MADDIE + ALEX STEP INTO THE LIMELIGHT | YACHT STARSHIP IV | ST. PETERSBURG, FL

A little bit of sparkle, a little bit of pineapples!

Madeleine and Alex met at the University of Arizona Law School, Fall 2015. Madeleine was taking graduation pictures in a national park near where they lived inTucson,AZ (Saguaro National Park).They were out in this beautiful field of yellow flowers & Alex said he wanted to take a few more pictures ... the rest is history (There’s pictures on their website that Alex’s roommate took!). Also, fun fact, Madeleine almost turned back around before they got to “the spot” because they saw a rattlesnake.Alex is a wildlife biologist & was very excited... snakes are Madeline’s #1 fear so she was petrified.

In their own words....

Alex: “I love how adventurous Maddie is. I love how driven she is to go get what she wants. I love how fun and silly she can be. Most of all, I love how she makes me better.”

Maddie: “Alex is one of the smartest and kindest people I know. I love his ambition and how he pushes me to try new things. He is my best friend, he makes me really happy, and he makes me want to be a better person.”

Together they like to play board games, watch movies, and they LOVE to travel. They also love dogs—they have a 2 year old Alaskan Klee Kai named Bandit.

Their wedding day was wedding plan #3!!! Their original wedding/location was in Tucson, Arizona in a beautiful historic hotel/garden in the desert.Then, COVID happened and Madeleine'’s parents moved to Florida.With neither her parents, nor them living in AZ, it didn’t make sense to have the wedding in Arizona anymore... especially because Alex’s family also lives in Florida.

SO, they went with the Yacht Starship because (1) They love boats and (2) They wanted something totally different than what they were doing before. A clean slate.☺ So instead of desert garden, they did an upscale tropical glam vibe.A little bit of sparkle, a little bit of pineapples.

Madeleine actually found her dress in 2011... can you believe that! She saw it in a magazine when she was 18 and said “that’s my wedding dress!” Amazingly enough, her bridal salon (Schaffers in Phoenix,AZ) was able to get a hold of it out of the Lazaro vault in NewYork.As soon as she tried it on, she knew it was the one.Also, she saw it the day she tried it on a in a random episode of “Say Yes to the Dress!” that was on that night... it’s a small world. Madeleine’sMadeleine bracelet is her mother’s, it was a wedding gift to her. It was the first gift her dad got her mom after they were married. ALSO, the diamond in her wedding ring is actually her mom’s too. 33 years of good marriage karma :) Her pearls belong to her grandmother.

Mostly, Madeline and Alex were really excited to be surrounded by the people they love most in the world as they got married. Madeleine also loves her dress (obviously) and the pineapple theme carried through the guys’ socks and cufflinks all the way to the centerpieces! Everyone at the wedding felt happy, special, loved, and celebratory!

Lead Photographer | Cheyenne Roth
Associate Photographer | PJ Ricketts