Christian & Trey’s Beachy, Peachy Key West Sailboat Wedding

updated May 3, 2019
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Michael Freas (Image credit: )

Bride & Groom: Christian & Trey
Wedding Date: March 15, 2016
Venue: Smathers Beach, Key West, Florida
Number of guests: 20

When searching for a wedding venue, you don’t have to limit yourself to ballrooms. Or any room, really. If what you’re after is a reception on a sailboat – complete with a tiered cake and an open bar – somewhere off the coast of Florida with 20 of your closest people, then just know… it’s totally an option.

Michael Freas (Image credit: )

That’s exactly what Christian and Trey did for their recent nuptials, tackling a destination bash in Key West with lots of laid-back style. First, they said “I do” in a ceremony right on the sandy shore of Smathers Beach. Then, after a trolley ride around town (some of the guys traveled alongside on motor scooters), the intimate guest list all hopped aboard a sailboat to celebrate with beers and cake. Ain’t life grand?

Christian was kind enough to share some memories of the day with us here at Apartment Therapy, which you can read below. Then check out the gallery for all the beautiful photos from the talented Mike Freas.

Michael Freas (Image credit: )

How did you meet?
We met through mutual friends. We became friends and over time we fell in love!

How would you describe your wedding style?
Fun and laid back.

Michael Freas (Image credit: )

What was totally “you” about your wedding?
Our style is very classic with a modern flair, so our shoes were totally us. We wore yellow converse, along with our wedding party of two bridesmaids, two groomsmen, and a flower girl. The shoes represented our fun and adventurous personalities. We wanted something also to unite our wedding party.

Biggest challenge:
Planning out of town and trusting our wedding planner to make our vision come to life. She was fantastic!

MichaelFreas (Image credit: )

Proudest DIY:
We made each of our wedding guests’ welcome bags. They included items like keepsake bottles to collect sand on our wedding day, wedding magnets with our names and wedding date, and essentials like aspirin (for the hangovers!), breath mints, and sunscreen.

Most worthwhile splurge:
The hotel rooms. We wanted a central location for our wedding and for our guests to be a part of it all. We paid for our guests to stay with us and we were within walking distance of the local clubs and bars.

What we skipped or did without:
We didn’t have a fancy rehearsal dinner. We arrived in Key West on a Sunday night and our wedding was the upcoming Tuesday. We hung out with friends and family and made memories every day leading up to the wedding.

Michael Freas (Image credit: )

Favorite detail:
We loved our boat ride reception. It was very intimate and all of our guests enjoyed themselves.

Favorite memory of the day:
The first look. There was so much anticipation leading up to seeing each other.

What our guests said:
Everyone had a blast! They keep saying they want to go back to key west again.

Your best advice for anyone planning a wedding:
The destination wedding was the way to go. We were never stressed and pretty much everything was taken care of for us.

Thanks, Christian & Trey!

Michael Freas (Image credit: )
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The bride, Christian, and her groom, Trey. The couple chose to have a destination wedding beachside in Key West, Florida. (Image credit: Foto by Freas)

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