Fresh fruit on every table and a casino after midnight. Martha's Vineyard.
Keila first photographed this family at Taylor's wedding. Paige is Taylor's sister. So when Paige and Kevin got engaged, there was already a shorthand, a familiarity with how this family moves and laughs and looks at each other that you can't manufacture on a wedding day. You either have it or you don't.
Keila had it. And it shows in every frame.
The wedding was on Martha's Vineyard, planned and designed by KG Events and Design, one of the most established and trusted planning firms on the island. The day started with a ferry ride to the family dock. It ended with a second line through town to a casino bar, a playing card sewn into the bride's second dress, and donuts from Backdoor Donuts. In between, there was a Sperry tent glowing against the shoreline, orange dahlias tumbling across floral-printed tablecloths, clam shell place cards, fresh fruit piled on every table, and a raw bar from the Clambulance.
Martha's Vineyard did what Martha's Vineyard does.
The design: bold color, coastal winks, and a tent worth looking at from every angle
This wedding reimagined what a seaside celebration looks like without leaning into the obvious. KG Events and Design built the design around layered shades of orange: tangerine, peach, copper, amber, all of it lush and warm and slightly unexpected against the soft palette of the island in late summer. Morrice Florist, the beloved Vineyard Haven institution, handled the florals, and the arrangements were abundant in the best way: dahlia-heavy, loose, spilling over the edges of every table.
The tablecloths were a green and white botanical print, which gave the room a garden feeling that balanced the intensity of the blooms. Clam shell place cards were hand-lettered and sat on each napkin fold like a quiet nod to where they were. Fresh pears, grapes, and stone fruit were piled at intervals between the flowers. The details were coastal without being literal, a quality that's harder to pull off than it sounds.
Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals provided the Sperry tent, a structure that has its own particular beauty on Martha's Vineyard, the wooden poles and draped canvas glowing warm against the waterfront at dusk. Drape Art Designs brought the interior draping. Jacob Co. Creative handled lighting, which meant the tent looked extraordinary from inside and out as the evening settled in.
The Jordan Kahn Orchestra played the reception. Boston String Ensemble covered ceremony music. Go to Shout brought the dancefloor. The room was alive from the first dance.
The after party: a second line and a dress with a playing card in it
The celebration didn't stop at the tent.
After dinner, a second line led guests through town to The Boathouse MV for a casino bar after party. Paige changed into a second dress with a playing card sewn into the fabric, which tells you everything you need to know about how this couple approaches a party. Lady Luck MV ran the casino. Backdoor Donuts showed up late in the night. It was the kind of after party that makes guests tell the story for years.
What it means to photograph a family you already know
There's a particular kind of trust that builds when you photograph someone's family more than once. The first wedding is a meeting. The second is a reunion. By the time Keila was on the Vineyard with Paige and Kevin, she already knew how this family stands together, the way they find each other in a crowd, the specific quality of the laughter between sisters.
That familiarity doesn't mean the day is easier. It means Keila could go further with it. She could be closer, quieter, more patient, knowing that the moments would come without having to engineer them. A day that kept the family close in every frame. She approached it with the intention of letting it stand on its own, using light and composition to shift the feeling while keeping those connections intact. The result is a gallery that feels familiar in all the right ways, but entirely its own.
On shooting weddings on Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard has a specific quality of light and a specific quality of place that makes it one of the most rewarding locations we photograph in. The island draws a certain kind of couple: people who have history here, who come back year after year, who choose it not because it's fashionable but because it means something to them personally. That rootedness shows up in the weddings. The photography follows from there.
KG Events and Design is one of the few planning firms genuinely built into the fabric of the Vineyard. Their understanding of the island's logistics, vendors, and light is hard to replicate, and working alongside them produces days that feel native to the place rather than imported into it.
We photograph on Martha's Vineyard regularly and are always looking for reasons to be back. If you're planning a Vineyard wedding, we'd love to hear about it.
Planning and Design: KG Events and Design Photography Keila: Abby Jiu Photography Floral: Morrice Florist Videography: Clayton Film Co. Catering: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons Catering Bar: Vineyard Bevco Drape: Drape Art Designs Tent: Big Sky Tent and Party Rentals Lighting: Jacob Co. Creative Rentals: Tilton Rentals, Kadeem Rentals, Splendid Settings Stationery: Julie King Studio Entertainment: Jordan Kahn Orchestra, Boston String Ensemble Dancefloor: Go to Shout Beauty: Kacie Corbelle Styling: Francesca, Stylist to the Bride Cake: Val Cakes MV Raw Bar: Clambulance MV After Party: The Boathouse MV Casino: Lady Luck MV After Party Donuts: Backdoor Donuts