Andrea & Brooks Historic Downtown St Augustine wedding | A Fountain of Youth Wedding
Some couples feel like you’ve known them longer than you actually have. Andrea and Brooks are like that.
I knew I was meeting good genuine people the second I read their questionnaire. Andrea caught Brooks’ attention on a dating app by casually dropping knowledge about surveying equipment, because her family’s business sells it and he happens to be a land surveyor. She left for Norway a week into talking to him. He waited. Their first date was at a brewery, and they ended up talking for hours.
It just felt easy. That’s the word that kept coming up when I asked them about their relationship. Easy, comfortable, peaceful. They love the big adventures, kayaking, hiking, beach trips, but they love the ordinary stuff just as much. Walking their dog Birdie. Cooking dinner. Coming home to each other after a long day.
Friendship. Comfort. Ease. That’s how they described themselves in three words, and it’s exactly what their wedding day felt like too.
The proposal happened on a normal walk with Birdie
Brooks kept asking to take Birdie (their dog) for a walk, which was strange, because that’s usually Andrea’s job. By the third time he brought it up, she gave in.
She had a feeling. They’d talked about getting engaged, and she noticed he kept one hand in his pocket the whole time. But she talked herself out of it, because that’s what you do when you don’t want to jinx something.
Halfway through the trail, he took her hand and proposed. No crowd, no setup, just the two of them and their dog doing something they did all the time. That’s Andrea and Brooks in one moment. They don’t need the production. They need it to feel like them.
Why the Fountain of Youth worked so well
They got married at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, fifteen acres of waterfront property with live oaks, Spanish moss, and peacocks that genuinely wander the grounds mid photo session. The ceremony overlooked the Matanzas River and inlet, and the Magnolia Room pavilion held the reception, which meant we never had to load everyone into cars and drive across town. One location, a lot of different backdrops. For a photographer, that’s a gift.
They also planned a first look and got most of their family portraits done before the ceremony. I love this for couples who want their post-ceremony time to actually be spent with their guests instead of disappearing for photos. Once they were married, we were free to enjoy cocktail hour, the toasts, and the people who flew in to be there.
The details that mattered
Andrea wore a Madi Lane gown from The Dressing Room in Celebration. Her something borrowed was a friend’s veil, and she specifically wanted photos with that friend before the ceremony, which is exactly the kind of thing I want to know ahead of time. It’s the difference between photographing a veil and photographing what it means.
Their bridesmaid wore a BHLDN dress that Andrea had worn years earlier in that same friend’s wedding, altered slightly for a baby bump. Soft pink and blue tied everything together, with florals from Flower Works and oatmeal cream pies from Creme de la Cocoa as favors. I would go to a wedding for those pies alone.
Before the wedding, Andrea and Brooks took a trip to Moab and drank from Matrimony Springs, where legend says that if you drink from it with someone you love, you’re destined to marry them and return to Moab together. They drank from the springs. Then they got married. Now they’re planning to go back for their ten year anniversary, and I really hope they do, because it’s the kind of detail that has nothing to do with wedding trends and everything to do with the life they’re actually building.
The last dance
At the end of the night, before their horse drawn carriage exit, Andrea and Brooks took a few minutes alone for a private last dance. After a full day surrounded by a hundred people, they gave themselves that pause to just look at each other and take it in.
I tell every couple to consider this if they can. Wedding days move fast. You’re hugging people, taking photos, eating, dancing, and moving to the next thing before you’ve had a chance to sit with any of it. A few private minutes at the end lets it actually land: we just got married.
Then the carriage came, and just like that, the day was over.
If you’re planning your own St. Augustine wedding
A few things I’d tell you if the Fountain of Youth wedding in St. Augustine is on your list. Build your ceremony time around the light and talk to your photographer early about it. A first look isn’t required, but it buys you time with your guests later. Give your family photo list to someone who actually knows everyone, so we’re not hunting people down. And plan for Florida weather. The Magnolia Room is air conditioned, which matters more than people expect.
For guests coming into town, Historic Downtown puts everyone within walking distance of restaurants and St. George Street, while Vilano Beach is a quieter, more relaxed option that’s still close to the venue. Either way, make a weekend of it. Get your people in early, go out for margaritas, and let the wedding be part of a trip instead of the only event.
Andrea and Brooks, thank you for letting me into your story. I hope you’re back in Moab for that ten year anniversary, drinking from Matrimony Springs all over again.
A Fountain of Youth Wedding in St. Augustine
Andrea & Brooks’ Wedding Team
Venue: Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
Planning: Liz Duncan, LA Events
Photography: Laura Perez Photography
Dress: Madi Lane, The Dressing Room
Florals: Flower Works
Hair: Katherine Taff
Makeup: Christina Burns
Entertainment: COS Entertainment
Cake: Creme de la Cocoa
Catering: Purple Olive
Bridesmaid Dress: BHLDN
Groom’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Invitations: Minted
Horse-Dawn Carriage: Coastal Celebrations
