Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida on March 14th, 2020

Laura and David met at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Throughout their courtship, there was always one place Laura and David loved to meet for all of their big life decisions, the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. It was there that many firsts took place for them. When David decided to propose, the Jefferson Memorial felt like the perfect location. 

After some initial conversations with family, Laura and David decided to have a destination wedding in Florida. South Florida has been a long-time “home away from home” for Laura’s family, who vacationed there every year to enjoy Florida’s captivating islands and life on the water. So it felt like the perfect location to host friends and family nationwide to celebrate their colorful wedding in South Florida. While we toured a few destination spots, there was one venue that stood out. Grounded in the notion to spend their time together in a secluded venue, Vizcaya’s gardens felt like the perfect location to host their wedding. Boasting of the meticulously maintained gardens, iconic statues, a waterfront reception, and old-world Italian inspired home-turned museum serving as the backdrop, Laura and David immediately fell in love with the space and all it had to offer. 

The Morning Of in South Beach

Laura began her morning at the Cadillac Hotel and Beach Club in Miami, Florida opening gifts and passing the champagne with all of her girlfriends on Saturday, March 14th, 2020.

A South Florida Wedding with Colorful Sunset Tones

As we began laying the design plans for their event, it was important that every facet of their event felt like it was theirs and theirs alone. Laura had always dreamed of a wedding with warm sunset tones overlooking the water in South Florida. We wanted to highlight and incorporate that into their wedding. But we also wanted to highlight their courtship in Georgetown and their proposal in D.C.

One of the founding design elements incorporated a ten foot cherry blossom chandelier as a nod to the couples traditions in Washington DC. We wanted their first dance as newlyweds to take place, as all of their big life moments had, under the umbrella and symbolic nature of the cherry blossoms. Before revealing the reception space to guests, we took Laura and David through a private tour of their wedding reception, where they shared their first dance as husband and wife under the cherry blossoms.

Shortly after, as guests made their way through the gardens and around the corner, the waterfront reception became visible. Beautifully lit, guests were greeted with a grand entrance boasting a classic white dance floor and al fresco dining.

Under the stars an open tent set the scene for a riveting party led by Elan Artists. Guests dined at wooden tables, adorned with striking striped chargers, and an array of sunset inspired floral arrangements in stone pedestals, complete with taper candlelight and reminiscent of infamous Florida sunsets. We wanted to keep the design understated, yet elegant and in keeping with the venue while pulling in vibrant touches in subtle ways. 

The Details

As a node, Laura’s brother wanted to ensure guests experienced an event that was truly memorable and representative of the couple, and so he carefully curated the recipes for the couples signature drinks. Hers being a Dumbo 75 for Laura and his, The Cobble Hill for David.

In keeping with the grounds and ethereal nature of the venue, we worked alongside Earth and Sugar to create a multi-tier, all ivory cake. The design entailed subtle texture of cherry blossom branches and delicate flower petals.

Creative Team:

Planner and Designer: Jennifer Buono Events
Photographer: Hunter Ryan Photo
Venue: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens