A Sunset Wedding on North Captiva Island in Southwest Florida

Sunset wedding on North Captiva Island in in Southwest Florida

Theresa and Matt’s storybook wedding took place just before sunset on the beach of North Captiva Island, Florida. The tiny barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico holds a special place in the couple’s heart… it is where the bride’s family owns a vacation home and where her parents, who passed away 14 years ago, would watch every sunset.

The couple thoughtfully planned their dream wedding there in a way that not only shared the magic of the Island, but also created a fun, memorable experience for their guests. They loved the location for its natural, beachy yet unpretentious vibe. There are no cars on the Island, so when guests arrived by water ferry, they were greeted with golf carts - their mode of transportation for the weekend.

To set the tone of the event, Theresa designed the wedding invitations and hand-painted them with blush pink watercolor to match the wedding colors. Jen House Photography captured the day. You can see all the photos in the full gallery.

The Proposal

From The Bride -My husband, Matt Fleck, and I met how many modern couples meet nowadays, on a dating app. While our “how did you meet” story may not be all that spectacular, our love story surely is.

After only three weeks of dating, I knew Matt was the one…and told him so. Thankfully he felt the same way and my bold proclamation didn’t scare him away! He is thoughtful, supportive, fun-loving, funny (in a dad-joke-kind-of-way, which I adore), and absolutely perfect for me.

For our one year anniversary, Matt and I spent a long weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to celebrate. As we were watching the sunset over the lake, Matt surprised me and got down on one knee, said lots of nice things, and asked me to marry him. It was the easiest and best decision of my life

Beach wedding invitations with rings and natural decorations

Bridesmaids toasting with champagne, wedding day celebration

Elegant wedding dress hanging by a window with shoes and flowers Elegant engagement ring in a stylish leather jewelry box

Bride with bridesmaids getting ready on wedding day

Elegant beige Louboutin sandals with natural coastal decor Wedding rings and jewelry arranged on tropical green leaves

The Wedding Inspiration

Two of my parents’ best friends married us on the beach. While it’s traditional to only have one officiant for the wedding, we really wanted both of them to marry us. They are an amazing example of the loving, faith-filled marriage that we aspire to have.

I had a locket with my parents’ photos and my dad’s wedding band wrapped to my bouquet so they could “walk” me down the aisle.

Wedding invitation with tropical vibes and party details

Brown paper tote bag with wedding details printed on it

Creating Memorable Moments

We wanted to create a fun, memorable experience for guests. I designed our wedding invitations and hand-painted them with blush pink watercolor to match our wedding style.

At our welcome reception the night before the wedding, guests received goodie bags that said “Totes Went To The Fleck Wedding” filled with Island essentials- like custom koozies for their beach drinks, of course

We offered guests flip flops and pashminas to keep them comfortable at our outdoor reception. And good music was a must! We had an acoustic guitarist serenade guests on the beach before and during the ceremony, followed by steel drums at the cocktail hour.

Flowers can get pricey fast, so we decided to focus most of our flower budget in two areas for the biggest impact – our wedding arch and the 8 foot long floral installation that hung above the head table.

Bride with bouquet standing on a sandy beach near the ocean

Bride and flower girls smiling on a tropical beach wedding Mother and daughter sharing an intimate moment, hugging on a beach

Flower girl embraces, wedding day with bridesmaids in background

Bride with bridesmaids celebrating on a beach wedding day

Bride throwing bouquet at her wedding with bridesmaids in pastel pink dresses Blonde bride smiles with flower crown, bouquet, and beach backdrop

Groomsmen in smart attire posing together outdoors on a beach Man fastening navy blue suit jacket button close up

Bride and Groom

Matt wore a custom tailored navy blazer with a custom white dress shirt and grey wool pants, and Theresa wore a delicate embroidered lace gown by Kenneth Winston with a tulle overskirt.

Man in suit walks on a path, palm trees above him Newlyweds embracing in a beautiful tropical wedding setting

Couple on beach celebrating wedding day, serene coastal vibes

Wedding sign with names Theresa and Matt, floral decor on beach

Beach wedding setup with chairs and arch on white sand near the ocean

Beach wedding sign with names and date on a sandy beach Wedding program featuring names and date on a tropical leaf

wedding ceremony made of birch wood adorned with flowers

Beach wedding ceremony with guests sitting on white chairs

Three young boys in suspenders walk at a beach wedding ceremony Wedding rings on a pillow with starfish decor on a blue dish

Flower girls in white dresses holding hands at beach wedding

Bride escorted on beach wedding day with two men Groom awaiting his bride in a navy suit at an outdoor wedding

Beach wedding ceremony with bride, groom and wedding guests

The Wedding Vows

The couple exchanged vows under a driftwood-and-floral arch in the sand overlooking the ocean.

After sunset guests were ushered to the reception, held at the Island Club’s pavilion, where the live steel drums created a peaceful, tropical ambiance. Midway through the reception Matt surprised guests by reading a poem in memory of Theresa’s parents, and playing a remastered recording of a song about the island written and performed by her father.

Happy couple celebrates their wedding at an outdoor ceremony

Newlyweds embracing at sunset on the beach, veil lifted

Elegant bride holding bouquet on beach at sunset

The Bouquet

The bouquet by Something Bloomed was filled with eucalyptus and a variety of blush pink roses and ranunculus flowers. It had lots of organic movement and doubled as part of the head table décor at the reception.

Wedding reception seating chart for Theresa & Matt with calligraphy

Elegant wedding reception floral decor with hanging flowers Wedding speech with floral arrangements and smiling guests

The Reception

For the reception Theresa replaced her veil with a flower crown of white roses, handmade by their florist, Something Bloomed. The tablescape décor had varying heights to give the room dimension, with several tables having three foot tall greenery stands, and several with table-height florals, candles and greenery. Silk monstera leaves served as placemats. The couple focused most of their flower budget in two areas for the biggest impact – the wedding arch and the 8 foot long floral installation that hung above the head table.

As the founder of Big T NYC, an organic tea company, Theresa ensured there was plenty of organic iced tea on hand for guests to sip on, along with a signature green tea-infused cocktail at the reception. Matt has the sweet tooth in the relationship so he found the best cake baker in the area, LadyCakes Bakery, and worked with them to create a beautiful, three-tiered vanilla bean cake.