Vanderbilt Mansion Fisher Island Wedding

What would you say about an exclusive private island as a wedding location? I can tell you it is even more whimsical than it sounds.

I must confess that once I attended the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding, and saw how excited the families were, I knew Elina and Alvaro's wedding at Vanderbilt Mansion in Miami would be a lot of fun to photograph.

Elina and Alvaro chose Miami to celebrate their wedding as a middle ground between New York and Venezuela, where Alvaro’s family comes from. The Vanderbilt Mansion was simply breathtaking and the gorgeous chuppah decorated with white blooms that complemented the bride’s white orchid bouquet made a wonderful ceremony location.  The outdoor ceremony was amazing, followed by a reception filled with smiles, tons of fun and lots of dancing. And, by the way, the guests who made it until the end were rewarded with the last “crazy hour” of hard partying. It was definitely worth being the last ones to go home!

The Russian band that came all the way from New York to provide the entertainment really managed to get everyone up and dancing, creating an intimate party atmosphere. Another highlight of the reception was Elina's friend who performed a belly dance that surprised and charmed the guests. 

My congratulations go out to Elina and Alvaro for not only tying the knot, but for doing it with such a wonderful weekend in Miami that was true to them.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for trusting me with this task.

Enjoy the photo gallery of Elina and Alvaro's wedding, from Vanderbilt Mansion in Miami, above.