A couple weeks ago Rivion packed our bags and headed down to Key West for a destination wedding at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Indeed, we have cameras and will travel with them, especially to tropical beaches. We headed down to celebrate Casey & Matt as the put on a classy, cool, and glamorous wedding in paradise. You can re-live the weekend here: https://rivionweddings.com/casey-and-matts-destination-wedding-in-key-west/
The park and Fort ended up being an idyllic setting for a wedding. The ceremony is performed just steps from the water with endless miles of open ocean beyond the arbor. Admittedly you will find your eyes dancing between the beautiful couple and beautiful setting equally as the views are hard to resist. Following the ceremony, a train was available to shuttle the wedding guests and party to the fort for the reception.
One of the fun parts about being in the wedding business is while the framework of most weddings are the same, no two are alike. We’ve done weddings at national monuments, farms, vineyards, VW halls, and now we can add Civil War forts to the list. The reception was an incredible site to behold. Nestled within the nearly 175-year-old walls of the fort is a dance floor where training likely took place. A bar where cannons once laid. Cupcakes where rifles once leaned. It’s clear from start to finish, the folks in charge of planning wedding events at the fort know what they’re doing and the flawless execution of Matt & Casey’s event was evidence. Everyone had a great time!
Beyond the Fort, the entire city was welcoming and there was more to do than there was time. From the Waterfront Brewery where the rehearsal was held to Irish Kevin’s for the after party, there was no shortage of places to find fun in Key West. If you find the chance to go, do it. And if you do, a couple tips; 1. Rent some sort of vehicle, whether a bike, scooter, or golf cart. Sunshine Scooters treated us right. The city is very walkable, but having a vehicle will help maximize where you can go and what you can see. 2. Ask around to see when cruise ships are coming in. On those days you’ll get an influx of tourists and will want to avoid the bigger landmarks. 3. Bring earplugs! The island is full of wild chickens and roosters who are protected and roosters do what roosters do in the morning. So bring ear plugs and have a great time!