Caran & Jesus’s Sweet St Augustine Ceremony with Fur Babies and Family

Every ceremony at Simply Eloped is unique because every couple is unique. Caran and Jesus embraced what was right for them and chose a ceremony that matched their style and personalities. Their tiny wedding on the shores of St. John’s Beach in St Augustine, Florida – accompanied by their fur babies and close friends & family – is a darling example of how special a small ceremony can be. Read more about how Caran and Jesus fell in love, got engaged and chose to elope in St Augustine with a darling beach wedding.

How did you meet? What was your first impression of each other?

How did you fall in love? How did you know?

Caran: After a couple months working together, I put my number in his phone and we began texting all the time! I even had to teach him how to add emojis on his phone! We talked about everything and I loved his perspective and how funny he can be. After a few months of this, he texted asking if I wanted to go out with him and I told him to ask me in person. He did and we’ve been together ever since! I realized I loved him one night a few weeks later when we decided to make playlists for each other. The songs he had picked instantly put a smile on my face and I probably read too much into the lyrics but I remember thinking “wow, I think I love this guy.”

Jesus: We were sitting at a bar with some friends of ours and I looked over and saw the sun hitting her and it hit me like a brick wall. I knew then and there that I was going to marry that girl.

How did you propose or accept the proposal?

Caran: Jesus proposed December 13th in Chicago where he is from. We had been dating for 5 years at this time so getting engaged was definitely something we talked about. I was completely shocked with his timing though because I had just had a surgery and did not think we had the money. Little did I know he had set everything up months prior! He picked my engagement ring from a store based in Texas where I am from and I love that I get a piece of home to wear forever.

Jesus: I’d like to say I had it planned for months but it wasn’t until we got to Chicago that I picked the day and the place. I bought us tickets to walk through the Chicago Botanical Garden for their Christmas light display. While we walked through the Gardens I was looking at every area of the Garden looking for a private place to pop the question. No luck, I wasn’t sure how much Garden was left and I started to panic, then like out of a dream I saw a bench sitting under mistletoe. I found it! It was a photo opp. I convinced her to take a photo with me and oddly enough she agreed. I looked for someone to take out photo and saw a guy with a wedding ring and knew he was the man for the job, I told him what I was about to do and asked if he was up for it. He agreed and I proposed on the bench under the mistletoe. What we didn’t realize was that he didn’t just take a photo but recorded a video at the the same time. It was perfect.

What do you love about your partner?

Caran: I’m very lucky to have met Jesus. He is so caring and responsible and hardworking. He is old fashioned, like me, when it comes to our relationship. He is a great partner and always taking care of me. He is someone I know will be a wonderful father one day.

What is the greatest strength of your relationship?

Caran: I think the greasiest strength of our relationship is how determined we are. We are the type of people to not take no for an answer once we have decided to do something. We use this towards our relationship and have weathered many storms relying on each other.

Why did you decide to elope?

Caran: It was really important to us not to go into any debt for our wedding. I’m also pretty shy and could not imagine walking out to a big party of people. Once we found out you can elope with a small group of guests it just seemed like the perfect thing for us! An intimate wedding with our closest friends/family around us.

How did you find Simply Eloped?

Caran: I learned about Simply Eloped from a Reddit page on weddings. The reviews were so good and the website had locations we loved with packages that made sense to us.

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you?

Caran: After looking at what Simply Eloped offered and how customizable we could make our wedding it felt like a perfect fit and we booked our big day!

What attracted you to a St. Augustine elopement?

Caran: We chose to get married at the beach in St Augustine. We would frequent St Augustine a lot while we were dating and it became a very special place for our relationship. Once Simply Eloped added that location it felt meant to be!

What activities did you do before the wedding? How did you prepare? How did you feel leading up to the moments of your elopement?

Caran: We had our bachelor and bachelorette parties, we picked out our wedding outfits, had our cake tasting, and picked our honeymoon location.

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your big day!

Caran: Working with Simply Eloped was very straightforward. It was easy to sign up for our package online and they reached out right away to match us with our officiant and photographer. They were quick to reply to emails and updated us as quickly as possible with updates.

How did you celebrate after?

Caran: After our wedding ceremony and pictures we celebrated with dinner, cake and champagne! We had our first dance and finished the night by playing loteria with all of our guests.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

Caran: Eloping can be whatever you want it to be! For us that meant including many aspects from a traditional wedding just on a smaller scale. With Simply Eloped they take the stress out of everything for you. At the end of the day your wedding is about you and your love, so do what makes you happy!

Coordinated by: Simply Eloped
Ordination by: Deborah Ann Montana
Photography by: Ashley Dye