37 Frames

Journal

Real Weddings & Elopements 7 min read

From Fuji’s Snow to Florida’s Sun: A Wedding on America’s Only Private Island

An aerial of Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys, its pier and palms, with the bride and groom standing on the white sandbar below.

Some stories don’t travel in straight lines. Some circle back. Some light up new corners of the world. And some stay with you so deeply that when chapter two arrives, it feels less like a continuation and more like fate.

Last year, we stood with these two beautiful souls in the quietest place we know. A Mt Fuji morning wrapped in snow. A world made entirely of white and breath and stillness. A proposal hidden inside two days of Tokyo and Fuji adventures that turned into one of the most unforgettable experiences of our lives. We walked away thinking nothing could top that moment. But apparently, Fuji had only written the prologue.

Fast forward. It’s 11.11. The date already feels like a sign if you’re someone who believes in those things. We’ve flown from Japan to the Florida Keys and we have landed in a place that feels like the polar opposite of that Fuji morning, yet somehow, born of the same magic. We’re in a part of the world we have only ever known through a cinematic lens … the neon glow of Cocktail, the sun-drenched haze of television shows. It was an iconic, almost mythical America, a place of endless summer and a certain kind of rebellious freedom. 

A full moon rising in a soft peach sky over the Florida Keys, the setting for a wedding on Little Palm Island.
Clouds lit pink and gold at dusk over the water of the Florida Keys, where the private island wedding took place.

We’ve been privileged to tell stories all across the United States for the past 2 decades … amazing destination weddings from the rolling vineyards of Napa to the soulful streets of New Orleans, from the electric pulse of New York City to the southern charm of Atlanta, Houston, and L.A. Montana, Hawaii … and everywhere in between. Diverse couples from different backgrounds. Each place has its own rhythm, its own light. But the Keys… the Keys felt different. It felt like the end of the line, in the best possible way. A place where you come to let go.

And suddenly the story that began in snow continues on an island where the sun feels endless.

This time, the backdrop isn’t a dormant volcano covered in snow. It’s the only private island resort in America. Little Palm Island. A location that comes with its own mythology and a sense of escape you can feel in your bones the moment you step off the boat.

An aerial of the couple on the sandbar at Little Palm Island, the white ceremony arch and palm trees behind them on the private island.

And yes… to reach it, you board a vessel called The Truman. Of course you do. Because nothing about this story has ever been ordinary.

⸻

Arriving in a World of Its Own

The Truman is a fitting name for a vessel taking you to a place that feels like a beautifully constructed reality, a world away from the world. The destination: Little Palm Island, the only privately-owned island resort in the United States. 

A calm pink sky over the water of the Florida Keys, and the wake behind the wooden launch to Little Palm Island, an American flag on its stern.

The mainland fades, and so does the noise. No cars. No crowds. Just palms, turquoise water, and a kind of lovely quiet that feels curated by nature itself.

Little Palm Island has been a private hideaway for presidents, artists, dreamers… the type of people who go looking for peace and end up finding renewal instead. And on this weekend, it became the setting for the next chapter of a love story that started on the other side of the world.

The bride in a robe reaches for her wedding gown, hanging beside a crystal chandelier in her room at Little Palm Island.
In black and white, a woman helps the groom with his suspenders by the window, and a friend straightens his bow tie at the glass doors.

To be trusted with their journey once was an honor. To be invited to document it twice… well, that will stay with us forever.

In black and white, the couple kiss close, the bride holding a small vow book against his chest on their wedding day in the Florida Keys.
In black and white, the bride walks a shaded garden path on the island in her veil, a bouquet of white roses at her side.
In black and white, the bride looks down beneath her veil with white roses, and the couple walk a lamp lit path under the island trees.
The bride and groom stand on the wooden dock over calm water, and an aerial of the island boat tied up along the mangrove shore.

⸻

The Weather Always Seems to Find Them

The universe, it seems, has a sense of humor, and it loves to follow these two with weather that is anything but still. In Japan, it was a once-in-a-generation snowstorm. In Florida? It was the wind. An incredible, relentless, magnificent wind. It whipped through the palms, sending shadows dancing across the sand. It was a wild, untamable force, a reminder that even in paradise, nature is in charge.

Some might have seen it as an obstacle. A challenge. But for a story that began in a blizzard, it felt like a wink from the cosmos. It felt right. 

Japan gave them a once-in-60-years snowstorm.

Florida gave them wind.

From the start, their story has been stitched with wild weather and wild luck and wild grace.

The wind became part of the frame. Part of the energy. Part of the memory.

It was movement where Fuji had given stillness. And of course… it was perfect.

⸻

A Ceremony Rooted in Two Traditions

Their ceremony unfolded in that gentle Florida light, a blend of Catholic and Jewish traditions woven together with intention. Rings blessed with holy water from the Vatican. A glass broken beneath his heel as the guests shouted joy. Two families. Two histories. One story.

White roses everywhere. Pure. Textural. Poetic. 

White roses on tall stems line the sandy ceremony aisle between white chairs, and a long reception table set with blue glassware by the sea.
The couple hold hands before the officiant beneath a white floral arch on the beach, and guests in the front row wipe away tears.
The groom breaks the glass beneath the white floral arch as the bride holds his hand, a Jewish tradition at their beach wedding in Florida.
A wide view of the beach ceremony on Little Palm Island by the palms, and the couple under the white arch framed by palm fronds.
In black and white, the couple walk back up the aisle as guests cheer, the bride laughing with her roses and the groom shouting beside her.

Music wrapped around it all. Rusty Lemmon’s voice anchoring the night. There was this moment, just after sunset, when the sky turned a soft pink and they stepped into their first dance on the beach. Salt air. Palm shadows. A dance that felt both cinematic and impossibly intimate, like the whole island was holding its breath for them.

⸻

Then the Sky Decided to Perform

As the day softened, the universe delivered what might be the most extraordinary sunset we have ever seen. It was a celestial event. The sky turned molten. Orange, magenta, violet. The kind of palette that feels unreal even when you’re standing inside it.

The bride and groom stand close on the beach as the sun sets behind them, and the couple walk together along the waterline.
A golden sun hangs low over the water as the bride and groom share a quiet moment on the beach at their Little Palm Island wedding.
The couple walk hand in hand along the sand, and the bride smiles beside the groom as he holds a glass of champagne at sunset.

Water turned gold. The wind paused, just for a moment, like even the atmosphere wanted to witness what was happening. We’ve seen thousands of sunsets around the world. But this one… this one felt personal. Like a gift. Like the world was saying yes.

The couple kiss in silhouette under a fiery orange sunset, and the bride and groom stand small on the sand beneath a pink sky.

⸻

The Last Boat, The Long Drive, The Surreal Shift Back to Tokyo

When the night finally closed, we all boarded the last boat back to Little Torch Key. A boat full of laughter, wind-tangled hair, tired feet, and hearts that weren’t ready for it to end.

In black and white, cigar smoke swirls around the groom in his tuxedo as he stands in the dark at the island reception.
In black and white, the bride throws one arm in the air as she dances on the sand at night beside the groom, her train spread behind her.
In black and white, guests raise white roses overhead as the couple leave the reception, and the couple dance on the dock at night.

Our car was waiting in the dark. Three hours to Miami. We reached the hotel at 2am. Shower. Back up files. Blink. And then the alarm. Check in at 5am for an 8am flight. Miami to Dallas. Dallas to Tokyo.

Then, suddenly, the Tokyo Autumn. The fluorescent glow of Haneda. Us walking through the carpark with luggage and gear and the strange, dizzying truth of a double life.

“How were we dancing under palm trees last night?”

“And how are we now in the neon glow of Shinjuku?”

“Did all of that actually happen?”

The Keys still clung to us. The wind. The voices. The white roses. The vows. The way their story pulled us all in.

⸻

A Love Story That Bridges Continents

From a whisper exchanged across continents. To a proposal in a snow-covered forest. To a ceremony on a private island warmed by tropical air and the voices of the people who love them most.

The groom spins the bride on the beach at dusk under a soft pink sky, and the couple hold each other framed by white roses.
The groom holds the bride from behind under a pink sky, and guests watch the couple from the beach at their private island wedding.

This story spans from one side of the world to the other. Two landscapes that couldn’t be more different, both holding the same truth: their connection is unmistakable.

To our beautiful couple… We adore you. We feel bonded to you in a way that only shared weather, shared chaos, and shared joy can create. You have carved a place in our story and we carry it with us. Always. Thank you for reminding us that the greatest adventures are not just the places you go, but the people you share them with. 

⸻

A Note of Gratitude

A day like this is never the work of two people alone. It’s a collaboration, a trust circle, a village lined with talent.

Wedding Coordinator | Julie at @simplyyoukw

Venue | Little Palm Island @littlepalmisland

Photography | 37 Frames @37frames

Flowers and Decor | Milan Event @milan_event

Videography | Elvira Productions @elviramkfilms

Invitation Suite | Thoughtfully Yours @thoughtfullyyoursdesign

HMU | Bella Luxe @bellaluxehairandmakeup_keywest

Rentals | Eventfully Yours @eventfullyyoursrentals

Music | Rusty Lemmon & Cadenza @rusty_lemmon @cadenzathegroup (We are genuinely campaigning for Rusty to perform at every wedding we ever attend, from now until the end of time.)

Day of Stationery | Blue Thistle Studio @bluethistlestudio

Officiant | Kat Newman @ceremoniesbykat

⸻

Final Reflection

From Fuji’s snow to Florida’s sun. Two locations that sit at opposite ends of a map and opposite ends of a season… yet somehow fold into one seamless chapter when placed in the hands of the right people.

Some celebrations stay with you because they’re beautiful and some because they’re meaningful. But the ones that carve themselves into your soul are the ones where there is a genuine connection. Soul-level trust. The kind where you feel the couple and they feel you… and the work becomes something beyond documentation. It becomes translation. Interpretation. A passing of emotion from one heart to another.

And to these two… thank you. For your trust. For your warmth. For letting us follow your journey from blizzard to beach. Your love isn’t defined by a place. It’s defined by the way you move through the world together. We are deeply, deeply in love with these two humans. And telling their story twice… across two continents, two climates, two worlds… is something we’ll carry for the rest of our lives.

The destination isn’t the island or the mountain. It’s the connection.

And that has always been the point.

  • A pale lilac sky over still water, and an aerial of mangrove islands mirrored in the calm shallows of the Florida Keys.
  • A mangrove island mirrored in calm water, crystal lanterns in a thatched lounge, the Little Palm Island sign, and a flag on the stern of the island boat.
  • In black and white, a woman helps the groom into his jacket, her head bowed close to it, as he smiles down at her before his Florida Keys wedding.
  • The groom leans against a green panelled wall beside a leafy palm, a rattan ceiling fan overhead, ready for his Little Palm Island wedding.
  • In black and white, the bride fastens a white heel onto her foot, its pair waiting on the carpet, as she gets ready for her Florida Keys wedding.
  • In black and white, a woman hugs the bride by the window with her eyes closed, the buttons down the back of the gown in view, before a Florida Keys wedding.
  • The groom waits on a garden path with his eyes closed as the bride walks up behind him and touches his shoulder, their first look on Little Palm Island.
  • The bride looks up at the groom through a screen of palm leaves as they share private vows in the gardens of Little Palm Island.
  • Tall coconut palms and a thatched roof frame the groom as he reads his vows to the bride on a wooden deck, a private island wedding in the Florida Keys.
  • In black and white, the groom kisses the bride under her veil on a winding garden path at their Little Palm Island wedding.
  • The bride shares a laugh with a bridesmaid and a woman in navy, then walks a garden path with them and a second bridesmaid in sage at a Florida Keys wedding.
  • The groom smiles as he leads the bride by the hand along a sandy path under palm fronds, sunlight falling across her gown on Little Palm Island.
  • The groom kisses the bride's cheek on a dock over calm water, and an aerial of Little Palm Island with its thatched roofs among the palms.
  • A long table set with white roses, candles and blue glassware by the water, and two violinists in pale blue suits play on the beach in the Florida Keys.
  • The groom walks a woman in a pale blue gown down a sandy aisle lined with white roses, tall palms overhead at a Florida beach wedding.
  • Seen over her shoulder, a woman in a pearl necklace cups the bride's cheek in her hand at the beach wedding ceremony on Little Palm Island.
  • The bride smiles up at the groom in his kippah as they hold hands beneath a white draped arch crowned with roses at their Florida Keys beach wedding.
  • The bride and groom raise their joined hands and cheer under the floral arch, the sea bright behind them at their beach wedding in the Florida Keys.
  • The groom leads the bride along the sand past leaning palms at dusk, her long train trailing as she looks back over her shoulder on a Florida Keys beach.
  • Two guests throw their arms up on the beach at sunset, one caught mid stride in a red floral dress, at a destination wedding in the Florida Keys.
  • Under a pink streaked sky, the groom bends to kiss the bride on the beach as her veil and train spill across the sand at their Little Palm Island wedding.
  • The couple hold hands on the shore as an orange sun sets over the water, and their silhouettes blur against the evening sky of the Florida Keys.
  • In black and white, guests pull the bride into long hugs after the beach wedding ceremony, a friend beside them holding a wine glass and a phone.
  • At dusk on a Florida Keys beach, the groom dances with a woman in a grey shawl as the bride twirls nearby and guests gather under the palms.
  • The bride and groom cut a white cake on the sand under an orange sky at their private island wedding reception, then she throws up her hands and laughs.
  • String lights run between tall palms over candlelit dinner tables on the sand as the sunset fades pink and violet over the water at Little Palm Island.
  • The groom reads a toast from a card beside a patio heater, and guests raise their glasses under string lights and palms at the Little Palm Island reception.
  • At night on the beach, the groom dips the bride into a kiss, her gown pooling on the sand and her hand at his cheek, at their Florida Keys wedding.
  • The couple kiss on a lit sandy path beneath dark palms, her train fanned out, and stand close under string lights at their Little Palm Island wedding.

⸻

Total
1
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 1
Share 0

37 Frames

We're destination wedding planners and photographers specializing in creating unforgettable celebrations in Japan and beyond. With 25+ years of experience, we've perfected the art of bringing your vision to life.

Keep reading

1 comment

  1. Pingback: How 37 Frames Began | Tokyo to Global Weddings

Comments are closed.