A Little Palm Island birthday celebration: Dana + Scott - Jennifer McMenamin Photography

A Little Palm Island birthday celebration: Dana + Scott
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa | Baltimore event photography | Baltimore event photographer

Last month, I had the pleasure of traveling to the Florida Keys to photograph a whole weekend of birthday fun for Dana + Scott. Since they share a birth date and had reached a milestone birthday, they decided to celebrate with their friends and family on Little Palm Island, a private, 5 1/2-acre oasis in the Atlantic Ocean with thatched-roof bungalows on stilts set amid winding paths of crushed seashells, coconut palm trees and mangroves. With the guidance of event designer Emily Villarreal of Boutique Events, the couple planned a memorable getaway full of kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, wake boarding, spa visits, bocce tournaments, a photo scavenger hunt, beach bonfires and themed nighttime parties, including a glow-in-the-dark 80s disco bash. That evening, the combination of black lights, guests’ white attire and all the glow-in-the-dark body paint, tattoos and glow jewelry made for some especially fun photographs. After a day of on-and-off rain showers, the sun finally burst through the clouds on Saturday morning, allowing guests to soak up some sun and the evening’s elegant dinner party to go forward as planned right on the beach under palm trees strung with cafe lights. Later, when a downpour interrupted the toasts to the couple, guests just grabbed their plates and dashed indoors to the covered terrace to continue the fun. It was a joy to photograph such a wonderful occasion with Dana + Scott and their friends and family in such a beautiful location. Here are some of my favorites: