1. Real Weddings

A Pineapple-Filled Wedding at the Caribbean Resort in Islamorada, Florida

This wedding was filled with bright colors and, get this, pineapples. Francesca Fenili (29 and in ad sales) loves pineapples, so when she and Michael

This wedding was filled with bright colors and, get this, pineapples. Francesca Fenili (29 and in ad sales) loves pineapples, so when she and Michael Mucci (32 and in tech support) started planning their intimate wedding at the Caribbean Resort in Islamorada, Florida, her favored fruit became part of the decor. The planners at Flutter Fete and Ever After Floral Design made sure every detail fit seamlessly together. There were pineapples on the custom Italian seating chart, nestled within her bouquet, printed on the guest book as well as set on the custom stationery. Even their bold pink centerpieces had the mini fruit in gold. Their personalized details didn't stop there. Francesca and Michael also wanted to honor their heritages, so they picked an Italian Aperol spritz as one of their signature cocktails and served limoncello in the shot-glass wedding favors. The couple's photographer, Michelle March, captured these details and much more. Catch every moment of their pink, gold, orange and neutral celebration, below.

Francesca's bridesmaids matched outfits even before the ceremony. They picked out these floral print robes, strappy sandals and down curled hairstyles for the morning.
For the ceremony decor, they kept things natural and whimsical. Every few rows of folding chairs had terra-cotta pots of bougainvillea, succulents and greenery to go with the the natural scenery at Caribbean Resort in Islamorada, Florida. Ever After Floral Design made sure the same flowers draped over their venue’s ornate wedding arbor.
Their bridesmaids' and bridal bouquets were filled with color. The team at Ever After Floral Design made every one with bold coral ranunculus, pink peonies, peach stargazer lilies, bougainvillea, yellow leaves, eucalyptus, greenery, orange tulips and blush ranunculus wrapped in silk ribbon. They even showcased Francesca’s favorite fruit with a mini pineapple in her bouquet. “I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the flowers the minute Helen [our florist] brought them to me,” Francesca says. “I was truly speechless.”
Francesca matched her signature armful of gold bracelets with gold wedding shoes. Designed by Tory Burch, they were the perfect mix of casual and glam. Each shoe had a wood-inspired wedge and thin ankle straps for that casual, beach feel.
The plan was for stylists at Blo Blow Dry Bar to put her hair into a braid and beachy curls with a flower crown, but things changed the morning of her wedding. Instead of hiding her braid with the arrangement, her florist and hairstylists helped weave the flowers directly into her hair. “The result was gorgeous,” Francesca says. She loved how the pink garden rose, white ranunculus, eucalyptus and red hypericum berries all tied into the half-up bridal hairstyle.
Since Francesca always has an arm party, she made sure to include multiple gold bangles in her wedding day look. “All the bracelets had a special meaning: one was my maternal grandmother’s, one was given to me as a baby by my paternal grandmother, one was a gift from Michael and one was the new Monica Vinader I gave my two sisters with our wedding dates engraved in roman numerals,” she says. “I wanted to look very much like myself, and everyone said I nailed it.”
Since the venue already had a standout wedding arbor with intricate carvings on-site, Francesca and Michael highlighted it with just a few accents. A grand garland of eucalyptus, orange lisianthus, pink hydrangeas, bougainvillea and peach roses all wrapped around the front posts.
Given that their wedding was in mid-April, guests were ready for the Florida heat with bright yellow, coral and white parasols. But staying outside in that temperature was not easy. "It was hot out there in the south Florida sun,” Francesca says. “Luckily, our officiant skipped part of the ceremony and saved our guests from the heat.”
When Francesca and Michael met with a planner from Flutter Fete, one of their requirements was that their wedding had to be filled with vibrant colors. Their recessional was no exception. Francesca and Michael held hands through a cloud of bright orange, white and fuchsia rose petals as walked up the aisle.
Their planner from Flutter Fete, Danielle South, made every invitation with an understated design. Their names stood out in large gold calligraphy at the center, while the rest of their card had smaller print. Of course, it also incorporated their pineapple motif with this sweet illustration at the top.
Now these are some stunning bridesmaid dresses! While they originally looked for different dresses, Michael and Francesca’s sisters picked out a chic strapless gown by Erin Fetherston with a light, floral pattern and empire waist. “I also bought us all Monica Vinader friendship bracelets with our wedding dates engraved, so all three of us wore the same gold bracelet,” Francesca says.
A preview for the fruit escort cards at the reception, they accented a signature-drink sign from PaperTangent with an actual pineapple. Bright garden roses, roses, orchids, delphiniums and lisianthus stemmed from the gold fruit, bringing out their bright color scheme.
With such a whimsical theme, it was no surprise that they opted for fun cocktail napkins. Each one read “Drink Up & Be Awesome” in gold with the couple’s wedding date slotted below the phrase. “We had two signature drinks: a BLT (Bulleit bourbon, lemon and tonic) and an Aperol spritz,” Francesca says. “The BLT was a drink we discovered together, and the other is a typical aperitif in Italy with a gorgeous color.”
The couple also took some time alone to explore the Caribbean Resort's grounds during their wedding in Islamorada, Florida. Michelle March, their photographer, snapped away as Francesca and Michael cuddled under an ornate wooden arbor that closely resembled their wedding arch.
“Once we stepped foot on the Caribbean Resort, we knew it was our dream venue,” Francesca says. “The intimate, gorgeous houses and breathtaking grounds left us speechless and imagining the perfect wedding weekend.” Of course, their open-air reception took advantage of the venue’s waterfront views and gorgeous palm trees. Each of the115 guests sat below lines of string lights and found their seats listed on pineapples by the water.
Talk about unexpected! Their seating chart was made with gold-painted pineapples. Each one had a handwritten card from PaperTangent with the table numbers written in Italian to acknowledge the couple’s heritages.
Even the guest book had a pineapple. Francesca’s favorite fruit decorated the front of their custom wood-inspired guest book, ensuring this motif would be a part of the day’s memories.
Since they already considered the Caribbean Resort in Islamorada, Florida, their dream venue, only a few pieces of decor were needed to highlight the space. String lights were strewn above the reception. Each one added to the cozy outdoor atmosphere without obstructing anyone's view from the tropical landscape.
White linen-covered reception tables were still filled with color. Each was lined with bold arrangements by Flutter Fete, their planner, and Ever After Floral Design. Blush garden roses, pink peonies, fuchsia roses, orange lisianthus, pink delphiniums, eucalyptus, greenery and red spray roses were all part of the design. Mini pineapples also stuck out among the flowers to tie in their fruit-filled motif.
Flutter Fete, their planner, and Ever After Floral Design, gave every table setting a pop of color with bold rose centerpieces. Each family-style table was lined with white linens, ombre pink napkins and gold dinnerware alongside bright pink rose and peony centerpieces. These flowers brought in the vibrant hues from their palette.
Each menu stood out with small illustrations and an unstructured design. The pink and gold hues made it even more chic, as they matched the silverware, place settings and ombre napkins. “Our napkins were unreal,” Francesca says. “Danielle, my planner, hand-dyed all of them the perfect coral ombre. I was blown away by her work, and the best part was I got to keep them all.”
While Francesca isn't normally a big fan of cake, she fell in love with a design from Cloud 9 Bakery on Pinterest and went with the same one. The ruffled fondant covered every tier in orange or white for a cool ombre effect. Even their unexpected, naturally white coral topper blended in. As for the flavor, the couple made things ultra-personalized and went with guava. Key lime pie squares from the same bakery accented the confection for guests with a taste for a different sweet.
After trying on different dresses, Francesca picked out a chic ivory sheath-style Delphine Manivet dress. “It made me feel like myself,” she says. “It flowed beautifully, had a dramatic back and was full of movement.” Ruching wrapped around her waist and made the skirt seem to flare as she moved. It was the perfect style for a waterfront wedding.