Guests Enjoyed Specialty Donuts at This Couple's Morning Wedding Ceremony in Boca Raton, Florida

When Emily Brockway celebrated a close friend’s birthday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the summer of 2018, she left the party feeling sparks with her friend’s neighbor, Danny Ball IV. “Almost a year and a half later, after several 'run-in's' in the neighborhood, we went on our first date at Sauced in Williamsburg,” Emily remembers. After their third date, COVID hit, and Emily moved to Florida for four months. “Our courtship then moved to texts, FaceTime calls, and creative activities like playing digital Scrabble together,” Emily laughs. When the pair got engaged a few years later, they knew they wanted to host their wedding in Florida, where Emily had spent so much time. They selected The Boca Raton, a resort, beach club, and spa where the bride's parents are members. They held an all-white welcome party at Emily’s parents’ home with fun details like a steel drum band, a cigar roller, and a trolley to transport guests from the resort.

On the big day, 212 guests gathered to watch Emily and Danny exchange vows on the morning of November 18, 2023. Their ceremony was held in the resort’s marina-front Cathedral Room, where the room's coffered ceilings and gold-leaf pillars were later transformed with uplighting to fit the glamorous vibe Emily and Danny favored for the evening event. Though the ceremony was light and airy, with subtle tropical nods, the bride and groom selected a deeper, moodier color palette of deep green and crisp white with gold accents for the reception, which they wanted to look and feel like an extension of the hotel’s central bar.

“The hardest part of the [planning] process was that we didn’t really know how to make [our vision] come to life,” Emily says. Luckily, they had some help in the form of their wedding planner, Meredith Falk. “The team at GLDN Events really was instrumental in making that happen for us." Emily and Danny worked closely with Meredith to plan their celebration from start to finish, assemble a dream team of vendors, and throw a timeless, subtly glamorous wedding that no one would forget. Ahead, the stunning photos of their wedding day, all captured by Masson Liang.

Nicety Studio created Emily and Danny’s invitation suite, which included an insert card that outlined all three events—the pre-wedding white party, the morning ceremony, and the evening reception. The couple chose a green, white, and pink color palette for their stationery suite, and the team at Nicety Studio added a few unique touches, including a custom embossed illustration of a monkey holding a martini and printed envelope liners with images of flamingos and tropical plant (a nod to the couple's venue in Florida).

The suite also featured a custom monogram with their Emily and Danny's initials and a palm tree, which was later added to custom matchbooks.

Emily hired The Retail Therapist by Laura Yassky as her personal stylist for the wedding weekend. Together, they chose the bride's silk Lola Varma slip dress with an organza overlay for the morning ceremony, which they paired with blush pointed toe Manolo Blahnik pumps.

She held a petite, all-white bouquet of sweet peas wrapped in a white satin ribbon.

Danny wore a green suit from The Armoury with brown Armani suede loafers and Codis Maya cufflinks for the ceremony. His boutonnière consisted of a single white gardenia.

The couple wanted to surprise their guests with a little pre-ceremony treat that was still appropriate given the time of day. Since their vow exchange was taking place in the morning, Emily and Danny decided to display a mix of different donuts and hot coffee on a cart for loved ones to grab as they arrived. The couple’s florist, Ovando, embellished the display with white flowers and vibrant green foliage.

The ceremony was held in the Boca Raton's Cathedral Room, where a dramatic white aisle runner spanned the length of the space. Palm plants and tropical ferns were displayed around the perimeter of the room, and they were a lovely balance against the lush, all-white floral arrangements that were displayed in oversized glass vases at the altar.

Guests were seated in black-framed rattan chairs, where they found custom programs in the same dark green color seen in the couple’s invitation suite. The front rows were reserved for the couple’s wedding party, which consisted of Vanessa, Emily’s sister and maid of honor, and Andy, Danny’s brother and best man. Printed signs were used to mark their spots.

When the ceremony began, Danny made his way down the aisle, followed by the wedding party. The couple’s ring bearer wore a blue and white overalls set and their flower girl wore a white dress with a bow on the back. “Her trip down the aisle stole the show,” Emily remembers. “She went down in a mini white remote controlled Range Rover.”

The bride walked down the aisle with her mom, Susan, and her dad, Peter, by her side. The couple hired Eleganza Strings to play a string version of “Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine for the wedding party's processional and “Halo” by Beyonce for Emily’s entrance. 

The couple’s ceremony was personalized with a meditation and two readings, including a poem shared by Danny’s mother. After, their chaplain led the homily before Emily and Danny exchanged vows they wrote for each other. They celebrated back down the aisle as husband and wife to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole.

Once they were pronounced husband and wife, Emily and Danny were able to enjoy some free time together before they needed to get ready for the evening ceremony. The first item on their to-do list? Sneak away with their photographer to take portraits around the resort. After photos were done, the pair took some time to themselves to relish in their excitement before reuniting with guests later for cocktails in the garden.

For the reception, Emily wore a beaded fit-and-flare Eisen Stein Bridal wedding dress with a plunging neckline and delicate long sleeves. She accessorized with white Gianvito Rossi sling-backs and vintage jewelry from The Vintage Show. The bride kept her hair up, but opted for a more slicked-back version of the low bun she chose for the morning ceremony.

Danny wore a deep green velvet jacket and tuxedo pants with suspenders and a bow tie.

After enjoying cocktails in the garden, guests were invited back into the Cathedral Room, which had been entirely transformed since the morning. The ceiling and pillars were lit with blue and purple uplighting, and tables were decorated with palm leaf centerpieces and paired with rattan chairs. The centerpieces also featured delicate white flowers in bud vases, glowing tea candles and taper candles in glass holders, and miniature gold table lamps.

Some tables were covered in deep green velvet linens (a nod to the groom’s attire for the reception), while others were dressed in floor-length ivory linens or patterned tablecloths. Each place setting was finished with a custom menu by Nicety Studio, featuring a subtle arched design as a nod to the venue’s architecture.

"The wedding reception showcased timeless elegance and natural beauty with a decor scheme of deep greens, crisp whites, and glamorous gold accents," the bride says. "Lush banana leaf palms and stylish rattan chairs added a touch of flair, while vases filled with pristine white florals enhanced the sophisticated ambiance."

For dinner, guests enjoyed their choice of either filet mignon or yellow tail snapper; french fries were served family-style as the evening's side, a fun take on high-low dining.

Emily and Danny hired The Manhattan Orchestra by Jordan Kahn to perform at their ceremony before DJ Zilla took over for a late night set. The couple shared their first dance to “Never Too Much” by Luther VanDross. Emily danced with her father to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Danny shared a dance with his mom to “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. “A highlight of the evening was the custom dance floor,” Emily says. “[It was] a stunning focal point that encouraged guests to celebrate and enjoy the memorable occasion.”

The bride and groom cut into five-tiered wedding cake, which contained layers of funfetti cake. To ensure guests were able to keep dancing, they served slices of the cake (alongside espresso martinis) right on the dance floor.

The party went well into the the night, but it didn't end there: Emily and Danny invited guests to join them at the beach the next day to have one more chance to spend time with loved ones.