Kelly & Tommy C O U R T YA R D B Y M A R R I O T T A M E L I A I S L A N D By Julie Simmons
Photography by Todd Smith, Amelia Island Beach Weddings
No matter where you call home, Amelia Island’s blue waters, expanse of lush marsh grass, and canopies of oaks are amazing backdrops for saying, “I do!” Local brides know all the secrets and relish planning their wedding celebration, but for brides planning from afar, it can be a little unnerving to be so far removed from everything. At least until you meet Todd Smith, explains newlywed Kelly Rumph. “Todd has a contagious personality and he’s phenomenal at what he does,” says Kelly. “Planning from a distance isn’t easy, but he is warm, welcoming, and you trust him easily.” Smith, owner of Amelia Island Beach Weddings and planner for the couple’s wedding events, remembers meeting Kelly and Tommy. “The first time we talked, I fell in love with this sweet couple. The most important thing for them was just to get 24 AMELIA ISLAND WEDDINGS
married. They didn’t care about the details, they just wanted to start their life together.” Kelly and Tommy first met in high school. “Tommy and I actually met in ninth grade at Albany High School in Georgia, but I was so bubbly I drove him crazy,” Kelly laughs. “In 2018, literally decades, spouses, children, and ex-spouses later, we met again and rekindled our friendship.” It didn’t take too long for a fire to ignite between the two, placing Tommy down on one knee and asking Kelly for her hand. “When you’ve already been married once and pleased everyone, the second go around you do what you really want,” laughs Kelly, with her great sense of humor. “And I wanted to get married on the beach!” Although Kelly grew up vacationing on Florida’s Gulf Coast,
