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Crystal Bolin Photography 7/21/21 Crystal Bolin Photography 7/21/21

Elegant Family Portraits in Worth Avenue, Palm Beach

Ahh, there’s just something about Palm Beach. It’s so classic, so elegant, and definitely won’t ever go out of style. I’ve been blessed to have grown up in this area and remember growing up going to this beach often! When you find clients that love Palm Beach and photography as much as you do, it’s always the best!! The Austin family is that family! We have worked together four times in the past year and each time has been such pleasure! Most of their sessions have been in Palm Beach and they are some of my absolute favorites! I’m so sad they will be moving away soon but so glad we got to squeeze one more session in before they leave!

Austin family: Thank you for choosing us to capture so many family moments and memories! It’s truly been a pleasure and honor! We wish you all the best in this exciting new season in a new state! I hope we get the chance to work together again in the future!

Worth Avenue, Palm Beach Family Photos July 2021

The details that brought these Elegant Family Portraits in Worth Avenue, Palm Beach together:

Photographer: Crystal Bolin

Location: Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, Florida

Camera Gear: Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens, Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II Lens

Crystal Bolin Photography 11/6/19 Crystal Bolin Photography 11/6/19

Nicole + Charles | Chic Tropical Palm Beach Wedding

A Chic Tropical Palm Beach Wedding at the West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion

On October 18th 2019, Andrew and I had the pleasure of capturing Charles and Nicole ‘s Chic Tropical Palm Beach Wedding at the West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion. Their wedding day was a classy, tropical dream with a splash of Lilly Pulitzer flare. Their vibrant day was pure 'Palm Beach' perfection.

They said, “I do,” in the same place they shared their first kiss and where Charles proposed, on the dock of the West Palm Beach waterfront. It was a very overcast day, but it didn’t rain! Every last detail was carefully thought out and reflected Nicole and Charles so well. From the colorful hand-painted bottle of Veuve Clicquot to the assorted ice cream cones for dessert, every last detail was an elegant, tropical dream.

Andrew and I have known Nicole for many years. Three years ago, at a wedding we captured where Nicole was a guest, we chatted for a few minutes. While we were catching up, she said, “One day, when I find a guy and get married, you will be my photographer!” Little did she know then, but her future husband was a guest at that very wedding, and she had just met him that night. It was an honor to see their story come full circle. Their entire sweet love story is below.

Charles & Nicole, thank you for choosing us to document your stunning wedding day! It was such an honor working with both of you! We wish you all the best in this exciting new season of life. May God continue to bless you both and your marriage for many years to come.

The Love Story

Nicole and Charles first met on September 17th, 2016, at their mutual friends’, A.J. & Laura Titus, wedding at the Flagler Museum. Charles was head over heels about Nicole from the moment he saw her, but they did not connect in that moment. He assumed she was dating the guy next to her, her brother.

The following year, on February 13th, 2017, Charles began his new job in West Palm Beach, where he was greeted by, and for the first time, formally introduced to Nicole. Even though they worked at the same company, for the first 6 months they had minimal interactions, despite Charles’ best efforts.

The work trip that changed everything:

Later in the year, Charles moved to Texas and flew to New Orleans for a last minute work conference. Charles was excited to find out Nicole was there too. They spent the next four days getting to know each other, working in close quarters, and sharing Hurricanes at Pat O'briens. During the last night of the conference, Nicole mentioned she wanted to get beignets. Since Charles had been to New Orleans many times, he knew the best spot, and he took the opportunity to escort her, so she wasn't roaming the streets of New Orleans alone. He, of course, just wanted to spend more time with her.

After that trip, he knew there was something special about Nicole, even if she showed no interest in him. They went back to their normal work life, miles away from one another. They continued to talk on the phone once a week and hung out whenever he flew to South Florida for a quick weekend to see his parents.

First proper date:

Fast forward to a few weeks before Christmas 2017. Charles knew he was going to be in South Florida for ten days around the holidays, so he asked Nicole on a proper date to her favorite restaurant, Kitchen. She agreed to go to dinner with him because of his “the worst thing that can happen is you have a great meal at your favorite restaurant” pitch. They spent the whole night talking about their families, who they are outside of work, and their values. Everything clicked. After dinner, they continued the conversation while walking around downtown West Palm, Nicole’s favorite way to converse. They ended the evening with a three-hour heart-to-heart on the end of the dock and shared their first kiss.

The remaining seven days of his trip were the start to their relationship. They did everything together from lunch dates, touristy sightseeing, and more dinners. After the seven days of speed dating, Charles had to fly back to Houston. Both hesitant on trying the long distance dating, they decided to see where this relationship could go. A week of time apart was too long, so they talked every night and decided to give the long distance a shot. And it worked!

The majority of their relationship was spent miles, apart but the time a part made every weekend trip together special. For weeks at a time, all they had were phone calls and Face-Timing. The foundation of their relationship started with communication.

The big question:

On December 22nd, 2018, exactly one year from their first date, Charles proposed on the same dock in West Palm where they spent hours talking under the stars. Charles has now moved back to West Palm, and they are excited to be starting their lives together and are thankful for the distance because of the bond they created, no matter the miles in between.

The details that brought this Chic Tropical Palm Beach Wedding together:

Venue: The West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion

Coordinator: Allison Lewis of The Golden Pineapple

Florist: Southern Floral

Painted Champagne Bottle: Go Coastal Studio

DJ: Kenny Mondo

Officiate: Rev. Jul MedenblikCatering: Alexander Event

Invitation Designer: Anna Moore from Prime Pretty Prints

Hair Stylist: A Better Cut

Makeup Artist: A Better Cut

Dress Designer: Justin Alexander

Men's Wear: Men’s Warehouse & A Black Tux

Ring Designer: Marcus Jewelers

Head Piece Designer: The Ruffled Rose Boutique

Shoe Designer: Sam Edelman

Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu

Photography: Crystal & Andrew Bolin

Crystal Bolin Photography 8/23/16 Crystal Bolin Photography 8/23/16

Danae + Ricky | Breezy Bohemian Engagement in Palm Beach, FL

A Breezy Bohemian Engagement in Palm Beach, Florida

On Thursday, August 18th, Andrew and I had the pleasure of documenting Danae and Ricky's breezy bohemian engagement on Palm Beach, Florida. It was a beautiful afternoon and the scene was so dreamy. Danae and Ricky are such a gorgeous couple and they brought their adorable puppy, Cooper! Everything about this boho-inspired engagement shoot was so stunning!

Danae decided to have their photos taken at a serene spot next to the Flagler Museum and the Palm Beach Lake Trail. We began our shoot in the late afternoon, right before golden hour. It was the perfect time of day for a dreamy engagement shoot. Danae wanted an elegant bohemian inspired engagement shoot and I believe we achieved that.

Right before the shoot we were chatting and we discovered that we are all Cuban! Ricky, like myself, was born in the United States but Danae was actually born in Cuba and came to the United States when she was just a toddler. It's not very often that I get the opportunity to work with Cuban couples so working with Danae and Ricky was so nice!

The Love Story:

Their love story starts in a very simple way. A knock on the door. They were both attending the University of Florida at the time. Danae's best friend and roommate had started dating one of Ricky's roommates, so he had been invited to come over for dinner. Danae was a graduate student at the time and had no time to even sit to have dinner with them, so she went to her room to study until she overheard someone talking about “puerco asado” (roasted pork). The Cuban in her couldn’t resist so she went to investigate. Come to find out, Ricky was Cuban too!

Soon they would come to find out they both grew up in West Palm Beach, had gone to South Olive Elementary School, and had grown up in Lake Osbourne Estates! They had grown up just a few blocks from each other but it wasn't until college that they finally met.

Eventually, they both graduated from UF, moved back home to West Palm Beach to be closer to family and bought their first home. A few days after they moved into their home they added Mr. Cooper to their little family, their YorkiePoo. He's the cutest little guy!

The Proposal:

With a strong four-year relationship they never doubted their relationship would last and always knew that one day they would share the same last name. On the last day of June, Ricky planned their beautiful engagement. He invited their families, including Danae's sister who flew in from Ohio, to a day at the Breakers in Palm Beach. After a perfect poolside breakfast with the family, Ricky had scheduled a manicure and pedicure for Danae and her sister. Towards the end of their appointment, their moms came to take Danae and her sister to the bungalows pool.

As they walked over they stopped at a lookout point in front of the ocean, where Ricky, along with both of their families, met them. That was the moment Ricky proposed. They spent the rest of the day drinking champagne, eating, and having a perfect afternoon beachside at the Breakers. Now they are planning their destination wedding for next year, and couldn’t be happier or more excited about their future together!

Danae & Ricky, thank you so much for allowing us the honor of capturing your engagement photos! It was a pleasure working with you guys and little Cooper!