Emily & Devin

Emily & Devin

OYSTER BAY YACHT CLUB

By Julie Simmons Photography by Day Eight Studios

Three blind mice, three little pigs, three stooges, three wisemen, three chipmunks, three amigos, and third time’s the charm! Great things come in threes, it seems, and newlyweds Emily and Devin Mooneyhan will be the first to tell you that their three-times rescheduled wedding turned out to be just perfect. “I am from Michigan, Devin is from Florida, and we met in San Francisco,” Emily Swift Monneyhan explains. “When it came time to pick a wedding location, we finally narrowed it down to Michigan or Florida.” Devin adds that Amelia Island won out for its amazing reviews, location near a major airport for the ease of travel, and of course, its incredible wedding venues and natural beauty. “When we saw the photos of weddings at Oyster Bay Yacht Club, we knew this was it,” shares Emily.

“Oyster Bay provides a stunning environment for a wedding event,” says Wedding and Events Manager Ashton Hunter. “The marsh view ceremony location is set among cascading canopy oaks draped in Spanish moss, providing the perfect backdrop for the place to say your ‘I do’s!’ And in keeping with the rustic beauty of its surroundings, the clubhouse has a casual yet elegant ambience.” Emily and Devin had to push off their wedding ceremony twice due to Covid-19 concerns. In September 2020, the couple decided to make the trip to Amelia Island despite the pandemic, and they exchanged vows in front of a small, intimate gathering. Then, almost to the day one year later, they gathered on the front lawn of Oyster Bay Yacht Club and said “I do” one more time in a celebration filled with family and friends.

“We are so glad we went forward with the full shebang,” they reflect. “It felt like it was the only time we said, ‘I do,’ and to be surrounded by the love and support of our family and friends is a feeling we will forever remember.” While the nuptials at Oyster Bay were the centerpiece of their wedding, the couple and their friends enjoyed many days before and after the wedding exploring this quaint Florida barrier island. “We came in the Wednesday before the wedding and rented an oceanfront home. It really doesn’t get any better than this, especially when you love to surf and there are good waves,” says Devin, who spent hours on those breakers with his best buds. Meanwhile, Emily and her friends were getting their hair and makeup done at Th e Beauty Bar, nail polish and pampering at Magna’s Aveda Full Body Salon, and all were relishing historic downtown Fernandina with its outstanding dining and shopping.

When it was time for the wedding bells to chime, Emily carried a bouquet designed by Island Flower & Garden, and the couple was all smiles as Day Eight Studios captured the memories. Oyster Bay served guests bruschetta, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and the couple’s favorite: stuffed mushrooms. Th e crowd danced and celebrated to the tunes of DJ Will Deaton before enjoying a layered chocolate-and-vanilla cake with raspberry filling. Just a few weeks into their marriage, Emily, Devin, and their favorite dog, Wiley, live in Houston, Texas, where they are dreaming of another trip to Amelia Island to dine at Café Karibo, shop at Color it Green, or bike the Egan’s Creek Greenway again. As this couple continues to reminisce on their beautiful Amelia Island wedding celebration, we wish them all the best as they begin their new life together!