February 24, 2024
Jeanny Tejeda and Javon Martin were married on February 24, 2024, at Penthouse at Riverside Wharf, a rooftop event space perched over the Miami River in downtown Miami. Their day was built as a two-location wedding: a relaxed early afternoon of preparation at The Epic in downtown Miami, followed by a move to the Penthouse for portraits, the ceremony, and a reception that ran until nine. Weddings by Yaz coordinated the entire timeline, and Muñoz Photography's John Fusco covered the day from the first bridal details through the last of the reception.
Coverage began at 1:00 PM with Jeanny's bridal preparation at The Epic, followed by Javon and his groomsmen at 1:40. Starting at a downtown hotel rather than at the venue itself gave the first part of the day a completely different visual register than what would come later — interior light, hotel-suite quiet, and the small, close-range moments that happen before anyone else arrives. Beauty by Renata handled hair and makeup, with the bridal party finished ahead of our arrival so the coverage window could focus on details, the dress, and the last few minutes before Jeanny was ready.
At 2:00 PM, Jeanny and Javon shared their first look at The Epic, followed immediately by their first round of couple's portraits. Scheduling the first look at the getting-ready location rather than at the venue is a deliberate choice, and a good one: it gives the couple genuine privacy for the moment itself, well away from arriving guests and vendor load-in. It also front-loads a portion of the portrait work, which takes pressure off the schedule later in the day. By 2:30 the whole team was in transit across downtown to the Penthouse.
The second portrait block picked up at 2:45 PM on arrival at Penthouse at Riverside Wharf, with bridal party and family portraits following at 3:00. The rooftop setting gives an entirely different backdrop than the hotel — open sky, the Miami River below, and the downtown skyline behind — and a full hour of portrait time before guests arrived at 4:00 meant that range could actually be used rather than rushed. W Event Design handled production for the space, with rentals from Decora Event Rentals shaping the rooftop layout for the transitions ahead.
Guests arrived at 4:00 PM and the ceremony began at 4:30, officiated by Weddings by Hazel. A late-afternoon February ceremony in Miami is close to ideal for an open-air rooftop: the heat has broken, the sun has dropped far enough to stop being harsh, and the light coming across the river is warm rather than flat. Ponce Floral Design's work framed the ceremony space, and the open-sided rooftop meant the skyline itself stayed visible behind the couple throughout. Family and couples' portraits followed at 5:00, catching what was left of the good light.
Décor and room reveal came at 5:30 PM, giving guests their first view of the space fully turned over for dinner. The reception opened at 6:00 and ran through to the 9:00 PM end of coverage, with Events by Molina on catering and DJ Drunky running entertainment. A three-hour reception is a tight, well-paced window — long enough for the full run of formalities and a real stretch of dancing, short enough that the energy never sags. Gamut Cine covered the day on film alongside our photography team.
Jeanny and Javon's wedding is a clean example of a timeline that a lot of Miami couples could borrow. Getting ready at a hotel and celebrating at a separate venue adds one transit block to the day — thirty minutes, in this case — and buys back a great deal in return: two entirely different visual settings, a private first look, and a portrait session that isn't competing with guest arrival. The trade is almost always worth it, provided a planner is holding the schedule together.
Weddings by Yaz planned and coordinated the day, with Penthouse at Riverside Wharf as the venue, Events by Molina on catering, Ponce Floral Design on florals, W Event Design on production, Decora Event Rentals on rentals, Weddings by Hazel officiating, Beauty by Renata on hair and makeup, DJ Drunky on entertainment, and Gamut Cine on film. Muñoz Photography's John Fusco photographed the day. A vendor list this deep only stays on schedule with a strong planner, and Weddings by Yaz kept the whole thing moving.
Rooftop venues ask a few specific things of a photography team: no shade to retreat into, quickly shifting light as the sun drops, and a skyline that's either an asset or a distraction depending on how you frame it. Penthouse at Riverside Wharf rewards a team that plans around all three. If you're considering a downtown Miami rooftop for your own wedding, Jeanny and Javon's day is a good picture of what one can look like from start to finish.
