Allison & John’s botanical micro wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL
Botanical Tropical Garden Micro Wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL near Daytona Beach, FL | Orlando Wedding Photographer & Wedding Videographer
The intimate moments of an intimate wedding
I honestly mean it when I say that Allison & John’s sweet botanical micro wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens has been one of my favorite weddings to date! There’s just something truly magical about an intimate, family-filled celebration like this one was. So many intimate and heartfelt moments and so much love in the air!
Allison & John found each other once again after having dated years ago but ended up going separate ways. This time, when they reignited their relationship, they knew it was for keeps! They planned an intimate micro wedding that would be sweet and simple yet filled to the brim with love from their closest family, and chose my 2-hour micro wedding photography coverage as a budget-friendly and efficient way to capture the most important moments of their special day.
Talk about micro: this wedding only had 11 guests! Allison & John opted to invite what they called “chosen family” in order to keep their wedding feeling intimate and private. This allowed their love story to take center stage at their wedding while giving everyone present plenty of opportunity to surround the happy couple with their love and support.
The Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are a public venue, so before the wedding ceremony began, the grounds were bustling with people enjoying the beautiful spring weather. However, just like magic, the gardens became utterly quiet once the wedding started—I’m not sure if this was planned or just a magical moment but it was amazing either way!
Allison & John incorporated so many personal touches to their micro wedding, from the wedding bouquet made by the bride to a heartfelt lock ceremony as a way to signify their new family with Allison’s son, Everett. Even the groom’s best friend was involved—he officiated the wedding!
Following the “I do”s, we captured family pictures and had a short and sweet bridal session on the garden grounds, including some adorable moments with little Everett. I absolutely love how thoughtfully Allison & John included him in their special day, marking Day 1 of their new family!
A lush botanical micro wedding at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, FL
Nothing says “love is in the air” like a springtime wedding at a lush botanical garden! The stunning grounds at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange near Daytona Beach, FL are the site of a 19th century sugar factory, the ruins of which can still be seen and visited, and the remains of a mid-20th century amusement park. Featuring native Florida trees, a butterfly garden, numerous gardens and plant collections, plus a “gnome home” (you have to see it to believe it!), these whimsical gardens truly transport guests to a whole other world.
It’s incredibly easy and affordable to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens. As of March 2024, their website states that event reservations for up to 50 guests is $300. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another wedding venue for that cost, much less one that is anywhere near as beautiful! Allison & John’s March wedding was the perfect time of year to get married at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens: the gardens were greener than anything you can imagine, the flowers blooming, and the weather warm but not too hot (plus, the foliage provided plenty of shade!). This gem of an affordable wedding venue near Daytona Beach was a perfect choice for Allison & John’s wedding, and I hope to capture more couples’ special days at these gorgeous gardens.
Family-style wedding reception at Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar
Maybe part of the reason (just a tiny part, I promise!) I loved Allison & John’s wedding so much was their family-style wedding reception at the whimsical Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar in New Smyrna Beach, FL, just a hop skip and a jump away from the wedding ceremony at Port Orange. This restaurant is one my wife and I have enjoyed a few times during our own visits to the area, so Norwood’s holds a special place in my own heart. But more importantly, Norwood’s is a special site for Allison & John as well—they had their first date here!
The special day ended with a family-style wedding reception in a private room at the historic 1946 restaurant at Norwood’s, with everyone gathered together to join in on toasts, cake cutting, and lots and lots of laughter. This is one of the many beautiful benefits to a micro wedding: holding a wedding reception that feels like a family reunion and not just an expensive party. This intimate wedding reception fully enabled Allison & John to spend time with each of their loved ones in a relaxed atmosphere rather than only seeing each guest for a few fleeting moments, as often happens at larger wedding receptions. The bride and groom generously invited me to stay and join the celebration, but with a drive back to Orlando ahead of me, I left them with my warmest wishes for their new life together.
Congratulations once again to Allison & John!
Vendors:
Wedding Photographer: Author Made
Ceremony Venue: Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
Reception Venue: Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar
Bride's Ring: Eternate
Groom's Ring: Northern Royal
Bride's Dress: Azazie
Groom's Outfit: Amazon
Florals: Hobby Lobby
Hi, we’re Author Made, a wedding photographer / videographer studio based in Orlando, FL specializing in wedding photography and videography packages for small, intimate, micro weddings and elopements throughout Central Florida. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer or wedding videographer near you who understands and values the unique needs of smaller-scale weddings (we had a small wedding, too), we’d love to have the honor of capturing your wedding day.
If you’re interested in capturing your wedding photography or videography with us, please contact us - we would love to help your special day be all it can be!
