Florida is not a place I'd expect to see a fall wedding. Like Italy or California, it's one of those settings that seems to bask in eternal sunshine, dreamy light and summer vibes.

So it's always pretty cool when you see a couple buck the trend for their location, and today's bride and groom, Rich & Kim, did just that.

There was not a flamingo or a palm tree in sight for their elegant Palm Beach wedding, instead, they went for rich fall tones, blending them seamlessly with the sandy hues and glistening golds of their beachy backdrop.

The super talented Jessica Bordner Photography captured every moment of their day, from Kim's teary Facetime as she got ready (check out her fab shoes and beautiful earrings!) to Rich welling up as he saw his gorgeous bride for the first time.

Their ceremony was a traditional Catholic wedding (and just wait 'til you read what happened at the end, you're going to want to steal the idea!), while their reception at Jupiter Beach Resort was romantic, cosy, and kept up the fall feel beautifully.

This wedding just goes to show, that even if you're keeping your big day traditional and classic, there's still plenty of room to make your mark, and put lots of personal stamps on your celebration.

Wedding Snapshot

Our Love Story

Rich and I met in law school. At first, I had no interest in him. He tricked me into a dinner date and the rest is history. He proposed at Jonathan Dickinson State Park out on the water while canoeing. The best part of it was that his parents and my family were waiting back at the dock to celebrate with us.

Our Wedding

I wanted our wedding be very warm, inviting and romantic. The colors I chose were merlot and ivory with accents of gold. Our wedding in three words? Intimate, traditional, romantic.

The Dresses

My dress was lace and organza. It was traditional with the lace bodice but also very different with the layers of organza for the skirt. I chose ivory rather than white. It was the perfect dress for me. My bridesmaids were in merlot strapless chiffon dresses. The color was gorgeous on each of my girls. The style complimented each of their body styles very well.

The Flowers

I wanted my flowers to be a little different than the traditional roses, orchids, etc. I wanted wildflowers. Beth from Southern Floral Company totally captured my vision. S he used hydrangeas, berries, ranunculus,dahlias, seeded eucalyptus and scabiosa pods, just to name a few. The flowers were exactly what I imagined.

The Photography

We chose Jess because we loved her vibe. She made us feel so relaxed about the whole thing. She really is so talented!

The Venue

Rich's parents stayed at the Jupiter Beach Resort while they were in Florida for our engagement. It is an intimate resort which we loved. The resort features dark woods while still having a Florida beach vibe. It was perfect and the staff could not have been more accommodating.

The Ceremony

Our ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass. One very special moments was when we surprised our parents by having them renew their vows after the ceremony.

The Honeymoon

We have not gone on our honeymoon yet. We are going to Spain and England for a couple weeks in April. We cannot wait!

The Decor & Details

I wanted the venue to feel very romantic and intimate. I opted for candles and faint uplighting. Instead of guestbook, we had a wood sign made with our last name for everyone to sign. It's something that we will actually use to decorate our house. Our favors were personalized chocolate bars. I ordered a few signs off of Etsy to decorate as well. Dinner was a formal sit down dinner. It was delicious. We opted for a duet plate of Filet and Florida Grouper. The wedding cake was a pound cake with chocolate filling. It was decorated with buttercream icing and fresh flowers. It was very simple but so tasty.

The Refreshments

Our wedding was perfect because of all our guests. We have the most amazing family and friends. Most of Rich's closets friends live in New Jersey. It was so special that they all made the trip down to spend our big day with us.

What Made Our Wedding So Special

Our first dance song was "You're My Best Friend". It was not the version done by Queen but the version by The Once. We loved the lyrics; it describes our relationship perfectly.

The Music

These two seem like the sweetest couple, 'Best Friends' is a lovely song idea for a first dance. And how cool that their parents renewed their vows too - I just love that idea!

Be inspired by more beautiful real weddings.

Thanks so much to Jessica Bordner Photography, and our newlyweds, Kim & Rich for sharing their intimate fall wedding with us.