Situated on the water of Sarasota Bay, The Ca dZan on the grounds of the Ringling Museum is a magical place, surrounded by manicured lawns and banyan trees. Ashton and Steve worked with their wedding planner NK Productions Wedding Planning to create an intimate wedding with a secret garden feel. Their ceremony featured ethereal hand lettered signage while a half circle of flowers surrounded the couple as they said their vows. The reception space overflowed with flowers from MMD Events, including tent poles and chandeliers draped in greenery. The couple created a custom crest that was featured on their dance floor and in custom inlays on the bar, giving the event an upscale, elegant feel. We’re completely smitten with all of the details and sun-dappled images of this wedding day captured by Justin DeMutiis Photography!
How did you meet? From The Bride: “It was the summer of 2008, and we both had moved to Atlanta in preparation for our first jobs out of college, at Macy’s Corporate office. A few weeks before work was set to begin, a college friend invited Steve to his girlfriend’s house party. Coincidentally she and Ashton were roommates and had discovered that both Ashton and Steve were set to start work at Macy’s and were insistent we meet. Steve was excited at the idea of knowing someone in his training class, especially after he checked out her Facebook profile to find out she was a cute, southern blonde, something very unfamiliar to him having grown up exclusively in the North. They both had a genuinely fun time getting to know each other that night. What started as a work friendship, eating lunch together quickly turned into a budding relationship, spending time outside work together at sporting events, dinners, and bars with friends on the weekends.” 
What is your proposal story? From The Bride: “After 5 years of dating and moves to and from NYC, it was finally time to settle down! Both of us agreed that we wanted to stop paying rent and were ready to put down some roots in Atlanta. So after spending the Spring of 2015 house hunting, we bought a home together in the uptown neighborhood of Collier Hills.” From the Groom: “I had planned to ask Ashton to marry me once we were moved into our new home, but a spontaneous trip to Florida the week before move-in quickly changed those plans. Memorial Day weekend at the beach, surrounded by her family, seemed like the perfect time to pop the question. After many workdays spent deep in thought planning how I was going to ask I got down on one knee during an early morning walk along the beach, taking Ashton completely by surprise. All the practice in the world couldn’t have prepared me for the nerves I felt in that moment, or for how happy I was after I heard her say “Yes.”
Photography: Justin DeMutiis Photography // Venue: Cadzan Sarasota, FL // Event Planning: NK Productions Wedding Planning // Floral: MMD Events // Videography: Voila Cinematic // Wedding Cake: Cakes by Ron // Rentals: MMD Events // Linens: BBJ Linen // Hair: Fresh Salon // Makeup: Fresh Salon // Invitations: A&P Designs // Signage: Meg Grant & Co. // Lighting: Swag Decor // Calligraphy: The Refined Pen // Bridal Salon: Isabel O’Neil Bridal // Band: Evolution Party Band // Catering: Michael’s on East // Wedding Dress: Ines Di Santo // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Groom’s Attire: Calvin Klein // Veil: Isabel O’Neil Bridal // Guest Book Alternative: Simply Jessica Marie // Earrings: Kate Spade //Submitted via: Matchology