THE FACTS:
THE BRIDE: Maria Morgun, 29, Marketing Manager
THE GROOM: Christopher (Chris) Anstett, 29, Airline Pilot
THE DATE: 9/22/2023
THE LOCATION: Largo Resort, Key Largo, Florida
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 70
THE BEGINNING:
HOW YOU MET:
College Sweethearts
Chris and Maria met through mutual friends while attending college in Jacksonville, Florida. Their first date was at a sushi restaurant.
THE PROPOSAL:
While on vacation at the Saint Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort in Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives, Chris arranged for them to have a private dinner on the beach so he could propose to Maria. After Chris proposed and Maria said, “Yes,” they celebrated with a bottle of champagne. It was opened by the Saint Regis staff using a saber sword, a Maldives ritual.
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE:
In 2016, when Chris asked Maria to be his girlfriend, he gave her a message in a bottle with a handwritten note. Chris incorporated the same bottle with another message in his proposal to Maria. He also gave Maria a bottled message before they recited their vows.
THE PLANNING:
Chris and Maria hired Latrice Johnson from Blue Water Weddings as their consultant. Latrice was the couple’s liaison with the Largo Resort staff and other vendors. She created their wedding timeline and coordinated logistics. “We knew wedding planning was not easy,” said Maria. “You cannot truly understand the complexity of it until you have experienced planning a wedding.”
THE DETAILS:
THE THEME & COLORS
Chris and Maria’s vision for their wedding was elegant but simple. They chose light tan and sage green colors to complement Largo’s tropical greenery, blooming flowers and sandy beach.
THE INVITATIONS:
A friend of Chris and Maria’s created their wedding invitations. The invitations featured hibiscus flowers and palm leaves. Maria said, “The invitations played an important role in announcing the aesthetic and vibe of our wedding.”
THE BRIDE WORE:
Maria wore an ivory mermaid-styled dress by Maggie Sottero. The dress had a sheer bodice with a shimmery lace motif and tulle. Her shoes were off-white with pearl beads, and they had block heels.
THE BRIDESMAIDS WORE:
Maria’s four bridesmaids wore satin champagne color dresses. “I wanted each bridesmaid to choose her dress style so they would be comfortable and look their best,” said Maria.
THE GROOM & THE GUYS WORE:
The groom and his groomsmen wore tan-colored suits from Jim’s Formal Wear. Each wore matching suspenders.
FLOWERS:
Hibiscus was featured prominently in all the floral decor. “My bridal bouquet and the bridesmaid bouquets contained white hibiscus flowers,” said Maria. The groom’s and groomsmen’s boutonnieres included these blooms as well.
VENUE:
Chris and Maria selected the Largo Resort in Key Largo, Florida, as their wedding venue because they wanted to get married at a luxury beach. Their wedding package included complete exclusivity to the Resort during their ceremony and reception. The bride and bridesmaids dressed at the Largo Resort, while the groomsmen dressed off-site and arrived at the ceremony by boat.
THE CEREMONY:
DECOR & SETUP OF SPACE:
The ceremony took place at the end of the Resort’s pier. The weather was overcast during the ceremony. “But the rain on the horizon created a beautiful backdrop for our photos with the contrasting sky colors,” Maria said.
READINGS & VOWS:
Chris and Maria were married under a wooden arbor adorned with white hibiscus flowers. The couple exchanged wedding vows they had written. “We were lucky to have a family friend be our officiant,” Maria said. “It was amazing to have someone marry us who has watched us grow as a couple.”
MUSIC:
DJ Russ Ginsberg played the ceremony music. The wedding party walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift. Maria’s grand entrance music was a cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presley sung by Kina Grannis. The recessional song was “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole.
PICTURES:
Chris and Maria hired Lisa and Greg Poland to capture their digital wedding memories. While the couple’s guests mingled at the tiki bar, their photographers captured sunset portraits of Chris and Maria and their wedding party at the Resort’s pier.
COCKTAIL HOUR:
Chris and Maria’s signature drink was a classic margarita. They named it the Frenchie Margarita after their French bulldogs, Lola and Toast. The couple’s bulldogs were present at the wedding.
During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed New York Chinese fried chicken bites, hanger steak, Asian beef, fried firecracker shrimp and buffalo shrimp as appetizers.
Easy-going, light island music played in the background.
THE RECEPTION:
CENTERPIECES, DECOR, & SETUP OF SPACE:
The reception was held on the Resort’s beach. The decor was simple but elegant. Three large farmhouse-style wooden tables were set up in a U-shape with the dance floor in the center of the tables. The tables were decorated with runners, loose monstera, palm leaves, flowers and candle centerpieces.
MENU HIGHLIGHTS:
“Dade County Food Group did a fantastic job catering our dinner,” said Maria. The entrees included Angus prime rib, oven-roasted salmon, and herb-marinated grilled chicken. Guests enjoyed a variety of side dishes including truffle mac and cheese, French-style green beans, sweet potato gratin, mixed green garden salad and citrus arugula salad. Mini key lime cake squares were enjoyed as dessert.
TOASTS:
The matron of honor speech was full of emotion, memories and a few jokes about the groom. The best man’s speech meant a lot to the couple. “The best man is not a public speaker, but he pulled off a sweet and personal toast,” Maria said.
THE WEDDING CAKE:
The couple’s wedding cake was a six-inch vanilla cake with buttercream filling and soft wave icing. It was decorated with fresh pink and white roses and greenery.
FIRST DANCES:
Chris and Maria took dance lessons at The Wedding Dance Studio in Jacksonville, Florida.
Their first dance song was “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. The groom and his mother danced to “Because You Loved Me” by Céline Dion.
THE FAVORS:
Chris and Marie wrote handwritten notes to each guest and incorporated them into their seating chart. The letters were filled with funny stories, heartfelt messages and photos. Chris chose airplane bottle openers to be given out to guests to commemorate his love of flying.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:
The couple’s hotel accommodations were at Largo Resort. Many of their guests also stayed at the Resort.
HONEYMOON:
The couple is planning a 2024 honeymoon.
FUN FACTS:
WISE WORDS:
Chris and Maria recommend that couples take a few private moments after the ceremony to breathe and feel that “we did it” feeling.
WEDDING DISASTERS:
The groom, groomsmen and officiant were each monitoring the weather forecast because they were arriving at the ceremony by boat. “We were lucky we left the neighboring resort when we did because of the incoming storm,” Chris said.
INGREDIENTS LIST:
CEREMONY SITE
Largo Resort
Key Largo, FL
(305) 451-0424
RECEPTION SITE
Largo Resort
Key Largo, FL
(305) 451-0424
PHOTOGRAPHY
Lisa & Greg Poland Photography
Islamorada, FL
(305) 393-3327
CONSULTANT
Latrice Johnson
Blue Water Weddings
(305) 283-0066
OFFICIANT
Nancy Hocking
GOWN
Maggie Sottero
Debra’s Bridal
Jacksonville, FL
(904) 519-9900
SHOES
DSW
Kelly & Katie
HAIR
Beauty by Creative at Heart
Palm Beach, FL
(561) 310-3231
MAKEUP
Beauty by Creative at Heart
Palm Beach, FL
(561) 310-3231
INVITATIONS
Eileen Graphics
Newport, RI
FLOWERS
Island Blooms
Tavernier, FL
(305) 304-3504
RENTAL EQUIPMENT
Keys Audio
Tavernier, FL
CATERING
Dade County Food Group
Miami, FL
(305) 965-7764
MUSIC Ceremony and Reception
DJ Russ Ginsberg
(954) 816-3384
ENTERTAINMENT
DJ Russ Ginsberg
(954) 816-3384
DANCE LESSONS
The Dance Shack Studio
Jacksonville, FL
(904) 329-2946
CAKE
Unique D’Lites
Miami, FL
(305) 303-0829
FAVORS
Amazon
ACCOMMODATIONS
Largo Resort
Key Largo, FL
(305) 451-0424
