Nicole & Jared's Rustic Florida Wedding

Nicole & Jared’s rustic Florida wedding took place on the groom’s parents’ property in Myakka City last month.

From the bride: With the whole wedding being outdoors, we wanted our decor to accent the oak trees and tie in with the beautiful surroundings. I made several wooden signs with scripture on them, which hung from various trees. I had made a “family tree” out of one of the old oaks on the property, where I hung pictures of the generations of couples in our family. The main goal for our wedding was for guests to really enjoy themselves and feel at home. Instead of a formal guest book, we had our friends and family sign Jenga pieces. I made personalized corn hole boards with our names on them. We had a s’mores bar with 10 different s’mores combinations! Fun cupcakes, a candy bar and an authentic Cuban cigar roller. All of the bridal party, including the bride, wore converse and the men wore vans.

About the venue: In 1997, Jared’s parents, were looking to purchase a property with more land. They weren’t too keen on heading further East, but as soon as they drove up to the land in Myakka City, Florida that would become Wandering Oaks, they had to get out and explore the property. As they walked the grounds, they were drawn to an oak tree that was well over 100 years old and had an unusual growth pattern. In that moment, they fell in love with what would become their home at the Wandering Oaks. Since then, they have raised two boys and have been approached often by couples wanting to get married on their property. In 2017, when Jared asked Nicole to marry him, the family started to feel that the land was too beautiful not to share.