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Josh and Maria

Last weekend was literally a dream! Not every wedding goes perfect. Let's face it, stuff happens. Makeup can run late, people forget last minute things, or the timeline just falls behind, but not at Maria and Josh's wedding. From the moment we got there, every. single. thing. fell into place! Makeup finished early (shoutout to Destin Mobile Makeup Box). Pictures started earlier than planned and everything simply lined up. It was the PERFECT!


How did you two meet? "Josh and I met in May of 2015 in Destin, FL. I was completing my summer internship at the vacation rental company where he worked. When we first met he was so quiet and mysterious so naturally, I was attracted to him! During that summer he invited my best friend and I to a local bar to get a drink after I kept trying to find ways to hang out with him. I was the only one that ended up going that night and we've been inseparable ever since!"-Maria


Number One Tip for Future Phocus Brides to Consider: "Take every second of your day in and just be in the moment and not stress about the little things - the day goes by so fast!'-Maria

What moment were you most looking forward to seeing in the photos? "His reaction to my dress & walking down the aisle to him!"-Maria


If you know Josh, he's pretty quiet at first. BUT when he's with Maria, he's like a totally different person. They say your spouse is the one that brings out the best in you and with these two, I can 100% say that's true. I wasn't sure what to expect Josh's reaction to be when he saw Maria walk down the aisle. Let's just say it was so beautiful and emotional.

"The first not look!"-Josh

If you know us, you know we absolutely adore first looks! With that being said, some couples would rather not see each other before the ceremony (which is totally awesome). A lot of time though, couples will do what's called a "first not look"; where they don't see one another, but still have those few moments alone with their "fiancé" for the last time.

Tell us about the dress! "The dress (from Margaret Ellen) is the dress of my dreams! It has so many little intricate details and made me feel like a true bride from the second I tried it on. I knew as soon as my mom started crying that it was the one and I know it was meant for me!"-Maria

Tell us about your first dance! "Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive): The song to us symbolized living as much in the moment as we could and being together until the very end through thick & thin! That even when we get old our love will still be growing!"-Maria

Describe the Bride on the wedding day! "Not being able to see the dress for months was a huge lead up to the moment she walked through the door. When she emerged through the door I feel like months of anticipation plus how beautiful she was led me to break down. It was pure emotion for how much I love her. During the wedding I could tell how cold and nervous she was so I just tried to calm her and keep her warm. Pictures after the wedding were incredibly fun. After the pictures, everything started to run in to each other during the reception with everything going on but I know I couldn't keep my eyes off her and she was having the day of her life."-Josh

Describe the groom on the wedding day!

"For me, that day was so crazy up until we got to do our first not look and when I got to hold his hands I instantly felt grounded and calm. It was so hard to not see his face! Seeing him in tears for the first time while I was walking down the aisle is something I will never forget! He was the happiest and most handsome groom!"-Maria

What was the most important part of the wedding day? "Seeing her walk down the aisle in her dress & the mother son dance because of a heart felt conversation I had with my mom during the dance."-Josh

"The first look with my dad - his reaction was so sweet and that moment between us was so anticipated!"-Maria

What is ONE moment of your wedding you will always remember? "Seeing all of our family & friends when we were at the ceremony knowing they were there to help us celebrate our love together!"

Favorite Part of the Phocus Experience? "Tim and Audrey are truly the most talented, kind, funny, and caring people. They really care about capturing those special moments that are once in a lifetime and go by in the blink of an eye (and they are so good at doing it!) They are able to bring out emotion in people to capture those beautiful moments with ease and all seems so effortless. Your creativity always has me in awe because because you make everything look so natural! They made the entire process so much fun and cannot recommend Phocus enough!! I personally think Phocus is perfect so.......the amount of people that came up to me during and after the wedding saying how amazing you all were just speaks for itself! They are the bomb!"

Here's some of our favorites from the wedding!

The SUPER talented team that made it happen:

Preparation Venue: Hotel Effie

Ceremony Venue: Sandestin golf & beach resort - Elation Lawn

Reception Venue: Sandestin golf and beach resort - Grand Lawn

Planner/Coordinator: Jennifer Hankins with Sandestin golf & beach resort

Dress: Margaret Ellen Bridal

Hair/Makeup: Destin mobile mobile makeup box

Tux: Men’s Warehouse

Florals/Decor: Showtime Events

Cake/Desserts: The Cake Destination

Dj: Chris Henson

Officiant: Jed Smart

Invitations: Minted

Wedding Rings: Manly Bands/Reeds jewelers

Videographer: Phocus Photography

Photo Booth: Phocus Photography


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