Megan and Pieter

Number One Tip for Future Phocus Couples to Consider About The Wedding Day: Just try to remember that the day is about you and not other people and don't let the fast-paced timeline stop you from enjoying the day. - Pieter I really underestimated how difficult planning a wedding is so I would recommend using a planner if possible or getting as many friends to help out as you can. Most importantly, don't stress as much as I did and just try to have fun and be present on your day! - Megan

An old wives tale once said... if you burry a bottle of whiskey on the wedding day, rain will stay away. I'm not the one to usually bet on old wives tales, but this one may just work. With the wedding week quickly approaching, chances weren't looking too optimistic for a rain-less wedding day. With over a 75% chance of rain, things weren't looking good. When Megan called us a day or two before the wedding, a little stressed out about the weather, we told her not to worry because 1) It's Florida...the most bipolar weather location and 2)Nothings going to ruin their wedding day.

We'll fast forward to the wedding day (after that bottle of whiskey was buried). Chances went from 75% down to almost nothing. The skies were clear. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a raindrop in site. So, I may be wrong. I may be right, but that bottle of whiskey may just have saved the night.

What moment were you most looking forward to seeing in the photos/video? I'm excited for all of it! The whole experience was fun and I don't think I'll be able to pick a favorite until I see them, but I'm really looking forward to the pictures with our dogs and the sparklers at the end of the night.

GIVE. US. ALL. THE. PUPPY. LOVE!

When Megan told us she wanted a few photos of her and Pieter with their fur babies, It honestly made my day. Like... look at that sweet pups face! And when they put tutu's on them, they 100% stole the show. If you ever want to incorporate your pets in your wedding day, let's do it!

What moment were you most looking forward to seeing in the photos/video? The kiss at the arch at the end of the ceremony. I think that moment really captures the essence of the day.

How did you two meet? We actually had both just downloaded Bumble and neither of us ended up meeting anyone else before deleting it, but we met for the first time in person at Perfect Plain.

Tell us about THE dress! What made you fall in love? I got too excited looking online before my appointment to try on dresses and wound up finding exactly what I wanted before going into any physical stores. I couldn't find a single place that had it in stock so I tried some on locally, but I didn't like any of them. I ended up calling around and finding a shop in Alabama that would order the dress I found online as a loaner for me to try on and that was the one I went with.

Megan's romantic look for the day was definitely a vibe. Her classic dress from Bliss Bridal was a textured gown covered in a thin layer of tule. It 100% matched the look of the day. It was romantic. It was classy. It was for sure Megan. We always tell people not to settle for just any dress. If it doesn't give you that " OH MY GAH this is the one moment", just keep looking. You know, you only get married once... so make sure you choose that perfect dress for YOU.

What was your first dance song, and why did you choose it? "Soulmate" by Flora Cash. It was a new song that came out while we were planning the wedding and we both just thought it was a beautiful song. I was already a fan of Flora Cash and thought it would be nice to have a song that hasn't been used a million times.

Describe what you felt when you saw your bride on your wedding day: Happiness and comfort that we were both going through the experience together.- Pieter

Describe what you felt when you saw your groom on your wedding day: I was excited and a little nervous. -Megan

We started out the day doing a first look with Pieter and Megan on the Pensacola Beach Pier. It was the sweetest thing. The excitement on Megan's face was perfect. I could tell there were a lot of nerves and once she saw Pieter, those nerves eased a little. 10/10 recommend seeing your almost spouse before all the shenanigans of the wedding day.

What was the most emotional part of the day for you? I have never been one to happy-cry, but other than the ceremony itself, the most emotional part for me was seeing our friends and family get emotional for us. Seeing other people cry almost always makes me cry! -Megan

Talk about a view for a ceremony. We love getting the chance to work over at Pier Suite. The view from their balcony is like nothing else. Listening to the waves. Watching the sun set with all your closest friends and family as you exchange vows are what dreams are made of.

What was the most emotional part of the day for you? The first dance in front of everyone. That signified our union. -Pieter

What is ONE moment of your day that you will always remember? We both loved the end of the night seeing everyone dancing and enjoying themselves so much. It was very memorable because even the older family members who were seated for the majority of the day were up dancing together. My grandma said she wasn't going to dance but she did and Pieter said our wedding was the first time he's ever seen his dad dance. The burying and digging up of the whiskey bottle was also very memorable. I though it would just be a fun thing to do because Pieter loves whiskey but traditionally it is done to ward off bad weather and I guess it worked!

Favorite part of the Phocus Experience? Everyone was really friendly and helpful both at the wedding and throughout the whole process. Even when I was freaking out about the potential bad weather, Tim managed to help calm me down even better than my family could. We also really underestimated how quickly the day would go by, constantly being pulled in different directions, and it really helped to have a team to keep us on track and make everything run as smoothly as possible.

Megan and Pieter were two of the sweetest people to photograph. Not only them, but their families and friends were so welcoming. We're grateful to work and capture some of the best moments on the wedding day with such an amazing couple.

Congrats to Mr. and Mr.s Hoets!

Here's some of our favorite from the day!

Vendors:

Venue | Pier Suite Events

Hair Stylist | Bombshell Blowout Bar

Dress: Bliss Bridal

Suit | Men's Warehouse

Catering | The Portobello Market

Florals | J Michael Floral Artistry

Photography | Phocus and Company

Coordinating | Phocus and Company