The Location

The couple wanted a wedding location that had the laid-back feel of the Bahamas but with enough elegance to pull off a sophisticated celebration that friends and family from out of town would enjoy. “I wanted to treat friends and family to a tropical destination wedding while maintaining a sense of elegance,” says Samantha. “I didn’t want a typical Florida Keys wedding with tiki torches, carnations, rum punch, Hawaiian shirts, and flip-flops.” It was during a drive through Islamorada that they stumbled upon a hidden gem: The Moorings Village, a group of charming beachfront cottages on what was once a coconut plantation, and the neighboring Pierre’s Restaurant. “The two properties were exactly what we were looking for,” she says. “Elegant, classy, yet understated as well.”