Briana & Chris’ St. Patrick’s Day wedding at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

Say “Hello” to the MOST perfect wedding day at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida! I can’t think of a more perfect wedding venue to host a St. Patricks Day wedding.  The lush greenery and romantic architecture gives a timeless appeal for any wedding day…but especially this one. From the florals to the invitations the green details were done in the most tasteful way. Fun Fact: Briana & Chris got engaged at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland! Which set the perfect tone for thier Irish vibe wedding.

Bridal Prep in the Tower Suite at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida !

Briana and her bridesmaids got ready in the Tower Suite. Briana was absolutely glowing in every way possible. I feel like her happiness and joy was contagious!  That photo with the First Look with her Bridesmaids tho…(keep scrollin’ you’ll see it), that photo to me, is the epitome of what it feels like to feel so incredibly beautiful on your wedding day! All of the girls were SO happy and full of smiles that it made for some amazing photo ops.

Groomsmen in Green at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

The First “UNLOOK” at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

A First “Unlook”…what the heck is that? As we were planning Briana & Chris’ photo timeline we ran into a huge dilemma…the ceremony was right before sunset, which meant, in theory, there wouldn’t be enough time for couples portraits after. Now, I can take some pretty cool photos with flash but for this venue, in particular, I felt like it wouldn’t do it justice NOT to capture the couple with some natural light in that beautiful garden.

So I was stressin’ because I never like to half-ass anything and I was praying for the best solution because a true “first look” was off the table. About a month after we went over the timeline I ran into an article on about a photographer doing a first “unlook” with a couple. She had run into the same problem and this was her solution…have her couple posed in such a way that the groom would NEVER see the bride prior to the ceremony. This way you would have your couples portraits in natural light AND you would keep with tradition without seeing each other before the ceremony!

This was truly the answers to muh prayers!! I presented the blog post to Briana & Chris and they LOVED the idea! So we planned sometime before the ceremony to take couples portraits doing the first “Unlook” and below is the outcome:

A Garden Ceremony overlooking the St. John’s River at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

Briana and Chris recited their vows on the back garden terrace that over look’s the St. John’s River. The ceremony site is covered by a 300-year-old Live Oak tree that is draped in Spanish Moss. It truly has the most romantic vibe. Luckliy we did have some time super close to sunset for some couples portraits in that Golden Hour dreaminess light.

A Top O’ the World Reception St. Patty’s Reception at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

The rest of the evening was really the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow filled day. Guests enjoyed warm company and awesome music provided by Nice Entertainment. Once the party started it didn’t slow down. The reception area at the Club Continental has a quaintness about it that provided an Irish Pub feel at the end of the night that was perfect for the party!

Lucky In Love at The Club Continental Wedding Venue in Jacksonville, Florida :

I truly feel lucky to have been a part of such an AMAZING DAY!  I can’t not say enough amazing things about Briana & Chris, as well as their families! I spent the past year photographing their journey and it’s been nothing short of incredible. They truly feel like family to me. Be sure to check out their destination engagement session in Asheville, North Carolina.

I will end this blog post with an Old Irish Blessing:

“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

Vendor Information:

Event Manager: Flaire Weddings 

Hair & Make-Up: Eye Do Make-Up & Hair

Videography: External Image Films

Entertainment: Nice Entertainment

My Amazing Second Shooter: Nicole Kelley Blue Birch Photography