OYSTER BAY YACHT CLUB WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY | AMELIA ISLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | CAROLYN + DAVID | AMELIA ISLAND, FL

CAROLYN + DAVID WEDDING DAY

I randomly landed on this older blog post this morning so wanted to repost one of my favorite weddings from Oyster Bay Yacht Club. I’ve been photographing weddings for about 15 years so I’ve seen so many trends come and go. This wedding always feels “timeless” to me.

Carolyn and David chose a nautical theme for their wedding planning, and as you can see Oyster Bay Yacht Club is incredibly perfect for wedding days. This day had a lot of rain, and if you can tell, the “back up plans” were used. Tent over ceremony and plastic in the reception area to shield from the weather.

But these back up options aren’t game changers or eye sores ruining all your hard work and planning. I hope you enjoy getting to glance through their Oyster Bay Yacht Club Wedding. It was (and will always be) so gorgeous!

Wedding Weekend Info: (from Caroline)

Hotel accommodations for guests: Hampton Inn Amelia Island. 

The staff is great to work with and you can’t beat the location!  You’re guests can walk essentially anywhere they need to go!

Rehearsal Dinner Location:  Sliders Seaside Bar. 

We can’t say enough about the staff as they were the most wonderful and accommodating people we have EVER worked with.

Ceremony Location: Oyster Bay Yacht Club. 

We got married under a tent on the front lawn because it was raining, but you can also get married on the Oyster Deck overlooking the intracoastal which was our plan A until Mother Nature stepped in.  Either location is absolutely gorgeous.

Reception Location:  Oyster Bay Yacht Club. 

Terrie Sanders is the Yacht Club Manager and a wonderful event coordinator.  She was there to help with any questions throughout the planning and made the wedding of our dreams come true.

Caterer: Oyster Bay Yacht Club. 

The chef is phenomenal and there are so many selections to choose from.  Whatever you want for your wedding cuisine the yacht club can prepare.

Wedding Coordinator: Lisa Presnell- Coastal Engagements. 

Lisa is the best!!  She kept in constant contact with my parents and us and made sure we stayed within budget but also that we got everything we wanted. 

She made suggestions about where to rent chairs, linens, tents (all from Beachview Rentals) and who to use for hair and makeup, wedding cake, music, etc.  Her services allowed us to enjoy the wedding planning process and gave us the sense of ease that everything would get finished!

Photographer: Tonya Beaver! 

Tonya and her assistant were so easy and fabulous to work with. They made the picture taking process so much FUN!  Tonya has a great vision and from the pictures I saw on her camera she has a wonderful artistic talent.

Cake:  Bliss Cupcakery. 

Karen is an awesome baker and designer and the cupcakes they have are the most delicious we’ve ever tasted.

Florist: Dottie B Florist.

Ken is wonderful and has great ideas!  He gave input that we never thought of- i.e. having a colored bride’s bouquet because a white bouquet would get lost in the dress for pictures!

Officiate: Reverend James M. Tippins.

Rev. Tippins was referred to us by our wedding planner Lisa. Picking him was the best decision we made. We didn’t know Rev. Tippins until a few months before the wedding, but he took time to meet with us face to face when we were in town, email with us and talk on the phone with us so that our ceremony was just as personal as if he was our pastor growing up.

Hair: Heidi from Cormier Hair Studio. 

Heidi is amazing.  I showed her a few pictures of what I liked and she ran with it.  She made my hair look exactly like what I had pictured in my head without even having to explain it to her.

Make-up: Amanda Hopcraft. 

Amanda traveled 90 minutes to do our make-up and I would highly recommend using her.  She is one of the only people I could find in the area who does airbrush makeup and she did a fantastic job.

Entertainment: Richard Stratton (ceremony guitarist and cocktail hour vocals and guitar) and DJ Herman Nazworth (reception). 

Both Richard and Herman were recommended by Lisa and they were AMAZING choices.  Richard provided awesome live music during the cocktail hour and first dance, and Herman was the reception DJ who definitely knew how to get the party started.

Wedding Dress: Bridal and Formal, Reading, Ohio

Wedding Shoes: DSW

Bridesmaids Dresses:  Nordstrom

Groom and Groomsmen Wear:  Joseph A. Banks

Save the date cards: Etsy- D.H. Fitzgerald Designs

Cake topper: Etsy- Garden4Art

Table numbers, dessert sign, menus, seating chart: Etsy- DIVart. 

Justyna is so awesome.  I noticed some of her work on Etsy that I loved and was able to incorporate other ideas that I had into her pieces.  She is very quick and creative and I can’t wait to work with her again.

Before the Wedding …

How did you two meet?

Dave and I met through mutual friends at a bar a few years ago. We didn’t pay much attention to each other until a month later when we reconnected through the same friends at a Reds baseball game. We started talking about college football and I mentioned that I am a Gator fan. He did the Gator Chomp and the rest is history!
How did he propose?

Dave proposed to me at one of my favorite places:

Elk Creek Vineyards in Owenton, Kentucky. We made the hour and a half drive down there one Saturday to spend the day and watch UK and Louisville play in the NCAA basketball tournament. When we got there I got a table and he ordered wine for us at the bar. He sat down and asked if I wanted to take a tour of the winery, which I thought was silly because I had been there so many times and thought I knew everything about the place.

The tour was actually very informational and I ended up asking A LOT of questions, not knowing that Dave was secretly wishing “shut up so we can get the show on the road!” The tour guide (who was in on the surprise from the beginning) took us down to the barrel room where they store the wine and said she had to make a phone call and that we could look around at some of their custom made bottle labels.

To make a long story short(er),

Dave had a custom wine label made with our names, the date and “Will you marry me?” on it. It was a wonderful surprise!!

How did you decide on your color scheme, flowers, and cake?

As soon as we decided to get married at Oyster Bay Yacht Club picking the colors was very easy. I am a very ‘matchy’ person and wanted our wedding colors to be similar to the colors and style of the venue. The inside of the yacht club is blue and tan, and has a wonderful Southern, coastal feeling.

We wanted the natural beauty of the yacht club and the surroundings to be the focal point so simplicity was key when picking the decorations. We chose simple white and blue hydrangeas and a 2-layer, white wedding cake. We added some pops of color with our Gator and Buckeye cake topper and an assortment of cupcakes!

How did you decide on your invitations, and who did you use?

I thought I was going to be able to save money by making the invitations myself, but boy was I wrong! Our invitations turned out amazing with the help of a friend who designed them, but they were definitely a labor of love. To anyone who is thinking about making their own invitations I would strongly suggest using an invitation kit from Michaels, Target or Bed Bath and Beyond.

They have so many amazing styles to choose from. Our invitations were designed, created, cut, printed, and glued by hand. Although they turned out great I would have saved a lot of time and money (not to mention sweat and tears) had I used a kit.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Hermitage Bay, Antigua. AH-mazing. If you want to get away and relax I definitely recommend Hermitage Bay. The resort has 25 individual villas with an open-air setting. If you stay on the hillside, like we did, you even have you own infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Each meal is a seated meal with a different menu every day.

I have never eaten so much delicious, exotic food in my life. They bring in local musicians at night for dinner music, but other than you don’t hear a sound, not even soft music playing at the bar. The first day is a little strange without any music, but it is much appreciated after a long year of wedding planning !!

If you could give yourself any advice prior to the wedding, what would it be?

Don’t stress too much about the little things and ENJOY the planning!! Everything will get finished and if it doesn’t no one will know but you! Also, take time during the reception to walk around and take it all in. There were so many little details that I stressed about all year that I didn’t even get to see during the reception. And be sure to DANCE…a lot!!!

Jacksonville Wedding Photographer

Oyster Bay Yacht Club Wedding, Amelia Island Wedding

Tonya Beaver Photography Studio Location: Jacksonville Beach, FL

318 First Ave N

Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

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Hi, I’m Tonya, a Jacksonville Florida Photographer. I specialize in photographing weddings, families, and babies. I would love to hear all about your photography needs to see if we’re a right fit for each other. As a photographer, I get to capture the most exciting and life changing experiences in people’s lives. 

Not only in Jacksonville, but all over North Florida: Ponte Vedra, Amelia Island, St. Augustine, etc. 

I know there are quite a few photographers in Jacksonville so it can be overwhelming. But I invite you to check out my wedding, family, and newborn portfolio. Also, feel free to check out some of my reviews that my previous clients have given me. Jacksonville is one of the most beautiful areas for photographing engagements, weddings and family photos. From the beach, golf clubs, parks, downtown, gorgeous churches and so much more. I look forward to hearing from you and getting to know you more!

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