Don CeSar – St Pete Beach – Mimi and Charlie
Wedding and Reception Location: Don CeSar
Introduction:
Mimi and Charlie booked us back in January of this year to capture their modern wedding at the iconic Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach. They hail from Minnesota (but have family links to St Pete Beach), with the majority of the bridal party and guests coming from interstate to celebrate on the coast of Florida.
The couple was planning a family-oriented day, with a Christian ceremony and cocktail ceremony on a balcony overlooking the beach. Auburn May from Days Remembered by ND was their skilled wedding planner and Jason Sowell their officiant, both of whom ensured a stress-free day.
Getting ready photos at Don Cedar
We began the day capturing photos of the couple getting ready in separate suites at the Don CeSar, with Vince photographing the guys and Tara hanging out with the girls. Aside from photos of Charlie getting ready with his dad and a reflective shot as he adjusted his bowtie, we also grabbed some classic portraits of the groom and a shot as he walked down a hallway of the Don CeSar with his groomsmen.
Meanwhile, Mimi was enjoying a champagne toast with her bridesmaids in their bridal suite. We captured close-up shots of their gorgeous bouquets from 2Birds Events and the bride’s personalized coat hangar, as well as some photos as Mimi shared in this special moment with her mom and sisters. We got creative with a reflective shot of the bride looking out her shuttered windows with one of the Don CeSar’s chairs in the foreground before heading outside for a bridal party portrait session.
A reflective shot of Charlie's dad helping to secure his boutonniere while getting ready for his wedding at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
Charlie adjusts his bowtie in the mirror while his dad looks on while getting ready for his wedding at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A candid shot of Charlie securing his watch as he prepared for his wedding at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach, Florida.
A portrait of Charlie looking out his suite window at the Don CeSar while getting ready for his Florida beach wedding in St Pete.
Mimi, her bridesmaids and flower girls gather for a champagne toast in their bridal suite at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A details shot of Mimi's gorgeous bouquets from 2BirdsEvents in her bridal suite at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A candid photo of Mimi kissing her mom on the cheek while preparing for her wedding at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
Capturing a special moment between Mimi and her mom as they prepared for the Don CeSar wedding in Florida.
A portrait of Mimi with her mom and sisters in their getting ready bridal suite at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A reflective photo of Mimi looking out her shuttered windows at the Don CeSar, with one of the hotel's signature chairs in the foreground.
Pre-Ceremony portraits at Don CeSar:
After some sophisticated portraits of Charlie and his groomsmen in front of the sweeping staircase of the Don CeSar, it was then the girls’ turn. We captured shots of the girls holding their personalized clutches that were gifted from the bride and grabbed a portrait inspired by the “Bridesmaids” film. After a photograph of her bridesmaids gathering around, we captured a few portraits of Mimi on her own, with her wedding dress from Blush by Hayley Paige billowing in the wind.
It was then time for the first look session, with Mimi walking up behind Charlie in an elegant hallway of the Don CeSar. We captured their reactions at seeing one another for the first time on their wedding day, then took the time for a short romantic portrait session of the couple in this loved-up moment.
A classic portrait of Mimi and her bridesmaids in their soft pink dresses in the tropical gardens of the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A sophisticated shot of Charlie and his groomsmen walking down a hallway of the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach, Florida.
Capturing a creative angle during Mimi and her bridesmaids' portrait session in the gardens of the Don CeSar hotel.
A casual portrait of Charlie and his groomsmen on the stairs of the Don CeSar during their St Pete Beach wedding portrait session.
A portrait of the beautiful bride with her stunning bouquet by 2BirdsEvents in the tropical gardens of the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
Mimi's bridesmaids hold their personalized clutches gifted from the bride on her wedding day at the Don CeSar in Florida.
A close-up portrait of Mimi on her wedding day at the Don CeSar hotel during a portrait session in St Pete Beach.
A classic portrait of Mimi and her bridesmaids in front of the grand staircase at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach, Florida.
A creative portrait of Charlies and his groomsmen on the grand staircase of the Don CeSar hotel during their Florida beach wedding.
Mimi and her bridesmaids holding their personalized clutches outside the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
Mimi's bridesmaids hold their personalized clutches gifted from the bride on her wedding day at the Don CeSar in Florida.
A creative shot of Mimi's bridesmaids gathering around the bride while holding their gorgeous bouquets from 2BirdsEvents.
A wide-angle portrait of Mimi standing outside the iconic Don CeSar hotel during her St Pete Beach wedding portrait session.
Capturing a unique angle of Mimi during her Don CeSar hotel wedding portrait session, holding her 2BirdsEvents floral bouquet.
Mimi standing in front of a grand staircase at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach as her dress billows behind her.
A close-up details shot of Charlie's watch and blue suit as he prepared for his wedding at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
A candid photo of Mimi walking up behind Charlie during their first look session in a hallway at the Don CeSar in Florida.
Capturing the reactions of Mimi and Charlie during their surprise first look session at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
A black and white shot capturing the reactions of Mimi and Charlie during their romantic first look session at the Don CeSar.
Mimi and Charlie look lovingly into one another's eyes during their wedding portrait session in an elegant hallway at the Don CeSar.
Mimi affectionately rests her head on Charlie's shoulder during their romantic wedding portrait session at the Don CeSar.
Looking down an elegant hallway at the Don CeSar towards Mimi and Charlie during their hotel wedding portrait session in St Pete Beach.
A romantic portrait of Mimi and Charlie embracing during their Don CeSar wedding portrait session.
Charlie affectionately kisses Mimi's hand during their wedding portrati session at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
Ceremony photos at Don CeSar:
Mimi was escorted down the aisle of the Don CeSar courtyard by her parents before a short Christian ceremony. We photographed the proceedings from various angles, including from above to get a bird’s eye view across the ceremony site. After being pronounced “husband and wife”, Mimi and Charlie sealed their marriage with a kiss and made their recessional walk down the aisle.
A wide-angle shot looking across Mimi and Charlie's courtyard wedding ceremony at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
Mimi and Charlie kiss after being pronounced "husband and wife" during their wedding ceremony at the Don CeSar in St Pete Beach.
The newlyweds make their recessional walk down the aisle at the Don CeSar after their St Pete Beach wedding ceremony.
Mimi and Charlie kiss while being surrounded by their family and bridal party in the gardens of the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
Post-Ceremony photos at Don CeSar:
After the ceremony, we headed down onto the sands of St Pete Beach for some more portraits, beginning with some classic jumping shots of the bridal party. We then captured a few romantics of the newlyweds, backed by the late afternoon sun and some shots as they walked hand-in-hand towards the Don CeSar.
A romantic portrait of the newlyweds, with Mimi showing off her wedding ring, in the gardens of the Don CeSar hotel.
A whimsical black and white portrait of Mimi and Charlie embracing during their garden wedding portrait session at the Don CeSar.
Mimi, Charlie and their bridal party jumping on the sands of St Pete Beach during their wedding at the Don CeSar.
A whimsical portrait of Mimi and Charlie on the sands of St Pete Beach during their late afternoon wedding photo session.
Mimi and Charlie are illuminated by the setting sun during their romantic wedding portrait session at St Pete Beach.
Mimi and Charlie walking towards the iconic Don CeSar during their wedding portrait session on St Pete Beach.
Capturing a romantic embrace between the bride and groom during their sunset wedding portrait session at the Don CeSar.
Reception photos at Don CeSar:
Mimi and Charlie’s cocktail-style reception was being held in one of the ballrooms of the Don CeSar, with an attached balcony where we grabbed a few sunset portraits of the couple. Throughout the evening, we documented their first dance, their cake cutting ceremony and grabbed details shots of their personalized napkins, which featured their much-loved dogs. We ended the night with some candid photos of the couple enjoying the dance floor, surrounded by their family and friends.
A reflective photo of Mimi and Charlie's first dance during their intimate wedding reception at the Don CeSar hotel.
A portrait of Mimi and Charlie on the balcony of the Don CeSar hotel during their sunset wedding photo session in St Pete Beach.
Capturing an intimate moment between Mimi and Charlie on a balcony of the Don CeSar hotel during their sunset portrait session.
Mimi and Charlie kiss during their cake cutting ceremony at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach, Florida.
The newlyweds show off their cute cake toppers featuring their much-loved dogs at the Don CeSar hotel wedding reception.
A close-up shot of Mimi and Charlie's wedding rings amidst the blue-hued lights of their Don CeSar wedding reception.
A candid photo of Mimi and Charlie enjoying the dance floor during their wedding reception at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach.
Mimi and Charlie dancing during their wedding reception at the Don CeSar hotel in St Pete Beach, Florida.
Conclusion
We want to thank Mimi and Charlie for trusting Fallbrook Photography to capture their wedding at the Don CeSar and for being such an easy-going couple to work with. We wish them all the best as they return to Minnesota to start their married life together.
Wedding Ceremony Location: Don CeSar
Wedding Coordinators: Auburn May
Hair Stylists: Makeup By Pink
Florists: 2BirdEvents
Cake Artist: The Artistic Whisk
Officiant: Jason Sowell
Decorator: Day Cor Events
DJ: Chris Grainger-Graingertainment
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