A Coastal Romantic Wedding at Sand Pearl Resort | Emily & Tim
Emily and Tim's wedding at Sand Pearl Resort is exactly the kind of coastal romantic wedding that makes Clearwater Beach one of my favorite places to photograph. Their palette of dusty mauve and sage green florals was gorgeous against the resort's soft, sandy tones, and the whole day felt effortlessly elegant from the getting ready to the last dance.
Emily got ready with her mom and bridesmaids in mauve and sage silk robes, and the morning was full of the kind of quiet, happiness every bride deserves. Her bridesmaids surprised her with a memory book filled with messages from friends and family, near and far, the kind of gift that gets pulled out and reread for years. One of my favorite details they both had was custom perfume and cologne hand painted with their name and wedding date. Tim gave the guys custom engraved pocket watches to complete their look with their light gray suits and ties that matched the girls dresses.
Emily and Tim made an intentional choice from the start: they wanted as much time as possible with their guests at the reception, not tucked away for portraits. So we did a first look, followed by wedding party and full family portraits, all before the ceremony. It's one of my favorite ways to structure a wedding day, and it meant that once cocktail hour started, they were free to actually enjoy it.
Sand Pearl's lobby ended up being the perfect backdrop for their family formals — the space is one of my favorites to shoot in, and it happened to complement their mauve and sage palette beautifully.
Emily and Tim said their vows on the lawn in front of Sand Pearl's fountain, with the beach visible just beyond all the coastal romance of a beach wedding, without a single grain of sand underfoot. It's one of the reasons this venue is such a favorite for a Clearwater Beach wedding: you get that dreamy waterfront backdrop with the ease of solid ground.
For their reception, Emily and Tim did a room reveal and danced their first dance the moment the room was set — flowers fresh, candles lit, nothing yet disturbed by a night of celebrating. I love this approach so much more than the traditional last dance at the end of the night, when the room has been lived in for hours. Getting that dance on film while everything is still pristine makes for some of the most beautiful frames of the whole day.
The evening was cloudy, but it turned into one of the most striking skies I've photographed — moody blues over the Gulf, with Emily and Tim tucked onto their balcony overlooking the beach. Sometimes the days that don't go as planned weather-wise give you the most memorable light.
Before the party really got going, we pulled together a quick moment with all of their guests on the dance floor for a group photo — fast, easy, and such a sweet way to have every person who came to celebrate captured in one frame. Ben with Grant Hemond & Associates (double-check that vendor spelling before this goes live) had it done in no time, and then the dance floor didn't empty for the rest of the night.
Emily and Tim's day was a beautiful reminder that a coastal romantic wedding doesn't have to mean sand between your toes, sometimes it just means the ocean as your backdrop and the people you love closest to you. If you're planning a wedding at Sand Pearl Resort or anywhere along Clearwater Beach, I'd love to help you tell your story, click HERE to send us a note!
Meet the Creative Team
Venue: Sand Pearl Resort
Florals, Planning & Photo Booth: Artistry Designs
Hair & Makeup: Femme Akoi
Ceremony Music: Sunset Strings
Reception DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates
Gown: Paváne Couture Bridal
Tuxedos: Men's Wearhouse
Invitations: Minted
Cake: Chantilly Cakes
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
Videography: Hearts Video