She Grew Up Here. Now She Was Getting Married Here. And She Brought Everyone She Loved to Witness It.

There is something quietly extraordinary about a bride who brings her world to the place that made her.

Not every couple chooses a destination wedding for the views or the exclusivity or the Pinterest-worthy backdrop — though all of those things matter. Some couples choose a destination because it is personal. Because the place itself is part of the story. Because there is something that cannot be said in words about standing in the landscape where you grew up and saying I do while the people who love you most experience it for the first time.

That is Taylor and Marc.

Taylor grew up in the Jensen Beach area — a stretch of Florida’s Treasure Coast that most of the country has never heard of and those who know it will never forget. Marc is from Austin, Texas; where the two of them now call home. And together, they made a decision that was generous and intentional and deeply romantic: they brought their community to Taylor’s roots, so everyone they loved could see where she came from.

Before they said their vows in Jensen Beach, we had the pleasure of capturing their engagement session at Fierce Whiskers Distillery in Austin — the very spot where they shared one of their first dates. See their full engagement session here

The result was one of the most alive, joyful, full weddings we have ever had the privilege of documenting.

The Venue: Mansion at Tuckahoe, Jensen Beach, Florida

Before the florals, the after-party, the toasts and the tears, and the tropical breeze off the Indian River Lagoon — there is this place.

The Mansion at Tuckahoe sits on a gentle hill overlooking the Indian River Lagoon inside Indian Riverside Park. It is one of the most historically significant properties in the state. Built in 1938 as the private residence of Anne Winship Leach — heiress to the Coca-Cola fortune — the mansion was designed to be a place where life was celebrated. That intention has never left the property.

The exterior is nothing short of stunning. A white southern facade rises against the Florida sky, flanked by tropical palms and Spanish moss and the wide shimmer of the lagoon beyond. The 7,200-square-foot outdoor terrace sweeps around the property with a mosaic center detail and stone pathways winding through the landscaping. As the sun sets over the water and the warm Florida light turns everything amber and gold — this venue becomes one of the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.

This is what brought us here. And this is what will bring the images from Taylor and Marc’s day to life for every decade to come.

The property sits on 54 acres and accommodates up to 400 guests, with flexibility for intimate celebrations and grand ones alike. It includes separate bridal and groom suites on the second floor, a full catering kitchen, and — as Taylor and Marc discovered — a basement after-party space that kept the celebration going well past midnight.

The Design: Tropical Greens, Gold & Every Shade of Blue

Taylor and Marc’s color palette was made for this venue.

Tropical greens — lush, saturated, alive — anchored every floral arrangement and table detail. Gold accents threaded through the design like something warm and effortless, catching the Florida light and reflecting it back in ways that made the outdoor terrace glow. And the bridesmaids? They wore shades of blue — from soft dusty sky to deep ocean — each slightly different, each gorgeous, and together creating a palette that felt like the lagoon itself had been invited to the wedding.

Against the white southern exterior of the mansion and the palm trees and the deep Florida greens of the property, this palette was extraordinary.

The design was layered and lush without being overdone. It honored the natural beauty of the setting instead of competing with it. Then, the gold details in the flatware, the signage, the accents — all of it cohesive, warm, and quietly luxurious.

This is what great wedding design does. It does not try to transform a space into something else. It meets the venue exactly where it is and amplifies it.

The Ceremony: Gathering the People She Loves in the Place That Shaped Her

Taylor and Marc’s ceremony took place on the outdoor terrace at the Mansion at Tuckahoe — and with the Indian River Lagoon as their backdrop and the Florida sky open above them, it was luminous.

There is something that happens at a destination wedding ceremony that does not always happen in other settings. The guests have traveled to be there. They have made an effort — booked flights, taken time off, rearranged their lives to show up. And because of that, the energy in the room is different. People are present in a way that is rare and electric. They are not just attending — they are there.

That was this ceremony. Friends and family who had traveled from Texas and beyond, many of them experiencing Jensen Beach for the first time. Looking around at the water and the palms and the historic white mansion rising above them, visibly understanding, in real time, why this place matters to Taylor. Why she wanted them here. Why this wedding could not have happened anywhere else.

When Taylor and Marc turned to face their people as a married couple, the celebration that followed was not restrained by venue constraints or unfamiliarity. These were people who had already had a full, joyful introduction to each other across an entire wedding weekend. And it showed in every single frame.

The After-Party: Underground and Unforgettable

Here is what most people do not know about the Mansion at Tuckahoe until they experience it: there is a basement.

And that basement, once the reception above has given its final toast, transforms into exactly the kind of after-party space that keeps a wedding weekend alive. Taylor and Marc added it as an optional extra — and it was, without question, one of the best decisions of their entire day.

The basement after-party is its own world. Louder, looser, more intimate in the way that late-night celebrations always are. The guests who stayed were exactly the ones who love Taylor and Marc most fiercely — the ones who were not ready for the night to end. And the night did not end. Not for a long time.

Watching this happen — watching a wedding transform from ceremony into reception into underground after-party without losing a single thread of joy — is the kind of documentation that reminds us why we do this work. Because the story is not just the vows. The story is the whole night. And Taylor and Marc’s whole night was extraordinary.

Mansion at Tuckahoe Wedding Photos

Mansion at Tuckahoe Wedding Film

On Destination Wedding Photography: Why It Matters Where You Are

Taylor and Marc’s wedding is a reminder of something we believe deeply at Kyrsten Ashlay Photography.

A destination wedding is not just a wedding in a beautiful place. It is a wedding where everything — the venue, landscape, history, and the guests who traveled to be there — becomes part of the story. They carry place and memory and meaning.

As destination wedding photographers and filmmakers, we travel with you. From the getting-ready morning to the rehearsal dinner to the after-party in the basement, we are present for all of it. The light of a new location becomes familiar. Your people become familiar. So that when the ceremony finally happens — when Taylor walked across that terrace toward Marc with the Indian River Lagoon behind them and the Florida sky above — we were ready, completely, to document exactly that.

That is the difference between hiring someone local who does not know you and hiring a team who has invested in your story from the very beginning.

Why the Mansion at Tuckahoe Is Worth Considering for Your Florida Destination Wedding

If you are planning a destination wedding in Florida and the Mansion at Tuckahoe is on your radar, here is our honest take as photographers who have worked there.

The exterior of this venue is extraordinary. The waterfront views, the historic white facade, the tropical landscape, the 7,200-square-foot terrace — photographically, it is a gift. Golden hour portraits on this property are among the most stunning frames we have taken anywhere in our years of destination work. The light here does things that are genuinely difficult to replicate.

The venue sits within Indian Riverside Park, which adds an extra layer of natural beauty — walking paths, mangrove boardwalk, and lagoon frontage that extends well beyond the mansion property itself. All of it is available for portraits and for guests to explore during cocktail hour.

The basement after-party option is a genuine differentiator. Not many venues offer a space that allows the celebration to continue beyond the main reception — and with music permitted until 1am in the basement, it gives couples the gift of a wedding night that does not end prematurely.

A few practical notes: The venue is located 45 minutes from West Palm Beach International Airport and is in the heart of Martin County — Florida’s self-described hidden gem on the Treasure Coast. For couples whose guests are traveling, the surrounding Jensen Beach and Stuart area offers beautiful lodging, beaches, sea turtle experiences, and every reason to extend the trip into a true destination week.

For the Texas Couples Dreaming of a Florida Wedding

Taylor and Marc’s love story is rooted in Texas — and so is ours. We are a Dallas-Fort Worth based wedding photography and film team who travels for love, wherever it takes us.

If you are a Texas couple considering a destination wedding in Florida, we would love to be part of your day. We understand the specific experience of a Texas couple bringing their community somewhere beautiful and unfamiliar and wanting every moment of it documented with the care it deserves.

Because what Taylor and Marc did was a gift to everyone who attended. They said: come see where I came from. And the images from that day will carry that invitation forever.

Ready to Plan Your Destination Wedding?

Whether you are dreaming of Florida, Mexico, or somewhere entirely your own — Kyrsten Ashlay Photography serves couples throughout the United States and at destination weddings around the world.

We bring both photography and film to every wedding. Because your love deserves to be seen and felt, in every form, for every generation that comes after you.

We are currently booking 2026 and 2027 weddings. If you are planning a destination wedding and looking for a photographer and filmmaker who will travel with you, invest in your story, and document every moment from arrival to after-party — we would love to hear from you.

Let’s start a conversation →

Timeless photos & films, crafted with heart. Where every moment becomes art.

a warm and sincere thanks to the creative team…

We are so grateful to every person who contributed to making Valerie and Justin’s wedding day at The Nest at Ruth Farms as beautiful as it was. Vendors like these make our job — and our couples’ days — infinitely better.

Welcome Party Venue: Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House; Jensen Beach, Fl

Venue: The Mansion at Tuckahoe; Jensen Beach, Fl

Room Blocks: Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa

Planning & Design: Krystle Andrews Events

Photography & Film: Kyrsten Ashlay Photography

Florals: Sarandipity Floral

Rentals: ECP Event Rentals

Catering, Cake + Desserts, and Bar: Sabatino’s Catering

Hair + Makeup: Kayla Anne Flores

Bride’s Gown: Made with Love Bridal

Groom Attire: Suit Supply

DJ: Best Day Ever Event Group

Live Music: Master Musicians Inc

Transportation: Coastal Bus Lines