Key West Courthouse Wedding | Tasha + Bryan

Key West Courthouse Elopement: Tasha & Bryan’s Perfectly Imperfect Day

When you think of a Key West courthouse wedding, you might picture a quick ceremony and some photos on the beach. But Tasha and Bryan’s day? It was anything but basic. Their Key West elopement was a masterclass in going with the flow and embracing whatever the hell comes your way (and pivoting when things need pivoting). Read through their story and their epic elopement day!

Their Story

Let’s rewind to where it all began. Tasha and Bryan were just two freshmen living on the same dorm floor, completely unaware they’d end up saying “I do” in Key West eight years later. After finally making things official, they navigated two years of long-distance dating while pursuing their degrees. If you’ve ever done long distance, you know it’s not for the faint of heart. They made it work by planning weekend visits between work and school and always felt connected to each other by wearing matching beaded bracelets (spoiler alert: these make a special appearance on their wedding day).

Fast forward to June 2022, when Bryan orchestrated the perfect proposal on Mackinac Island, Michigan. They fell in love with the island and were planning a weekend out there. During their trip, he planned the cutest proposal in a butterfly garden and even got his photographer sister-in-law in on the action to capture the moment. Mad props to Bryan.

Their Key West Courthouse Wedding

The night before their Key West elopement, I met up with Tasha and Bryan at General Horseplay for cocktails with their ride-or-die friends who flew in from California and Indiana. Bryan shared a story about getting sunscreen in his eyes while exploring Key West earlier that day. We all called BS and declared it his pre-wedding cry excuse. (Spoiler alert: he totally cried during the first look anyway.)

Wedding morning kicked off at their Margaritaville Suite with the most on-brand wedding morning combination: McDonald’s and mimosas. While Tasha and her friends got glammed up in their suite, Bryan chilled with his best friend in another nearby room. Earlier that morning, they exchanged private love letters, and Tasha surprised Bryan with custom cufflinks featuring their dog Roxie’s face – because your fur baby should absolutely be part of your Key West elopement somehow.

The first look happened in a secluded garden at the resort, where Bryan’s “sunscreen in the eyes” situation made a genuine appearance. Those tears? Real ones this time, folks.

At the Key West courthouse, they were married in this cute little room that had a very Florida-esque beach scene painted on the wall. They signed their names in the marriage book alongside other couples who chose a Key West courthouse wedding, making their mark in the island’s history.

Post-ceremony, the real party began on Duval Street. First stop: Kermit’s for key lime pie where the clerk gave them a free slice for just getting married 🥹 To enjoy their key lime pie (and grab a cocktail, ofc) Tasha and Bryan really wanted to experience the bets people watching at one of Key West’s most famous bars – Sloppy Joe’s. Plot twist: they couldn’t eat it inside Sloppy Joe’s, but that didn’t stop them from having their first dance in front of a packed bar. The bar was cheering them on and it was one of those moments that truly belong in a movie. After their first dance, a random couple from Indiana bought them shots and they swapped hometown stories. That’s my favorite part about Key West elopements – everyone wants to be a part of the celebration.

Between square-shaped tacos at Amigo’s Tortilla bar and the butterfly garden, we stopped at Captain Tony’s to snap a photo of them with their dollar bill from the previous night. If you’re not familiar, stapled dollar bills are a thing at some of the most iconic Key West bars. It’s a right of passage to staple your own.

The Key West Butterfly Conservatory was a true highlight of Tasha and Bryan’s elopement day. The butterfly garden features over 50 varieties of butterflies (and two very friendly flamingos) within this tropical oasis. While we were walking through, a butterfly landed on Bryan’s glasses (which is basically good luck) and they watched the flamingos dance just for them.

Originally, Tasha and Bryan were planning on getting some tattoos as part of their elopement adventure. But they had to postpone their planned tattoos due to next-day snorkeling plans. In true elopement nature, they pivoted to getting permanent jewelry instead. And between the new jewelry appointment and the original timeline, we needed to swap the sunset beach portraits for another location. As a Key West elopement photographer, last-minute back up locations are my specialty 😉

While we waited for their jewelry appointment, we headed over to Mallory Square for sunset portraits, but Florida’s weather had other plans. Tons and tons of rain. In the middle of capturing their portraits, Mallory Square was covered in rain, but even a sudden downpour couldn’t dampen their spirits – it just made for epic photos.

Once the rain died down and we got to Inked Key West, Tasha and Bryan picked out their permanent jewelry charms – one got a lock charm, the other got a key. Their friends came along for permanent jewelry and ink of their own. This shop even has a sign on the wall of how many palm trees and chickens have been tattooed since the beginning of the year. It was only fitting that the tally went up for this crew.

We wrapped up the day at Smathers Beach with a champagne pop, some cigars, and a little night photography that perfectly captured their “let’s just roll with it” attitude.

Ready to Plan Your Own Key West Courthouse Wedding?

If Tasha and Bryan’s perfectly imperfect day speaks to your soul, then let’s create your own Key West elopement adventure. As your Key West elopement photographer, I’ll help you navigate the whole courthouse marriage process and create an elopement adventure that is uniquely yours all while making sure we document every unfiltered moment – from the tears (blame it on the sunscreen) to the impromptu bar dances.

Ready to start planning? Let’s chat about making your Key West elopement dreams a reality!

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