Cara and Derek contacted me from Iowa to help plan their romantic elopement on the white sands of Sand Key Beach in Clearwater. We discussed the risky business of a beach wedding in August but they wanted to take their chances.
The weather forecast looked perfect when we arrived on location. Danielle from Save the Date Forida and I got started on this gorgeous natural backdrop. I wish I had photos of her tree climbing skills!
Despite what was supposed to be a beautiful evening, the weather forecast was changing fast. Even as Danielle was working on the her design, the storm popped up from nowhere. We discussed starting the ceremony early since the officiant and the photographer were present but Derek wanted to wait for his parents. Fortunately, we were able to capture some photos before having to remove it all. You can't see it but the rain was just yards away. After a few photos, Derek swooped Cara up and ran her over to the car before the rain hit. Time for Plan B.
Plan B was the covered picnic pavilion nearby. Derek drove Cara over to the pavilion with all the vendors in tow. We all sat in our cars for a while until it became obvious this storm was sticking around. Derek did some off roading and drove Cara right up to the pavilion to avoid her being ruined by the rain. With the flowers re-installed and Derek's parents now present we got started with the ceremony.
The storm passed finally and we noticed a beautiful sunset was fast approaching. Crystal with Ceremony by Crystal suggested that if they were comfortable with the idea, why not take an intermission and grab some photos with the sunset. After all, there are no rules on your wedding day. You can do whatever works for the moment. They agreed and jumped into the car with their photographer and drove back over to the beach. After the sun set, they returned to the pavilion to resume their ceremony. While not ideal, Derek and Cara laughed and smiled, made beautiful lasting memories and got their gorgeous photos on the beach.
