Sirata Beach Resort Wedding – St Pete – Laura & Mike
Wedding and Reception Location: Sirata Beach Resort
Introduction:
Laura and Mike were flying down from Illinois for their destination wedding at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach. They’d planned a really relaxed wedding day, with around 60 of their closest family and friends watching on as they said “I do” with their feet sunk into the sands.
Kat Turchich from Coastal Coordinating was the planner behind their beach wedding, which included a reception party well into the night in one of the small ballrooms of Sirata Beach Resort. We met up with them in the early afternoon to capture their final getting ready moments as they prepared in separate oceanfront suites.
Getting ready photos at Sirata Beach Resort
We began the day capturing a photo of Laura’s stunning wedding dress from WTOO by Watters hanging in her elegant suite, as well as an up-close shot as she had the final touches applied to her makeup. While she slipped into her dress, we headed over to the boys’ suite where Mike’s groomsmen were assisting him in getting ready.
Here we captured a creative silhouette of the groom with the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the background, as well as some casual portraits in his suite. Mike had organized some caricature beer steins as gifts for his groomsmen, so we grabbed some candid shots of their reactions at seeing themselves as a cartoon!
We then headed outside for some portraits of the guys on the beach trail that led over the sand dunes to St Pete Beach. As well as group shots of the groomsmen in their gray slacks and brown, leather braces, we also captured a few portraits of Mike on his own.
When we returned to the girls’ suite, Laura’s bridesmaids were straightening the train of her gorgeous wedding dress after receiving their very own caricature glasses! We utilized the time to capture portraits of the beautiful bride standing at the balcony window of her Sirata Beach Resort suite, as well as a close-up shot showing off her engagement ring as she held her bouquet.
Laura's gorgeous wedding dress by WTOO by Watters hanging in her getting ready suite at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach, Florida.
A close-up shot of Laura and Mike's wedding invites tucked into the sand of St Pete Beach during their Florida destination wedding.
A close-up black and white photograph of Laura having the final touches applied to her makeup in her suite at Sirata Beach Resort.
A silhouette shot of Mike adjusting his cufflinks in a suite overlooking the white sand and turquoise waters of St Pete Beach in Florida.
A candid shot of Mike and his best man getting ready in their elegant suite at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach, Florida.
A black and white shot of Mike's best man doing up his top bottom during their getting ready session at Sirata Beach Resort.
A casual black and white shot of the groom relaxing in his oceanfront suite at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
Laura and her bridesmaids showing off their caricature glasses while getting ready in a suite at Sirata Beach Resort, St Pete Beach.
Two of the best man checking out the beer steins they were gifted by the groom while getting ready at Sirata Beach Resort.
A black and white shot showing off the back of Laura's wedding dress by WTOO by Watters in a suite at Sirata Beach Resort.
A casual portrait of Mike relaxing on the balcony of his suite at Sirata Beach Resort, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in Florida.
A candid photo of Mike gifting a caricature beer stein to one of his best man during the wedding celebrations at Sirata Beach Resort.
A creative shot of Laura's bridesmaids assisting the bride into her wedding dress in an elegant suite at Sirata Beach Resort.
Mike's best men showing off their caricature beer steins while getting ready in their suite at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach.
A candid shot of Laura turning around to look behind her while getting ready for her wedding at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach.
A casual portrait of Mike standing in the grassy sand dunes of St Pete Beach during his wedding portrait session at Sirata Beach Resort.
Laura standing at the balcony window of her Sirata Beach Resort suite during her wedding portrait session in St Pete Beach.
Mike and his groomsmen standing on a pathway leading through the dunes and down to the sands of St Pete Beach in Florida.
A portrait of Laura looking stunning while holding her floral bouquet in an oceanfront suite at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
A creative portrait of Mike and his groomsmen during their wedding photo session at Sirata Beach Resort in St Pete Beach.
A close-up portrait of Laura showing off her gold jewelry during her wedding photo session at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
A black and white portrait of Mike and his groomsmen standing in the dunes behind St Pete Beach during the Florida destination wedding.
A creative shot of Mike leaning against an ornate fence in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort during his Florida wedding portrait session.
A creative shot of Laura's engagement ring while holding her beautiful bouquet in a suite at Sirata Beach Resort, St Pete Beach.
A black and white shot of Laura standing at the window of her Sirata Beach Resort suite during her St Pete Beach wedding celebrations.
Pre-Ceremony portraits at Sirata Beach Resort:
Mike was going to surprise Laura for their first look, so we asked the bride to come downstairs and into the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort to continue her portrait session. After a few shots on her own, we grabbed a candid photo as Mike snuck up behind her and the bride’s reaction at seeing her groom for the first time on their special day.
It was the perfect opportunity for couple portraits as they enjoyed this loved-up moment together, with an ornate balcony providing the perfect setting for a shot of them kissing. We also had time for some portraits of the bridesmaids on the path leading down to St Pete Beach, including some playful ones of Laura being lifted into the air by one of her bridesmaids and another as she and her married friends showed off their rings.
A creative portrait of Laura in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort during her Florida destination wedding photo session.
Laura standing in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort while showing off her engagement ring during her wedding to Mike in Florida.
A candid photo of Mike walking towards Laura during their first look session in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort, St Pete Beach.
Mike kisses Laura's cheek as he surprises her during their first look session at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
Laura and Mike smile at one another during their first look session in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort, St Pete Beach.
A creative black and white shot capturing all the emotion of Laura and Mike's first look session at Sirata Beach Resort.
A portrait of the loved-up couple following their first look session at Sirata Beach Resort during their Florida destination wedding.
Laura and Mike kiss on an ornate balcony at Sirata Beach Resort during their St Pete Beach wedding portrait session.
Capturing a kiss between Laura and Mike while leaning up against a fence and backed by the palm trees of Sirata Beach Resort.
A sophisticated black and white portrait of Laura standing in the gardens of Sirata Beach Resort during her Florida destination wedding.
A casual portrait of the bride leaning up against a fence while holding her bouquet in the lush gardens of Sirata Beach Resort.
A funny shot of one of Laura's bridesmaids lifting her into the air on a beach trail leading down to the sands of St Pete Beach in Florida.
A dramatic wide-angle portrait of Laura on a trail leading down to the sands of St Pete Beach during her Florida destination wedding.
A portrait of Laura and her bridesmaids in their multi-colored dresses on a trail leading to the sands of St Pete Beach in Florida.
A playful portrait of Laura and her bridesmaids on a trail leading to the sands of St Pete Beach during their Florida wedding celebrations.
Laura and her married friends show of their rings while a single bridesmaid drinks a soda during the playful St Pete Beach portrait session.
Ceremony photos at Sirata Beach Resort:
Laura and Mike’s barefoot wedding ceremony at Sirata Beach Resort was being held just in front of the sand dunes, with clear and sunny skies overhead. We captured a wide-angle shot looking across this idyllic setting, as well as up-close candids as they poured sand into a vessel together.
After saying “I do”, the couple sealed their marriage with a kiss, which we captured with a black and white photo as their bridal party congratulated them. They then made their recessional walk as “husband and wife”, framed by their ceremonial bamboo arch.
A wide-angle shot looking towards Laura and Mike's intimate wedding ceremony on the sands of St Pete Beach in Florida.
A candid photo of Laura and Mike pouring sand into a vessel during their destination beach wedding ceremony in Florida.
A whimsical black and white shot of Laura and Mike kissing while their bridal party celebrate on the sands of St Pete Beach.
Laura and Mike make their joyous recessional walk down the aisle following their intimate beach wedding ceremony in Florida.
A close-up shot of Laura and Mike kissing while their bridal party celebrate around them at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
Post-Ceremony photos at Sirata Beach Resort:
We took advantage of the rich, late-afternoon light for a bridal party portrait session on the beach, including a shot of the newlyweds kissing as their entourage celebrated around them and another as they jumped into the air. It was then time for romantics of just the bride and groom as they walked hand-in-hand along the sands and watched the sun sink below the horizon together. We finished the session with a black and white portrait of them embracing and an off-camera flash shot on the beach trail as dusk set in.
An action shot of Laura, Mike and their bridal party jumping on the white sands of St Pete Beach during their Florida destination wedding.
Laura and Mike walk hand-in-hand along the sands of St Pete Beach during their destination wedding portrait session in Florida.
Mike affectionately kisses Laura on the forehead during their late-afternoon wedding portrait session on the white sands of St Pete Beach.
A portrait of the newlyweds smiling during their barefoot wedding portrait session on the white sands of St Pete Beach in Florida.
Laura and Mike watch the sunset together during their romantic beach wedding portrait session outside Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
A black and white portrait of Laura and Mike looking out across the waters of the Gulf of Mexico during their beach wedding in St Pete.
An off-camera flash portrait of Laura and Mike walking along a beach trail during their dusk wedding portrait session in St Pete Beach.
Reception photos at Sirata Beach Resort:
Laura and Mike kicked off their ballroom wedding reception with their first dance, which was followed by speeches and toasts from those closest to them. It was then time for their cake-cutting ceremony, with a cute set of personalized cake toppers (including their two dogs) perched on top. We grabbed some details shots of their enticing dessert table, then a candid as they smashed caked into one another’s faces.
The rest of the night was open dancing as young and old celebrated this new union. We captured candid shots of the groomsmen getting down and the bride enjoying the dance floor with her friends, as well as an up-close details shot of the couple’s wedding rings. The night ended with a drinking game to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, with the requirement being that you had to drink every time the words “thunder” were heard.
A details shot of Laura and Mike's personalized cake toppers (including their two dogs) during their wedding reception at Sirata Beach Resort.
Laura and Mike's multi-tiered wedding cake surrounded by cup cakes on their dessert table at the Sirata Beach Resort wedding reception.
A dramatic shot of Laura and Mike performing their first dance during the intimate ballroom wedding reception at Sirata Beach Resort.
Capturing the reactions of Laura and Mike during the maid-of-honor's speech at their Sirata Beach Resort wedding reception.
A creative photo of Laura and Mike performing their cake cutting ceremony during the wedding reception at Sirata Beach Resort.
An action shot of the bride and groom smashing cake into one another's faces during their Sirata Beach Resort wedding reception.
A candid photo of one of the groomsmen getting down on the dance floor during the lively Sirata Beach Resort wedding reception.
A young wedding guest enjoying the dance floor during Laura and Mike's intimate destination wedding celebrations in Florida.
A young wedding guest wearing a hat letting loose on the dance floor during the Sirata Beach Resort wedding reception.
A candid photo of Laura enjoying the dance floor with her wedding guests during the intimate ballroom reception at Sirata Beach Resort.
Capturing a kiss between the newlyweds on the dance floor during their lively wedding reception at Sirata Beach Resort.
A details shot of Laura and Mike's wedding rings during their destination wedding celebrations at Sirata Beach Resort in Florida.
A funny photo of one of the groomsmen and a wedding guest behind him during the Sirata Beach Resort reception.
Conclusion
We can’t thank Laura and Mike enough for selecting us as their photographers for this Florida destination wedding at Sirata Beach Resort. We wish them all the best as they return to Illinois to begin their married life together and hope that they like this sneak peek of what’s to come.
Wedding Ceremony Location: SIrata Beach Resort
Wedding Coordinators: Katy Turchich – Coastal Coordinating
Hair Stylists: Kylelynn Weddings
Florists: Bloominous
Cake Artist: Walmart
More Weddings
Monika Logan Pictures
Monika and LoganSarasota, FloridaWEDDING PICS HEREPHOTO BOOTH HEREContact
Legacy Lane Wedding – Bridget & Anthony
Legacy Lane Wedding - Brooksville, Florida - Bridget & Anthony Getting Ready Location: Legacy Lane Weddings Wedding and Reception Location: Legacy Lane WeddingsIntroduction: Bridget and Anthony’s ranch-style wedding at Legacy Lane was our first time shooting at...
Powel Crosley Estate Wedding – Monika and Logan
Powel Crosley Estate - Sarasota, FL - Monika & Logan Getting Ready Location: Powel Crosley Estate Wedding and Reception Location: Powel Crosley EstateIntroduction: Hailing from California, Monika and Logan were planning their special day at one of our favorite...