Rachel & Austin’s Don Cesar Wedding
Rachel has always loved the idea of being married near the water and the Don Cesar offered her that perfect opportunity when it came time for her and Austin’s wedding! The iconic pink palace is located in the heart of St. Pete beach and lives and breathes that old Florida charm.
Rachel and Austin are high school sweethearts, which is so rare these days! Rachel and Austin met in their weight lifting class where I imagine them falling in love in between sets. It’s adorable to think about, mostly because these two are the biggest hype people you’ll ever meet. Austin’s positivity is Rachel’s favorite part about him and I have to agree! From the beginning of the day until the end, Austin was so happy and offered words of affirmation to me and my team. Couple that with Rachel’s trust in our abilities and my heart just explodes. I mean, did they hire me or did I hire them? Their energy made for a really fun day.
When we arrived at the Don Cesar, we first met up with Rachel whose hair and makeup was done up to perfection by Adore Bridal. It was an overcast day but her joy was so bright. We had a blast photographing these two separately before their first look on the terrace of the courtyard. Austin was so smitten with Rachel’s look and Rachel was comforted by his smile and embrace. We spent some time together before their ceremony perusing the Don Cesar grounds for their romance portraits. And wow, these moments just make my heart so happy. Intimate and sincere. And I have such a tough time picking between color and black and white. These two look good in it all!
After reciting their vows on the steps of the courtyard, we walked the beach for additional portraits by the water. At this point most of the wind had died down but it still gave a few gusts for that romantic wind-blown hair look 😉
Rachel and Austin wrapped up their evening with a fabulous buffet dinner and dancing on the 5th floor, overlooking the beach — it was a perfect Don Cesar wedding. I am so incredibly happy for these two and can’t wait to see what comes next!
