Monica and Alexis’ Modern Miami Destination Wedding
Oh, Miami! You are totally not what we think of when we're envisioning a fine art organic wedding. But oh my, how beautiful you are. We are thrilled to feature today's incredibly fun, unique, and chic wedding down south in South Beach at the gorgeous The Raleigh Hotel, photographed by Gianny Campos. Of course we were drawn to the clean lines and retro feel to The Raleigh, and adored how these two mimicked their wedding design choices to the ambiance of the hotel. Below you'll read how these two lovebirds met on Spring Break, of all places to meet, and how their whirlwind beginnings ended up being their forever....
From the bride: "It’s 3am in a Miami nightclub full of college kids on Spring Break, not exactly the setting where you expect to meet you future husband or wife, but that’s where out story starts. Alexis and I exchanged glances across the dance floor for an hour before I got impatient and struck up a conversation. In a few hours I was rushing to the airport to board my flight back to Boston, hoping that I would hear from a local Miami boy who unconventionally had asked for my email, not even my phone number. Two weeks later, I received a message from Alexis, and after a series of emails, visits, and an unexpected move to Miami we became inseparable. Six years, two cities, internships, jobs, grad school, and two dogs later I woke up at 7am to Alexis busting through our bedroom door with a fistful of balloons asking me to marry him.
Our whole approach to planning the wedding was creating a party that we would love going to. We toyed with the idea of several different locations including New York and Italy before settling on Miami, the city where we met, fell in love, and had some of the best nights of our lives. January seemed the ideal time for my family from New York to get in some sunshine, and to feel like the whole wedding weekend was one amazing vacation. I’ve always been inspired by the kitschy and art deco vibes in Miami, and wanted the design elements to reflect that while still feeling modern. We also chose darker, sexier colors and luxurious fabrics, almost as if we had transplanted an NYC winter wedding to Miami. Not to mention the were other fun elements, like a white vintage GT0 ride to the reception, and a black and white checkerboard dance floor. While it was super important to us that the wedding felt felt fun and fresh, we also wanted to pay respect to our heritages and traditions. For the cocktail hour we had a live Cuban band and a cigar roller while mojitos were passed around. For the reception we had a traditional Albanian band and summer and incorporated special traditions, like having Alexis’s godfather unveil me, and Alexis and I leading the valle (traditional Albanian dance)."
Vendor Details
Photographer: Gianny Campos Photography | Film Lab: Photovision Prints | Stylist / Planner: Masi Events | Floral Designer: Ines Naftali Florals and Events | Rentals: Nuage Designs Inc | Venue: The Raleigh Hotel | Cake Designer: Cloud 9 Bakery
Comments
What a beautiful couple and oh my goodness that location took my breath away! I am planning my wedding in Miami and pray that it is this level of gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.
