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Jordan and Ryan’s Timeless Lightner Museum Wedding

Bride and groom kissing on bridge in the lightner museum courtyard

Historic architecture, timeless design, and the best vendor team – what more could you ask for? Jordan and Ryan’s Lightner Museum wedding was what dreams are made of. From exchanging their vows in the historic hotel pool to exiting in a vintage car, every moment of this day was perfectly curated. As a St. Augustine wedding photographer, I absolutely love any opportunity to photograph the Lightner Museum, but this celebration stood above the rest. Keep reading for all the details of this stunning Florida wedding.

St. Augustine Wedding Day

Jordan and Ryan knew early on that they wanted to host their wedding in St. Augustine. As Florida natives, the coastal city was close to their relatives and a fun vacation-like destination for anyone coming in from out of town. When they came into town to visit venues, The Lightner Museum was their first stop. Looking back, Jordan called it a “mistake, because during the following tours I was not paying attention and thinking about The Lightner”. This venue is truly one of a kind and makes such a grand impression, I’m not at all surprised that it stole their hearts right away!

The Lightner Museum is one of my favorite wedding venues in St. Augustine, and for good reason. This historic hotel turned art museum is full of history, architecture, and incredible art for your guests to enjoy. With both indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from, there’s truly something here for every couple. I especially love the historic pool, which served as Jordan and Ryan’s ceremony and reception space!

As a bonus, Jordan and Ryan’s wedding day fell during St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights festival — a winter celebration where buildings throughout the city are completely lit up to celebrate the holidays. The Lightner Museum goes all-out, lighting everything from the building itself to even the palm trees! This is one of my favorite times of year to photograph weddings downtown, and I’m so glad we got to take some fun photos outside after dark.

Classic Black & White Wedding Design

In her day-to-day life, Jordan is known for her bold style. She loves lots of colors and prints in her fashion and at home. However, with The Lightner Museum as their backdrop, Jordan and Ryan decided to opt for an understated design that would stand the test of time. Their choice of a black-and-white color scheme perfectly complemented the venue’s incredible architecture, allowing the museum’s history and art to shine. They opted for white flowers and lots of candles, a black & white dance floor, and gold accents throughout the space. Plus, they had a custom monogram crest created, which they used throughout the day on everything from signage and stationery to custom koozies! The result was an elegant, timeless style that blended perfectly with the regal architecture of the space.

Planning with Coastal Celebrations

The thing that stood out to me most about this Lightner Museum wedding was the incredible vendor team. Jordan and Ryan hired Coastal Celebrations to manage their wedding day, and they were truly incredible. Coastal Celebrations is one of the most well-known wedding planning companies in St. Augustine, and they 100% lived up to the hype. Helen was hands-on in assisting both myself and the wedding party the entire day. From fluffing the bride’s train to finding bridal party members and helping with logistics, she made the day extremely easy and allowed the couple a super stress-free day. Jordan even called her “a godsend… I truly credit her for my low-stress levels”.

Lightner Museum Wedding Photography

As much as I adore working at The Lightner Museum, as a museum, they have some restrictions that can be confusing to couples or inexperienced vendors. The primary restriction that couples run into is the need for a special permit to take photos in the courtyard. Even on a wedding day, the courtyard is open to the public during business hours, so it’s important to not only get the correct paperwork, but also to know how to work around guests. For this reason, I highly recommend working with a photographer who has been to the venue before and has a team that is able to play interference and direct tourists out of the background. That being said, the space is 100% worth the extra work, and couples always adore their portraits from this gorgeous venue.

Jordan and Ryan were an absolute dream couple to work with. Not only did they have a stunning wedding day at one of my favorite venues, but they shared such kind words with me afterwards. They said, “Nikki was amazing to work with regarding photography. Not only did she know the venue like the back of her hand and guided me to get the perfect shots once she felt out my aesthetic, but she also was a soundboard for me the day of, helped me button into my dress, and kept things moving and grooving from my end. The picture aesthetic was a very high priority to me, as some photographers have a filter they use on pictures to make them darker/blurry/etc, and that is not what I wanted. I wanted light and bright and, again, timeless. She captured the day so authentically to us and got everything from the hilarious reception dance floor pics, cute moments between Ryan and me, and candids with family.”

If you’re planning a Lightner Museum wedding, I’d love to be a part of your day! Whether you’re looking for insider knowledge or an artist’s eye to capture your special moments, I can help you create your dream day. Head over to my inquiry page to tell me all about your plans so we can craft your perfect photography package together.