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Wedding Magazine Photo Shoot and Staycation at Mandarin Oriental Miami

An oasis in the middle of Miami’s urban hub

As the editor in chief of Modern Luxury Weddings South Florida and The Caribbean, planning photo shoots are definitely one of my favorite parts of the job. So when my dear friend and writer, Angela Caraway-Carlton suggested we highlight Mandarin Oriental Miami’s gorgeous property and dog-friendly amenities, it was an idea that I fell instantly in love with. And yes, the resort has a beach in the middle of the city! The views at Brickell Beach are incredible and there isn’t anything quite like this wedding venue in the rest of Miami.

Behind-the-Scenes with Angela and Colby

One pup or two?

At first we were going to try to photograph two dogs: Colby, Angela’s adorable beagle and Ponce de Leon, my mini schnauzer. But the more I thought about logistics, I realized that maybe one four-legged friend would be difficult to capture and two would be nearly impossible. Sorry Ponce! He got cut. But I did bring him by for a weekend of puppy pampering (life is so hard for that dog!). Here are some of my favorite photos from the magazine shoot.

The A Team

Amazingly fabulous photography by one of my favorites: Gloria Ruth Photography (highly recommend her for weddings!).

The beautiful model is fashion and beauty blogger Erin Nicole. Check out her blog post about her staycation at the Mandarin.

The dress is a vintage hand-embellished lace Ashlyn gown by Anna Campbell provided by one of my favorite boutique owners, Martina Mikova from The Bridal Project in Wynwood.

Colby the beagle is wearing a handmade flower necklace by the talented florists at Always Flowers & Events.

Here’s what the finished product looked like:

Ponce de Leon’s Staycation

Ponce de Leon was a teeny tiny bit jealous of his friend Colby. So when the kind folks at the Mandarin invited him to come stay, he immediately accepted (and had to beg us to take him). Haha, yeah right. You don’t have to twist my arm to hang out at that resort.

Highlights included:

Drop-dead gorgeous sunset views from La Mar Restaurant by Gastón Acurio (lip-smacking good Peruvian cuisine).

Pool time and Yoga

A mini wellness retreat at The Spa complete with a Yoga class with one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Annie Vazquez, aka The Fashion Poet. Make sure you read her blog post about the resort’s new spa treatments designed to help social media junkies unwind.

Entertainment

Live music and drinks at Mo Bar & Lounge where we ran into another one of my favorite fashion bloggers, Ginger Harris, aka Electric Blogarella (we met when we were both Visit Florida Insiders!). Check out her post about the resort and her staycation.

Much Needed R&R

And we took time to take it easy! Life with a 4-month-old can be exhausting so we napped a lot. :) Lola and Ponce de Leon are besties. As you can see…

My Little Mermaid at the Mandarin

xoxo

Kara

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