Earlier this year I had the extreme pleasure of photographing Andrea and Jesse's Miami wedding. Andrea is the third sister in the family whose wedding I photographed. Working with her family is always a wonderful experience! She and Jesse in particular were a great couple to photograph – their enthusiasm and cooperation really comes through in the pictures. I hope you will enjoy the post below including photos that capture their special day, their captivating video highlight and also their own personal – and very romantic - story.




FROM THE BRIDE: It all began sophomore year 2007 at the University of Florida Sig Ep fraternity house party. We were inseparable all night and not too long after we started dating. During undergrad, we were fortunate enough to study abroad together for a semester in Madrid, Spain for 6 months. During that time we travelled to over 10 countries together including Paris, France for Valentine's Day, Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick's Day, and Milan, Italy for Easter just to name a few of the highlights. We both have a love for travel and that experience was an unforgettable lifetime experience that we were able to share together. We then both graduated from UF with Finance degrees in 2010. I went on to pursue my Masters in Accounting in Miami and Jesse took a year off of school to study for the LSAT. He got accepted to Stetson University Law School in St. Petersburg, FL. We did long distance for a year which made us realize we couldn't be a part from each other. I moved up to St. Pete the next year leaving family and friends behind, but it was the best decision I made. We were not in a rush to get married as I wanted him to take his time and finish school. He didn't waste much time though once he graduated. A week later after graduation we got engaged in Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas on May 24, 2014. Atlantis has always been a favorite destination of ours and now it will be a special place to us forever. We have been together for almost 8 years now and I can't wait to spend forever with my best friend and love of my life.



Once they were engaged, the next step was to select where and when they would be married. Andrea describes their search below for the perfect South Florida wedding venue and how they eventually selected the Westin Colonnade and Plymouth Congregational Church in Miami. In addition to these 2 key venues, everyone prepared for wedding at the incomparable Biltmore Hotel which offered the opportunity for them to shoot some really fabulous photos at that iconic location. Between the Westin Colonnade, the Biltmore Hotel and Plymouth Congregational Church, Andrea and Jesse had 3 superb South Florida wedding venues lined up for their special day. Each location offers its own special brand of uniqueness and each has a special Miami flair. As a South Florida wedding photographer, working in 3 such gorgeous locations was definitely a treat.










FROM THE BRIDE: How I picked my venue: We are both from the South Florida area so we were looking anywhere between West Palm Beach and Miami. We found our Reception Venue first and then the Church. We were living in St. Pete at the time we were searching for venues so we had to schedule all of our appointments on the weekends. We scheduled 4 appointments back to back in Miami. One of our appointments ran over time so we thought we were going to have to cancel the appointment to the Westin Colonnade but we were able to stop in for 15 minutes just to take a peak. Boy, we were so glad we stopped in because we were in awe when we saw the Grand Rotunda Ballroom. We fell in love at first glance and could picture our wedding there immediately. The ballroom was two stories high with a fountain in the middle. There wasn't anything about it that we didn't like so there was no question that this was it. We were then on the hunt to find a church near the venue and immediately fell in love with Plymouth Congregation Church as it resembled a castle and had an old medieval vintage type feel to it. Everything just felt so magical at both of our venues and I was able to envision a fairytale wedding that I had always dreamed of.






Many thanks to Andrea and Jesse and both of their families for having us be a part of their very special and most incredible day.


Vendors: Getting Ready/First Look: Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, FL; Church: Plymouth Congregational Church, Coconut Grove, FL; Reception Venue: Westin Colonnade, Coral Gables, FL; Band: Euphoria; Florist: J. Adan Events; Photographer/Videographer: Jeff Kolodny; PhotoMingle: Boca Photo Experience; Specialty Linen: Over the Top; Antique Bentley Car Service: Padrino's; Trolly: Unique Transportation; Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero from Bellissima Bride; Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy; Groom/Groomsmen Attire: JoS. A. Bank; Invitations: Samantha Jade Designs; Wedding Planner: Weddings By Bailey