After the Storm: An Elopement on Vilano Beach
Nature likes to remind us that beauty often reveals itself after the storm. Danielle and Tyler’s elopement on Vilano Beach in St. Augustine was one of those rare days where nature’s drama and serenity lived side by side, and culminated in a stunning, simple ceremony by the sea.
When we first arrived at their beachfront rental, Danielle, Tyler, and Danielle’s daughters were gathered inside getting ready. The girls in their breezy white bridesmaids dresses helped Danielle with her hair and makeup, and the entire wedding party opted to go barefoot. Tyler would wear a crisp white shirt and a cream-colored suit jacket and trousers. As we prepared, we all felt a deep calm, natural flow, and ease about the day. Music played in the background, and Tyler popped some champagne for mimosas.
Outside, the Florida skies had turned heavy and dramatic…I mean, they were pitch black. Thunder rolled in from the West, and for an hour rain swept across the coast. Absolute sheets of rain came down, which for many brides would feel nervewracking at best, devestating at the worst. Danielle stayed calm and cool, and the benefit of an elopement is you are on your own schedule. By the time close family and the officiant had arrived, the clouds drifted away and left the coast draped in softened, luminous light. There is NOTHING like the sea after a storm.
The ceremony was set in a natural alcove among the sea oats, where lanterns, seagrass, and candlelight decorated the space. Once the groom and guests made their way down to the alcove, Samantha gathered up Danielle’s train, and we carried it through the flooded parking lot up on the beach. You literally cannot shake Danielle; she was glowing, and her excitement was contagious. Danielle and her daughters carried bouquets bursting with tropical color, including greenery from the officiant’s garden up to the boardwalk, and the procession began.
Dannielle and Tyler’s vows were spoken with laughter, tenderness, and the stories that led them to one another. With the Atlantic behind them and their closest loved ones at their side, they made their vows from small, blue vow books.
After the ceremony, we walked along the shoreline, capturing portraits bathed in the glow that follows the rain. Every image carried the softness of the ocean breeze, and the fun and warmth of this beautiful family.
We moved back to the beach house, where family gathered around a wedding cake and popped some prosecco. The cake was a beautiful blend of Mascarpone, passion fruit, and white chocolate.
From the beach house, we drove to Cap’s On The Water, a restaurant specializing in local fish dishes and Southern cuisine. Sitting around a round table with their loved ones, and under twinkle lights hanging from old oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss, Dannielle and Tyler raised their favorite cocktails (and the girls had mocktails), toasting to a brand new life together.
Danielle and Tyler’s elopement was a reminder of what we love most about intimate weddings: the freedom to embrace the unexpected and the beauty that comes when a celebration is both elegant and deeply personal. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be present with this stunning couple (seriously…they’re gorgeous, inside and out), and their beautiful family. Thank you for having us on your special day!