Grace and Carl's intimate wedding at Jekyll Island Club and Resort was modern, classic and so personal to them. This Georgia wedding venue sits right by the water with historic homes and spanish moss trees. It is a southern coastal dream for couples looking for a place for their guests to both celebrate and vacation.
The Jekyll Island Club Resort cottages were designed to reflect a Tuscan style, and the Cherokee and Crane cottages are two of the venues most popular locations for weddings. Both cottages can house weddings guests for the weekend. The wedding venue accommodates the couples' families with golf carts to move around the large property with ease.
I first met Grace's family in the summer of 2021 when her sister and matron of honor, Sarah, reached out to me about a family photoshoot in Tampa, Fl, her family's hometown. Being in the off season, I said yes and we began to plan. Partially through our planning, Sarah learned that Grace's then boyfriend, Carl, would be proposing, so we planned a small engagement photoshoot after the family photos to celebrate these two! Here are some of my favorites from their engagement photoshoot at the University of Tampa:
THE WEDDING DAY: MODERN WEDDING AT JEKYLL ISLAND CLUB RESORT
Grace and Carl's wedding party and family stayed at the Cherokee Cottage, a historic mansion located at the Jekyll Island Club Resort that sits right at the water's edge with the best sunset views. The 10 room Tuscan style home was built in 1904 and now serves as one of the venue's most popular sites to host weddings.
THE WEDDING DAY DETAILS: Black & White with Greenery Accents
The wedding details typically include your wedding invitation suite, jewelry, vow books, shoes and heirloom pieces. Grace opted for a minimal black and white theme for her wedding invitations, and included so many personal touches. She wore heirloom earrings, her sister's veil, and had a piece of her Nina's lace wedding dress stitched into hers – I always love the personalized touches on a wedding day!
GETTING READY FOR THE WEDDING DAY – At the Cherokee Cottage, Jekyll Island Club Resort
Grace and Carl got ready for the wedding day with their closest friends and family in the cottage. We spent the morning leisurely preparing for the ceremony – and helping the bride and groom avoid seeing each other pre ceremony ;)
THE FIRST LOOK
The (almost) newlyweds did their first look and exchanged private vows under this stunning spanish moss tree in the front yard of the cottage. The lighting was *chefs kiss* perfect, and you could just feel the love and emotion between these two!
THE WEDDING CEREMONY
Their intimate wedding ceremony was held under the Spanish moss trees with an attendance of around 20 people. The bride and groom opted for an intimate feel with only their immediate family and a few close friends, and it was so special! The ceremony was even performed by the father of the groom – cue the tears.
I absolutely love photographing intimate weddings because the focus truly is the couple, their love story, their marriage and celebrating those important things.
SUNSET PORTRAITS – The perfect time of day for golden hour photos of the bride & groom
We snuck our sweet bride and groom out for sunset portraits and let me tell you – no one ever regrets that 15-20 minutes away! It's a breather for the couple and a moment to escape the wedding craziness, and it's the BEST lighting of the day for your wedding photos!
Grace wanted a more editorial look and loved black and whites, motion blur, and those more creative shots. We had so much fun photographing a mix of documentary style candids and more posed artistic editorial shots for their bridals.
Grace's dress was a modern simple gown with a v neck and low back designed by BHLDN x Jenny Yoo. I am such a sucker for the timeless modern & simple bridal looks and she absolutely killed her bridal fashion choices!
THE RECEPTION – Modern Whites & Greenery for an Intimate Wedding Dinner
This intimate reception dinner space sat about 22 guests and featured the most stunning florals by A Happily Ever After Floral, a Jacksonville wedding florist. The tablescape was lined with baby's breath and white rose, custom guest name tags and white linens.
The guests enjoyed a three course meal followed by wedding toasts, first dances and party time with our stellar DJ, We Are The Needle.
THE EXIT – A SPARKLER SENDOFF IN A VINTAGE CAR
The newlyweds were sent off with sparklers and in a vintage getaway car that we totally stopped to take some photos in! Vintage car wedding exits are always a favorite. Be sure to carve out some time in your wedding timeline to take photos with the getaway car!
Also, pro tip, buy the long burning sparklers so you have plenty of time to organize your exit!
VENDOR LIST
Photographer: Grace Torres Photography, FL & GA Wedding Photographer
Florist: A Happily Ever After Floral
Beauty: GA Coastal Glam
Dress: BHLDN x Jenny Yoo
This blog post about Grace & Carl's modern minimal wedding day in Jekyll Island, GA, was written by Grace Torres, a Florida - Georgia luxury wedding photographer.