A Tropical Wedding at Walker’s Landing | Amelia Island, FL
The Amelia Island Wedding Weekend of our DREAMS!
Honestly, we kind of knew it would be this way as soon as we received Kelsie and Neal’s inquiry for their Walker’s Landing wedding. Amelia Island has been on my travel bucket list for actual years (a little known fact around here is that I used to live in the Southeast and absolutely fell in love with the barrier islands and culture during my time out there)! We were referred to Kelsie and Neal by one of our closest mutual friends (we love you Will + Savannah 🥲💓), and talking to this incredible couple on our consultation call felt like talking to old friends all the same! We really saw eye to eye on everything when it came to their wedding—
I could best describe Kelsie and Neal’s approach to and vision for their Amelia Island wedding in the best way— as hands off as possible. These two wanted nothing more than to enjoy their season of engagement, and to have absolutely nothing to stress them out during their wedding weekend. This meant hiring a vendor team comprised of professionals exclusively recommended by their circle of friends and family, and making sure we were all aware they wanted to be as in the moment as they could possibly be all weekend long. What this did not mean, however, was that there was a lack of stunning design incorporated into their wedding—
Walker’s Landing is a gorgeous property on Amelia Island, with coastal views and situated in a giant grove of spanish moss covered palmetto trees. When I envisioned a Southern wedding, this was exactly it. Kelsie, with an incredibly keen eye for design, envisioned a bright, tropical theme (with an oyster motif snuck in throughout!) to compliment the space. Pops of pink, yellow, and orange, fruit, natural textures, and gorgeous florals like we’ve never seen before complimented the high energy of the day so perfectly. While the space was adorned to the nines, Kelsie and Neal refused to let this be the main focus (or contribute to any stress whatsoever). This day, this weekend, was about celebrating their love with their people.
We love destination weddings so dearly for this reason— weddings go from being a day, a single production, and turn into a whole weekend full of hugs and laughter and quality time, and less of a need for anything to be overproduced. This was what Kelsie and Neal envisioned too, when they invited a thoughtfully chosen group of their closest people to Amelia Island for their wedding weekend. We all stayed on the Omni Resort property, keeping the group close together for added intimacy.
We began the documenting of the weekend at Kelsie and Neal’s Beech Street Grill welcome party, in downtown Fernandina Beach (dodging the apparently wildly popular Shrimp Fest as best as we could, I might add 😂). The evening began with an intimate long table dinner, just family and bridal party, and then evolved into a cocktail hour with all their guests, many of them seeing Kelsie and Neal for the first time that weekend. I always recommend our couples who host this style of rehearsal dinner/welcome party, to have a little bit of both elements photographed. I love the dichotomy of the laughter and sometimes tear-filled moments as stories and family traditions are shared, mixed with the ecstatic hugs and excitement as the fun of a wedding weekend really begins.
On their wedding day, Kelsie and Neal again prioritized rest, relaxation, and slowness. The girls began their day with yoga on the beach. There was no rush or fuss. None of us arrived at Walker’s Landing for the wedding until later in the afternoon. We enjoyed a super relaxed few hours, alternating portraits with quality time. As the evening set in, we headed to the palmetto grove for Kelsie and Neal’s ceremony. After, we had a brief list of formal portraits to work through (the couple really wanted to prioritize their time with everyone they loved at their cocktail hour!), before it was off to oysters and sangria and the reception. Kelsie and Neal intentionally created their guest list, including just their closest people, and it was so evident that everyone present was loved so deeply and fiercely by these two! I love the way this translated into hugs and joy and one energetic dance floor, documented forever. After an evening of captain’s hat fueled dancing, oysters, late night snacks, and cigars, Kelsie wanted nothing more than to run off to their after party with a run through a youth soccer-esque tunnel. We sent them off to their forever just as so.
We hope you love all of the dearly cherished moments we were able to capture during Kelsie and Neal’s Walker’s Landing wedding!
A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of San Clemente’s very best wedding vendors.
Venue - Walker’s Landing Amelia Island / Coordination - Weddings by Clellie / Flowers - Soirees Southern Events / Catering - Cornbread and Caviar Atlanta / Bar - The Sangria Truck / Entertainment - Island Sound DJs / Rentals - EventWorks Jacksonville / Dress - Luxe Redux Nashville / Suit - Indochino
LOOKING FOR AN AMELIA ISLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Hello! We’re Katie and Joseph, a husband and wife team, and documentary wedding photographers.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Arizona + California, we’ll travel anywhere, like Florida, for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
