A Beautiful Wedding at the Fenway Hotel

From my first conversation with Colleen and Rob about their wedding at The Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida, I knew this was going to be different.

As a wedding photographer, one of my favorite things about photographing a Fenway Hotel wedding is that no two celebrations ever feel the same. The historic waterfront setting near Tampa Bay, creates a great backdrop for couples who want an elegant venue while still keeping their wedding personal and meaningful.

Colleen has worked at as event coordinator for years and knew exactly what she did and didn’t want. She didn’t want a traditional wedding with flowers, cake and fancy wedding rings. They definitely didn’t want traditional wedding photography. Instead, they wanted a wedding day that would be uniquely them.

They invited just 60 friends and family to celebrate with them, creating an intimate wedding filled with the people who mattered most. They started off their wedding day with a bike ride on the trails around Dunedin. As avid cyclists and biking fans who once spent a summer following the Tour de France, it was the perfect way to burn off energy and start the day together.

We arrived at The Fenway Hotel in the afternoon and met to review their final plans. One thing that stood out immediately was their vision for photography. They wanted their wedding photos to focus on genuine moments and candid interactions rather than a long list of posed portraits. Rather than spending an hour after the ceremony on formal family photographs, they preferred to enjoy cocktail hour and connect naturally with their guests. They knew that when they looked back on their wedding day photos, they wanted to relive it just like it happened, and that’s what we did.

The celebration began with cocktail hour at 6 in the courtyard and included a roaming magician. Once everyone was relaxed and settled in, Rob and Colleen stood on the steps of the hotel, and her brother officiated the wedding. Colleen wore a beautiful, flowered dress and Rob had a custom suit made to match her violet hues. They cried as they read their vows, knowing that finding each other later in life was the best gift they could ask for.

Following the ceremony, guests moved inside for the reception where a delicious buffet dinner was served. We took a few minutes to take some photos in front of the hotel and crossed the street to take some sweet photos by the water. Then it was back to the reception for an evening of fun. I was warned ahead of time that it was a tradition for her family to create a custom song that the family would sing during the reception, so when they gathered for a custom rewrite of “Sweet Caroline”, the love they had for each other really shone through.

The music was really important to them because they love to dance. They hired a DJ for the main party, but Rob’s brother is a DJ up north and took over for the last hour of music. They really kept the dance floor rocking until 11 pm! I was glad that we booked a room at this beautiful hotel so that we could relax after this day of celebration.

I’m Stephanie Snow, your SW Florida wedding photographer. If you’re planning a wedding, Click Here to schedule a complimentary call with us to see if we’re the right fit for your wedding day.