Dedra and Emiliano’s Key West Garden Club Wedding
When couples ask us about unique outdoor wedding venues in Key West, the Key West Garden Club is always part of the conversation. Also known as West Martello Tower, this historic venue combines tropical gardens, Civil War history, ocean views, and multiple event spaces, making it one of the most distinctive wedding venues on the island.
PRESS PLAY TO RELIVE THIS Key West WEdding Day!
Dedra and Emiliano’s April wedding was a wonderful example of how well the space can flow from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception, while also highlighting a few planning considerations that are helpful for future couples considering getting married here.
Truman Annex for First Look
Because Dedra and Emiliano are former Key West locals, they decided to get ready at private homes that held more personal meaning than a resort suite. This, combined with the fact that the vendors needed time to complete the ceremony and reception setup before guests arrived, meant that we headed instead to the lush courtyard of Truman Annex for their First Look and bridal party portraits.
Located right outside our studio, Truman Annex offers quiet brick streets, tropical landscaping, historic architecture, and beautiful pockets of shade throughout the day. It worked perfectly as a separate portrait location before heading to the venue.
Note, however, that access to the historic “Building 21” foyer is restricted to building tenants only. Because our studio is located inside, our clients get limited access to the space when it does not interfere with others in the building.
This is something worth considering if you're planning a Key West Garden Club wedding. Since the venue often requires vendor setup immediately before the ceremony, having an alternate location for portraits can make the timeline much more relaxed while allowing your planning team the space they need to prepare everything for your arrival.
The Gardens Come to Life
Once we arrived at the venue, everything had come together beautifully.
Bernadette and her team from A Family Affair had completed the setup with the assistance of Prestige Event Rentals and the couple’s florist, transforming the gardens into a beautiful setting for the afternoon’s celebration.
History Behind West Martello
The Key West Garden Club sits inside the historic West Martello Tower, a Civil War era fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Construction began during the Civil War as part of the island’s coastal defenses, although the fort was never completed or used in battle. Decades later, the abandoned structure was preserved and transformed into the lush tropical gardens that now make up one of the most unique wedding venues in the Florida Keys.
One of our favorite things about photographing weddings here is the incredible variety of scenery. Couples can be surrounded by tropical gardens, historic brick archways, towering banyan trees, fountains, winding pathways, and ocean views, all without ever leaving the property.
The ceremony took place in the brick courtyard beside the miniature waterfall and beneath the iconic banyan tree, one of the Garden Club’s most recognizable ceremony locations. With the lush greenery surrounding the courtyard and the historic fort walls providing a beautiful backdrop, it’s easy to see why so many destination couples choose to get married here.
Surrounded by Gardens, History, and Loved Ones
The ceremony took place in the brick courtyard beside the miniature waterfall and beneath the iconic banyan tree, one of the Garden Club's most recognizable ceremony locations. With the lush greenery surrounding the courtyard and the historic fort walls providing a beautiful backdrop, it's easy to see why so many destination couples choose to get married here.
Cocktail Hour at the Key West Garden Club
Following the ceremony, cocktail hour naturally spread throughout the gardens, beginning around the large fountain and extending all the way to the Almond Tree overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Guests enjoyed light bites from Catered Affairs while the bridal party was introduced, followed by Dedra and Emiliano's first dance together as husband and wife and a touching father and daughter dance.
Sneaking Away for Sunset Portraits
As the evening light softened, we slipped away with the couple for sunset portraits on Higgs Beach just outside the fort. One of the biggest advantages of getting married at the Garden Club is that you get the benefits of both a private enclosed space in a beautiful historic building, but you're also situated on one of Key West's quietest stretches of beach, making it easy to incorporate oceanfront portraits without adding travel time to the wedding day.
The Atlantic certainly cooperated that evening. Waves crashed dramatically against the seawall as we made our way toward one of our favorite palm trees behind the fort, where the soft afterglow created a completely different feel from the tropical gardens earlier in the day. Having both lush botanical gardens and an Atlantic shoreline within minutes of each other gives couples an incredible amount of variety in their wedding photographs.
An Evening of Dancing and Celebration
After sunset, everyone returned to continue celebrating.
Heartfelt toasts from members of the bridal party led into dinner, drinks, and an evening full of laughter. DJ Jimmy Jamz kept the dance floor packed throughout the night, creating exactly the kind of high-energy celebration every couple hopes for. Before wrapping up the evening, we gathered everyone together for one final group photograph, a perfect way to end an unforgettable wedding day.
AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF IT
Dedra and Emiliano, thank you for inviting us to be part of such an incredible celebration. It was truly an honor to document your wedding day and all of the moments that made it uniquely yours. We wish you both a lifetime of happiness together, and we hope every time you look through your photographs, you're reminded of just how incredible your wedding day in Key West was.
If you’re searching for experienced Key West wedding photographers who are familiar with historic venues and sunkissed backdrops
We would be honored to be part of your celebration.
Photographers: Karrie Porter and Mark Funkhouser
Planner: Bernadette McCall of Family Affair Key West
Hair and Makeup: Studio Marie Pierre
DJ: Jimmy Jamz
Food and Beverage: Catered Affairs
Tables and Chairs: Prestige Event Rentals
