Sandbar Restaurant Wedding – Anna Maria – Gavin & Emily
Wedding and Reception Location: Anna Maria Island
Introduction:
Emily and Gavin’s wedding at The Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island was bringing together two families from across the globe. The bride hails from Kentucky while the groom is from Wales, with the couple having met at a bar in England where Gavin’s based in the military.
They were planning a romantic destination beach wedding with just their closest family and friends, most of whom would be meeting for the very first time. It was envisioned as a fun and relaxed day where everyone could revel in the warm Florida weather and celebrate their love.
Getting ready photos at an AirBnB on Anna Maria Island
We met up with Emily at the Airbnb where she was getting ready, capturing a few portraits of the bride in her gorgeous gown by Isabella’s. Her hair and makeup were being done by the talented Ashlee Ann who we’ve worked with before and always does such an incredible job.
After some black and whites of the beautiful bride, we also captured a special moment with her mom. Emily and Gavin had decided against having any formal bridal party, so it was quite a laid-back vibe as she made her final preparations.
A black and white portrait of Emily standing in front of the French doors of her Airbnb while preparing for her Anna Maria Island wedding.
A black and white portrait of Emily looking out of her beach house rental on Anna Maria Island while getting ready for her wedding.
A close-up portrait of Emily as she prepared for her special day at an Airbnb on Anna Maria Island in Florida.
Capturing a special moment between Emily and her mom while getting ready for her wedding on Anna Maria Island.
A close-up black and white portrait of Gavin in the gardens of The Sandbar Restaurant during his Anna Maria Island wedding.
Pre-Ceremony portraits at The Sandbar Restaurant:
We then headed over to The Sandbar Restaurant to meet up with Gavin and captured a few portraits of him on his own. This was really just an excuse so we could surprise him with the first look, having Emily walk up behind him in the gardens of this gorgeous Anna Maria Island wedding venue.
We captured a few portraits of the couple in this loved-up moment as they enjoyed seeing one another for the first time on their wedding day, then grabbed a few more portraits of the bride on the sun-dappled beach trail.
A series of photos capturing Emily's surprise first look session with Gavin in the gardens of The Sandbar Restaurant.
Capturing a tender moment as Gavin kisses Emily's forehead during their first look portrait session at The Sandbar Restaurant.
A portrait of the bride and groom embracing during their destination wedding photo session on Anna Maria Island.
A portrait of Emily standing on a beach trail leading down to the sands of Anna Maria Island during her wedding at The Sandbar Restaurant.
Emily and Gavin look lovingly at one another during their garden wedding portrait session at The Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island.
Ceremony photos at The Sandbar Restaurant:
Emily and Gavin were exchanging vows on the white sands of Anna Maria Island, with a few scattered storms forecast. Thankfully, it didn’t affect the proceedings and we were lucky to get some gorgeous diffuse lighting for the ceremony itself. It was also relatively quiet on the beach, probably due to the fact that it was a mid-week wedding.
We captured candid photos throughout Emily and Gavin’s beach wedding ceremony, including shots as the couple read their vows to one another. Emily’s finger had expanded in the heat, creating a fun moment as Gavin struggled to fit her ring on during their ring exchange.
A wide-angle shot looking across the stunning beach wedding ceremony of Emily and Gavin on Anna Maria Island.
A candid photo of Gavin reading his vows to Emily during their beach wedding ceremony at The Sandbar Restaurant in Florida.
Emily laughs as Gavin struggles to fit her ring on during their destination beach wedding ceremony on Anna Maria Island.
Emily and Gavin share a laugh during their ring exchange on the white sands of Anna Maria Island in Florida.
Post-Ceremony photos at The Sandbar Restaurant:
After making their recessional walk down the aisle, we took advantage of the favorable weather conditions for a beach wedding portrait session. Aside from whimsical photos of the couple embracing in the dunes backing the beach, we also grabbed a shot of Emily leading Gavin along the sands and another capturing a close-up of her bare feet.
Emily leads Gavin along the white sands of Anna Maria Island during their wedding portrait session outside The Sandbar Restaurant.
A black and white portrait of Emily and Gavin looking out across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico during their wedding photo session.
A whimsical portrait of Emily and Gavin standing beside the long dune grasses during their Anna Maria Island wedding photo session.
Emily tenderly rests her head on Gavin's shoulder during their wedding portrait session outside The Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island.
A creative shot looking through the long grassses as Emily and Gavin walk hand-in-hand along a beach trail on Anna Maria Island.
Emily and Gavin backed by the turquoise waters and white sands of Anna Maria Island during their beach wedding portrait session.
A creative portrait of Emily walking along the sands of Anna Maria Island in her bare feet while holding hands with her groom, Gavin.
Emily and Gavin look lovingly at one another while standing in the grassy dunes outside The Sandbar Restaurant in Florida.
Reception photos at The Sandbar Restaurant:
Emily and Gavin’s wedding reception at The Sandbar Restaurant was a really relaxed affair, with plenty of dance floor action beneath the breezy pavilion. We photographed the couple feeding one another doughnuts from their doughnut tower, as well as capturing details shots of their meal and signage. As the sun began to set, we snuck out with the couple for another beach portrait session and photographed Gavin twirling his bride in the atmospheric dusk light.
Some of the details from Emily and Gavin's beach wedding at The Sandbar Restaurant, including their meal and doughtnut tower.
A candid photo of Gavin dancing with his friends during the oceanfront wedding reception at The Sandbar Restaurant.
Emily and her wedding guests doing a synchronized dance during the relaxed, beachside wedding reception at The Sandbar Restaurant.
Emily and Gavin playfully feeding one another donuts during their Anna Maria Island wedding reception at The Sandbar Restaurant.
An action shot of Emily readying for her bouquet toss with a group of single ladies holding their arms in the air behind.
Gavin twirls Emily during their dusk wedding portrait session on the white sands of Anna Maria Island in Florida.
Capturing a romantic kiss between the newlyweds in black and white during their beach wedding on Anna Maria Island.
Conclusion
It was a real pleasure to be selected as the photographers for Emily and Gavin’s destination wedding on Anna Maria Island and experience this union between their two families. We wish them all the best in their married life together, whether that’s in the U.S. or the U.K.
Wedding Ceremony Location: The Sandbar Restaurant
Wedding Coordinators: Molly Powers
Hair Stylists: Ashlee Ann
Cake Artist: Donut Experiment, Hometown Desserts
Make Up: Ashlee Ann
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