A beautiful sea glass–themed wedding on the front lawn of a Naples beach resort—with the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico rippling gently in the background—was planned for Sunday, February 26, 2023. The ceremony would take place in the late afternoon as the rays of the setting sun reflected in the sky, wowing out-of-town guests and bestowing a special blessing upon David Nee and Krysta Sylvester as they exchanged marriage vows.
David and Krysta’s story began when they met in a commercial real estate class in January 2020, just before a worldwide pandemic shut down the country. Seatmates, the two exchanged business cards, but as Krysta recalls, “He had no business talking to me, as I was nursing a broken heart.”
Both David and Krysta grew up in the same area of the country—he in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she in Youngstown, Ohio; both also came from families involved in the construction business.
Communication via text and social media remained purely professional until David commented on a particular post of Krysta’s—saying he hoped to one day taste her grandma’s much-loved Easter bread. Craving more of a personal connection than what social media offered, Krysta posted that any men who wanted to get to know her better should “pick up the phone to call or ask for an actual date.” David heeded the suggestion, scheduling a call for the very next day.
Eventually the couple met in person—spending five hours talking and walking along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. Their second date was an auto show, when and where they discovered they were both car aficionados. Many more dates followed, and the relationship blossomed.
Krysta was living in Naples, having moved to assist with managing her family’s investment properties. She had obtained her residential and commercial real estate licenses in Florida while still working closely with the family business based in Ohio.
After finishing a hockey career in British Columbia, David moved back to his hometown of Pittsburgh to work alongside his father in the construction business. He contemplated a move to Jupiter, Florida, where friends lived, but he had not yet made a final decision. He never considered Southwest Florida—that is until Krysta invited him to visit. On the drive from the airport to a burger lunch on Immokalee Road (a mere 20 miles), David fell in love with Naples. He extended his stay and soon after told Krysta he was going to study for his Florida residential real estate license.
On July 5, 2022, two years from the date of their first meeting, David invited Krysta for a walk on the same riverfront area in Pittsburgh where they enjoyed their first date. She thought nothing of the casual invite, only thinking it was odd that David was particularly concerned about the time and getting the walk started. He had good reason, as he had a couple of friends planted to record his planned proposal near a picturesque setting.
The question was asked and duly answered; the good news was quickly shared with family and friends. A lengthy to-do list was compiled. Many of the details quickly fell into place, like booking a beachfront ceremony for Sunday, February 26.
Lexie Verbruggen, owner and lead cake designer at Sweetified in Naples, would make the key lime and vanilla citrus cake and decorate it with edible rope icing and sea stars; a chocolate purveyor from Youngstown would provide candy; and the design team from Signature Florals in Fort Myers would decorate the room and tables using rattan baskets, chunks of driftwood, clear glass vases, and simple arrangements of flowers in muted coastal colors. They would also create Krysta’s dreamy asymmetrical orchid-infused bouquet.
Even Enzo, Krysta’s adorable rescue dog (part pit bull and part Great Dane), would have a role in the wedding ceremony—that of ring bearer. The couple later admits: “He stole the show.” Invitations were ordered and mailed. Melissa Daggett, owner and founder of The Wedding Planner MD, based in Naples, was hired as a day-of coordinator.
Then, on September 28, Hurricane Ian blew through Southwest Florida, causing massive destruction. The planned beachfront wedding site was affected; however, hotel staff assured the couple they would be fully operational by their February wedding date. In December, days before they were to drive north to celebrate Christmas with their families, an email from the hotel popped up in Krysta’s inbox asking the couple to join staff on a phone call. News followed that the hotel would be shut down indefinitely, and the chosen date could not be honored. Alternate plans would have to be made.
Krysta had dreamed of a beach wedding. Even though there were available options at local country clubs and golf clubs, “there are golf clubs in Pennsylvania and Ohio,” she says, explaining she wanted something special. They called Daggett who suggested checking out other resort hotel options, in particular the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. Krysta and David made a hurried trip to Marco Island. They immediately fell in love with the large resort hotel and did not wish to entertain any other options.
Would the chosen date be available? The couple had already been told by Daggett to look for the same date or risk losing guests. The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort normally does not allow weddings during peak tourist season, but as Daggett explains, “When I told my contacts there what had happened, they graciously made an exception.”
There were still other issues that needed attention. “If you are Italian, the food better be good,” reminds Krysta. The hotel delivered, providing a fabulous menu to choose from—the catering department even offered one of the couple’s favorite wines as a beverage option.
An ocean-view bridal suite was available for the couple and despite it being season, rooms were available and blocked for guests—all expertly coordinated by the hotel’s Event Manager Liza Sherwin. Everything fell into place. The couple could not be happier. “We received six-star service,” says David.
January and February were spent finalizing the wedding details. Daggett explains that Krysta’s mother “was very meticulous about the details and vision of the wedding and helped communicate, organize, and get everything ready ahead of time.” Daggett adds, “Even without stormy weather, plans rarely go exactly as planned; I love taking those challenges and turning them into triumphs.”
Surrounded by about 80 family and friends, a sunset ceremony officiated by Pastor Russ Winn incorporating traditional Catholic readings, prayers, and a moment of remembrance to honor the deceased who could not be present took place under a perfect sky. “We had beautiful weather,” adds Krysta. “There was a slight breeze and no red tide—it stayed north.”
Sated with hugs, dances, toasts, and best wishes from their guests, as well as lots of sweet treats, the couple tied the proverbial knot. “Somehow and in some way, everything always seems to work out,” says Daggett. Krysta and David prefer to call it serendipity—the unplanned location provided a special day that far exceeded any expectations they had.
The Youngstown Cookie Table
It’s rare that a wedding reception—featuring a bride and groom from Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, with Italian, Greek, Slovak, and/or Hungarian ancestry—does not feature a cookie table.
It’s believed that the cookie table tradition became prevalent during the early twentieth century. Immigrants brought many of their traditions with them, including baking. As money was tight during the Depression, the cost of a wedding cake was often prohibitive. Family and friends would instead bake an amazing array of bite-size treats to serve at the reception as an expression of love for the newlywed couple.
David and Krysta were gifted with 18 different varieties of cookies. Her parents, Joseph and Kathy Sylvester, were tasked with driving the cookies down in the back of their SUV. There is a specific way to artfully arrange dozens of cookies. You stack them, cascade them, and group them in an elaborate display. On the morning of the wedding, Krysta relates that her mom—still in pajamas—snuck down to the hotel kitchen to supervise the arrangement of the cookies, making certain the cookie table would look as good as it tasted.
Facebook Comments