Hello lovely ladies!! We were married last Thursday 9/24 in Key West. It was HOT, but everything went off without a hitch and my vendors were truly awesome!! Ceremony: Southernmost on the Beach - A We were married on the private oceanfront beach between the hotel buildings. The package was a little pricey for just a ceremony, however we were able to splurge a little bit. They set up the site with aisle runner, 10 tiki torches, arch, palm trees and white chairs. Melissa, the event coordinator was great, she communicated well and was very up front and direct about everything. Private dinner: Cafe Marquesa - A+++++ Food was delicious and amazing, from the salad to the entrees!! We worked with Jeanette, one of the managers. She was so accommodating, letting us rent out the entire restaurant for 3 hours, made customized menus for us, allowed us to bring in our own music and boxed up the top layer of the cake for us. I would go back there in a second and am now spoiled when it comes to eating dinner out, LOL
Officiant: Aaron Wechert - A+ Aaron was FABULOUS! He gave us guidelines for the ceremony, but added some extra readings that we requested. He even worked as a coordinator at times, contacting other vendors for me to make sure they knew where to go and the timing. Musician: Din Allen - A Din and I communicated only through email, even when I arrived in Key West, which made arranging things a little tough. But he was there on time and played our selections. Guests said it was so nice because he was there, but he wasn't overbearing, just set a nice tone for the ceremony. And he knows how to play a lot of songs - from Jimmy Buffett to Van Morrison and classical numbers, he is quite the professional. Hair/Makeup: Marie-Pierre - A+ Marie was so sweet and did an amazing job on myself and my bridesmaids! She hung out with us for about 4 hours, laughing and chatting but was so professional. And her work is GORGEOUS, she simply brought out the beauty in everyone. We were SO happy with our hair and makeup. Photographer: John Hunter - A+++ I don't know where to start here. John was such a professional and his technique was EXACTLY what we were looking for. Nothing was too posed or rigid, he made us laugh and loosen up a lot. He also stayed over, time-wise, a little extra and made sure we were satisfied with all the photos he had taken. I know our photos will be absolutely stunning and we cannot wait to see them!! Accommodations: Merlin Guesthouse - A We love staying at the Merlin. It is so quaint and cozy! Our guests took up a good 75% of the inn so we felt like we were the only ones staying there. They are also very accommodating there, great continental breakfast every morning! Sunset Cruise (day after): Sunny Days - B The price was fairly reasonable and included all-you-can-drink sangria, beer, wine and soft drinks. I get sea sick when the water is really choppy and it was REALLY choppy, so needless to say my review would probably be different from others. But they take you out for 2 hours and we did get a GORGEOUS sunset view!