From the beginning, Lexie and Nick knew they wanted their wedding to feel like more than one special day. Instead, they envisioned a Key West getaway where their closest friends and family could leave everyday life behind, settle into island time, and celebrate with them for an entire weekend.
That vision came to life with help from Destination Wedding Studio when 150 guests traveled to the island, and the festivities seemed to begin almost as soon as everyone arrived. Rather than planning a celebration that felt overly formal or serious, Lexie and Nick embraced everything they loved about Key West: blue water, sunshine, swaying palms, salty air, flowing drinks, and a carefree atmosphere that encouraged everyone to simply have fun together.
A “Key West Formal” dress code
Lexie and Nick created their own name for their wedding dress code: “Key West Formal.”
The idea was to keep the celebration at Casa Marina beautiful and elevated while still feeling appropriate for an island wedding, with effortlessly chic florals by Revelation Floral. Breezy, colorful, and comfortable enough for celebrating beside the ocean was the goal, but the couple added one particularly striking request for their guests.
Everyone was asked to wear white.
Seeing all 150 friends and family members together in white became one of Lexie and Nick’s favorite moments of the wedding. Against the blue water, palm trees, and bright Key West sunshine, the monochromatic guest attire created an unexpectedly dramatic visual while still feeling perfectly suited to the relaxed destination.
Their parents became the “something blue”
Among the sea of white were four intentional pops of color.
Lexie and Nick asked their parents to be the only guests dressed in blue, transforming them into the couple’s “something blue.” It was a simple idea that became one of the most meaningful visual details of the entire day.
The blue attire immediately distinguished their parents while connecting a classic wedding tradition to the larger design of the celebration. Surrounded by 150 guests dressed in white, the four of them stood out beautifully against the waterfront setting.
Waterfront vows surrounded by everyone they love
Photographed by Sarah Murray Photo, Lexie and Nick exchanged vows beside the water, surrounded by many of the people who had been part of their story from the beginning.
The waterfront ceremony embraced the natural beauty of Key West rather than competing with it. Blue water, palms, and sunshine created the backdrop, while the all-white guest attire added a sense of cohesion to the scene.
For a couple who had designed the weekend around bringing everyone they loved together, looking out and seeing those 150 guests gathered in one place became as important as any individual wedding detail.
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A sea of white against the Key West blues
The wedding’s most distinctive design element was ultimately created by the guests themselves.
An all-white dress code allowed the colors of Key West to become even more prominent. The blue water and sky, green palms, and four parents dressed in blue all stood out against the monochromatic crowd, giving the celebration a recognizable aesthetic without requiring an elaborate theme.
It also reflected the balance Lexie and Nick wanted from “Key West Formal.” The sea of white looked elevated when everyone gathered together, but the individual outfits remained breezy and comfortable enough for what came next.
Barefoot dancing under the palm trees
Once Lexie and Nick were officially married, formality quickly gave way to an island party.
Drinks flowed, music played, and shoes eventually came off as the newlyweds and their guests began dancing beneath the palm trees. Before long, everyone was barefoot, celebrating together as the sun disappeared over Key West.
Those unscripted moments became some of Lexie and Nick’s favorites. They remember the happy tears and salty air, their parents standing out in blue, and looking around the celebration to realize that nearly everyone they loved was together in one place.
The wedding was warm, carefree, and just a little wild, exactly as they had hoped it would be.
For one weekend, 150 friends and family members left real life behind and joined Lexie and Nick on island time. A sea of white, four meaningful pops of blue, waterfront vows, and barefoot dancing beneath the palms turned their Key West getaway into the perfect beginning to married life.
