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

Baby Girls First Halloween Costume

DIY Starbucks Coffee Baby-Wearing Costume

It's been a few years since we dressed up for Halloween. This year, I had our costumes planned out months in advance! Since this would be Gabby's first Halloween costume, I wanted to do something cute and memorable. After going back and forth between a few ideas, I thought this DIY Starbucks Coffee Baby-Wearing Costume would be perfect! After all, Starbucks is special to us because it was Andrew's first job, and he was there for almost five years! Plus, we are coffee lovers. Well, I am... not so much Andrew. He worked at Starbucks but didn't really care to drink coffee. He would bring his employee drink to me after work! Oh, those were the days! ;)

Since Andrew still had his apron from his days as a Starbucks barista, and most of the other things for the costume would be simple, I thought dressing her as a Starbucks White Mocha Frappuccino would be the cutest thing. It sure was! Plus, I was able to baby-wear for this costume, which made it much more convenient. We had a family costume party in Miami last weekend, and I made the whipped cream headpiece for the costume on the way there! It was super simple to make, cheap, and came out pretty decent, so I thought I would share! All you mainly need is a ring sling baby carrier (Mine is from WildBird), and a few household items! All the details are listed at the end of this post! If you are looking for a quick DIY Halloween costume for you and your baby this is a great one for any coffee-lovers out there! Enjoy!

Her face when I told her she was a yummy white mocha Frappuccino...

Her face when I told her there was no actual coffee nor can she have any until she is older... But she is definitely yummy!

The details on how I made this DIY Starbucks Coffee Costume:

Baby Carrier: WildBird Ring Sling "Sparrow"

Green Apron: Starbucks or this Plain green apron (cheaper)

Logo: You can get a Sticker here but I printed the logo online and attached it to my sling with a clear UPS shipping label.

Whipped Cream Headpiece: Nylon stretchy headband, white gift tissue paper, tape, & a green Starbucks straw

Tutu: Old Navy (Similar)

Cream Onesie: Target (Similar)

Photography: Crystal & Andrew Bolin 

Feel free to Pin to save for later!

Here's how we wore it to our family party. If I would have been able to find our other apron, I would have been wearing one too! ;) iPhone photo taken by my aunt.

Ashlyn + Kyle | Elegant Tropical Wedding in Downtown West Palm Beach

Elegant Tropical Wedding at the West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion

On October 12th, 2019, Andrew and I had the honor of documenting Ashlyn and Kyle’s elegant tropical wedding at the West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion. Their gorgeous day was filled with joyful laughter and sweet, tender moments. An elegant color pallet of light gray, navy and sage green complimented the tropical backdrop.  The tropical downtown venue gave a modern and energetic vibe to this joyous occasion.

Ashlyn and Kyle were such a joy to work with! They are such an easy-going and fun couple that truly cares! During the reception, when all the vendors were eating outside, Ashlyn left HER reception and came out to check on us! She even offered to get us drinks! It was something she truly did not need to do, but it spoke volumes to her character and kindness. Kyle is equally thoughtful and kind. Together they make the sweetest couple, and it was a complete pleasure working with them!

Special Shoutout

Their wedding was also special because of two guests, Ashlyn’s brother, Josh, and his wife, Brittany. These two adorable people were one of our couples over five years ago! They live in Seattle, but we have been able to see them over the years because we have captured SIX weddings from their recommendations! We are beyond grateful for them!

Without Brittany & Josh we would have never had the honor of documenting some of our most favorite couples—Hana & Matt, Danielle & John, Rochelle & Scott, Kristine & Tristan, Lindsay & Gyles and now, Ashlyn & Kyle! These last nine years of photographing weddings alongside my dear husband have been such a blessing, and we are grateful to still have the honor of being welcomed with open arms to document the happiest day of our client’s lives!

Ashlyn & Kyle:

Thank you so much for welcoming us whole-heartedly! It was truly such a pleasure to be a part of such a special day! You both were such a pleasure to work with, and we are so grateful you chose us! We wish you all the best during this exciting new season! Keep hunting & fishing together always!

Love, the Bolins

The Love Story:

Kyle and Ashlyn met in 2004 during their freshman year of high school. Ashlyn had the biggest crush on Kyle but wouldn’t dare tell him. During their sophomore year, he transferred to a new high school that was built and they lost touch with each other. Their paths crossed a few times after, but it wasn’t until 2010 that they reconnected again.

After they had their first date, the rest was history. He said, “I love you,” first on their one year anniversary. In the spring of 2018, they flew to Italy to see Kyle’s sister who was stationed there in the Army. They spent ten magical days traveling through Italy and Slovenia. On the second day, they visited the beautiful city of Venice with his family. Little did she know, this is where he was planning to propose!

As they were sightseeing, his sister brought a friend along in secret to capture photos of their moment. The whole time with them, she thought the friend just adored the sights of Venice as much as she did. They started the day in a relaxing gondola ride. This is where Kyle had originally planned the proposal. Of course, nothing goes as planned.... He changed his mind during the ride because he kept thinking of all the problems that could happen when getting down on one knee in the tiny gondola and was worried about dropping the ring or going overboard!

After the boat ride, they walked around St. Mark’s Square -- the heart of Venice. While admiring the centuries-old architecture together, in the center of the Square, Kyle got down on one knee and popped the question. Kyle says he prepared a speech but was too nervous and forgot everything he wanted to say. It worked out, because the only thing Ashlyn remembered in that moment was shouting, “YES!” It is true that Venice is Italy’s City of Love and Romance. Naturally, this was the trip of a lifetime, and it will always have a special place in their hearts.

The Creative Team that brought this Elegant Tropical Wedding together:

Venue: West Palm Beach Lake Pavilion

Coordinator: Nikki Carpenito  with Make it Memorable Event PlanningI have known Nikki for a few years now but never worked with her. It was such a pleasure to finally work with her! She was so easy going yet was on top of every little detail! I would recommend her services to anyone looking for a wedding planner! She is awesome!

Photography: Crystal & Andrew Bolin

Videography: Amy Schatzmann

Florist: Flowers & More

DJ: DJ Risi with Parisi Events

Caterer: Catering CC 

Wedding Cake & Fruit Tarts: Publix Bakery

Cup Cakes: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Donuts: Jupiter Donuts

Decorators: South Party Rental (Chairs, tablecloths, Dishes)

Favors: Totally Promotional

Lighting Designers: Parisi Events

Invitation​ Designer: Vistaprint

Limo Service: Price 4 Limo (Roberts Transportation)

Makeup Artist: Alyson Khanna

Hair Stylist: Julie

Dress Designer: Essense of Australia 

Men's​ Wear: Mens Wearhouse

Ring Designer: Vandell Jewelers

Shoe Designer: Betsy Johnson

Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulus

Bar Service: Rebus Services

Nicole + Charles | Palm Beach Marina Engagement

Palm Beach Marina Engagement in Downtown West Palm Beach, Florida

On Friday, September 27th, 2019, Andrew and I had the pleasure of capturing Charles and Nicole's Palm Beach Marina engagement on the gorgeous Downtown WPB waterfront! Their session was a dream! The perfect cotton candy clouds, a peaceful breeze and a stunning couple made this session dreamy! Grand white yachts and a glistening coastal waterway filled the backdrop for this dreamy engagement session.

We began our session at the Palm Beach Marina where the yachts seemed to light up the scene. Afterward, we walked south along the West Palm Beach Waterfront, capturing sweet and romantic photos along the way. Lastly, but not least, we finished their session in the most meaningful spot to them! The dock where they share their first moments together; where Charles proposed exactly one year from the day they began dating; and most importantly, where they will be saying, "I do," in just TWO WEEKS!

Andrew and I have personally known Nicole and her family for over 12 years! So we are extra excited to have the privilege of not only documenting but witnessing their big day! After meeting Charles for the first time, I was so happy to see the joy he brought to Nicole's face. It is so evident in the photos below. He brings a genuine, joyful presence and makes you feel like you have known him for years. Charles is truly the perfect match for Nicole! Together, they are such a power couple, and we are exciting to see where the future takes them both!

Nicole & Charles:

Thank you so much for choosing Crystal Bolin Photography to document your love story! You both were truly a pleasure to work with, and we know wonderful things are in-store for your big day! We cannot wait to be a part of your wedding day!

The very spot where they will be tying the knot! 

The details that brought these Palm Beach Marina Engagement Photos together:

Location: Downtown West Palm Beach Waterfront

Photography: Crystal Bolin