Arts Center!

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Even now (a few years later), this First Glance stands out as one of the most emotional, beautiful experiences we've gotten to capture! Once it was over, it was time for the ceremony to begin!

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The design of Bryan & Christopher's wedding was one where the ceremony seating doubled as the reception seating - the entire event took place in one area of the Performing Arts Center. We don't see that a lot, but we loved the idea - we even did it on our own wedding day!

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Seeing our images framed on a wedding day (in this case, from their January courthouse wedding!) never fails to make us ::swoon::

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Instead of a traditional aisle, the path to the altar brought both of the grooms through the crowd of their guests - so they could meet in the middle of their very dearest loved ones!

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::swoon::

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With the ceremony through, the couple used the creative poem below to announce that it was dinner time!

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To celebrate, Tastebuds Custom Catering created a mock taco truck that let guests enjoy the most delicious tacos ever -
while remaining cool indoors. BRILLIANT!

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We are so grateful to have clients like Bryan & Christopher - we've remained friends the last few years, and can't wait to see where the future takes them!

Venue: Naples Performing Arts Center
Stationery: DM Paper Designs
Boutonnieres: Signature Floral
Cake: Grace & Shelly's
Cateer & Rentals: Tastebuds Custom Catering
 

Avantika & Sandeep

Let's talk Indian weddings. More specifically, Avantika & Sandeep's Ritz-Carlton wedding in Naples, Florida. The lovely, family-oriented culture is complimented by the bold colors, sparkly dresses, and gorgeous people that come together to celebrate new marriages! And of course, no Indian wedding would be complete without the bride's awesome henna, done a couple of days before the main celebration!

And here, my dears, is the lovely Avantika. 

An Indian bride is traditionally dressed by her female relatives. It was so sweet to see!

Avantika's other half? The kind, outgoing, cute-as-a-button Sandeep. We just adore him, and his taste - talk about handsome! 

And before we knew it, it was time to take the groom to see his gorgeous bride!

After the First Glance, the bride & groom separated for some solo celebration with their respective friends and family members. Check out how cute these ladies looked!

The traditional Baraat for the groom was so fun!

After the families welcomed each other, it was time for the marriage ceremony to begin. We headed indoors, as the gorgeous Mandap was waiting for us in one of the Ritz-Carlton ballrooms.

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After a day of ceremony, they were married!

The day was done, and there was nothing left to do...but party :)

One of the most exciting parts of the evening was when the bridesmaids started a dancing flash mob, and ALL the guests joined in... just for the bride to find out that the groom had planned it all when he joined the mob as the lead dancer!

We were so lucky to share in Avantika & Sandeep's special wedding weekend!

As always, MSP was thrilled to work with iHeart Films (Videography) and
the Ritz-Carlton of Naples (Venue + Design).

Event Coordination: Eventrics Weddings

Decor & Rentals: Dlightful Events

Entertainment: Voxblu

Mehndi Henna: Jigna Patel