Wedding | Taylor & Michael

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

We’re Taylor and Michael. Our love story began over a decade ago in the most glamorous way possible: at the Applebee’s off UCF’s campus (yes, really). It was less champagne and chandeliers, more half-priced apps and maybe a little bit of teenage nerves. But it just worked. From that moment on, we were just… effortlessly together. 

We’ve done it all over the last 10 years. New cities, long distance, late-night FaceTimes, and finally planting down our roots in sunny Fort Lauderdale. We never needed a wedding or rings to prove our love, we just got each other. The rest… the house, the moves, the marriage was all built on that easy, once-in-a-lifetime kind of connection.

Why did you decide to get married where you did? 

We knew a big, traditional wedding just wasn't really our vibe. We wanted to celebrate our love in a slower, romantic, and intimate way where we truly got to soak in every moment. We decided to elope at the Miami Courthouse, with only a photographer, cousin, and city official in attendance. Short, sweet, and kind of charming in a government-office kind of way. 

Miami was the ideal in-between: close enough to be convenient while still feeling like a mini getaway for us. The city gave us the aesthetic we wanted with its vintage backdrops, great restaurants, and just the right amount of chaos to make things interesting.

How many guests did you have? 

Yes, we loved our 2-guest intimate courthouse ceremony. But that doesn't mean we don't also love a celebration. That night we invited our immediate family, grandparents, and a few close friends to enjoy dinner at our now favorite Italian spot, Macchialina, in Miami Beach. We had a total of 21 guests join us for dinner. We couldn't have been happier with the evening.

What was your budget? 

The ceremony itself cost less than $100 - just the cost of the license, city fees, and courthouse ceremony. But between the weekend festivities, meals, and hotel rooms our total spend for the weekend was around $10k.

Tell us about your outfits. 

Taylor wore a vintage Versace dress suit from Happy Isles NYC, Manolo Blahnik mules, and a hand-embroidered veil from Bernadette Antwerp. (Literally the  courthouse look of my dreams). The groom wore a charcoal grey suit - we wanted something that looked timeless and stood out in black and white  photos.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The biggest priority was simple: we wanted a weekend that felt like us. No stress, no rushing, no worries of “we’re behind schedule!” We wanted to go slow and create intentional moments we could actually remember. We packed old photo albums and anniversary cards and spent the night before flipping through them, letting ourselves really soak it all in. 

The morning of the wedding, we got ready together. It was easy and carefree. For us it really wasn’t about perfection, it was about fun. And obviously, the food had to deliver. We had incredible meals and made sure to eat well all weekend long.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

It was important to have our grandparents there at our celebratory dinner. And that both of our dads had the chance to give a toast. Family means everything to us and having them join us on the special day was all that really mattered.

Any tips for couples getting married? 

Be selfish - make it about YOU. It's your day.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We couldn’t say enough good things about our incredibly talented  Makayla Casey Photography, She surpassed our expectations and really nailed the timeless aesthetic we were hoping for. 

Special shoutout to my sister who baked our beautiful wedding cake covered in real flowers!

Photographer: Makayla Casey Photography @makaylacaseyphoto | Flora: (Bouquet) Happy Flowers Miami @happy_flowers_miami & (Reception) Pop Heart Flowers @popheartflowershop | Ceremony Location: Miami Marriage Bureau | Reception Location: Macchialina @Macchialina | Makeup: Angelique Cecchetti @makeupangelique | Hair: The Clyque Miami @theclyque | Cake: DBakers @dbakers_miami & Homemade Strawberry Cake | Dress: Versace from Happy Isles NYC @happyisles_salon | Suit: SuitSupply

 @Suitsupply | Veil: Bernadette Antwerp @Bernadetteantwerp | Engagement Ring & Groom’s Wedding Band: Daoud’s Fine Jewerly @Daoudsfinejewelry | Wedding Ring: Bella Antiques @Bellaantiquesny | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik @manoloblahnik