The view from our hotel, Casa Marina Resort.

Last week, I headed to Florida, for what promised to be my niece’s very romantic, sun-kissed wedding by the ocean, on the beach, on the white, glistening sands of Key West, proudly known as the southernmost point of the continental U.S. I assumed we’d have warm, sultry days and plenty of time to bask in the sun.

Having made my travel arrangements months in advance, I started counting the days to this much-needed vacation and destination wedding, sometime last spring.  I couldn’t wait to be with family and friends for this joyous occasion. In fact, to make the most of the trip, I had decided to extend my stay by taking a few extra days off–before and after the wedding. I was eagerly looking forward to it all, including the chance to explore Key West’s famous haunts.

Well, the sunny portion of the vacation lasted for a total of 24 hours. After that, we had rain, rain, and more rain, often mixed with gusty, tropical storm-like winds. In other words, after one gorgeous day, the weather went south. Luckily, though, the good times stayed put.

There were 70 of us in all, many of whom hadn’t seen each other in years. A family reunion, a fabulous wedding, and buckets of rainfall. Flooding, too. What more could we want? So maybe, the ceremony didn’t take place on the beach as planned, but it was a magical wedding all the same.

Key West proved to be a most magical setting for a decidedly romantic wedding, rain and all.

Kudos to the mother of the bride and to Wedding Specialist, Erica Fuhrman of Simply You, for planning a superb, unforgettable wedding, right down to the scrumptious, elegant cake draped in orchids, and the fun photo booth, replete with costumes for the guests. And don’t even get me started on the exquisite decor and gorgeous flowers!

Herewith, are just a few of the more than 600 photos I snapped during my stay. Rain or no rain, I can’t wait to go back!

I loved this sign, especially the quote from Tennessee Williams. With a little pluck, I can see myself enjoying a writer's life year-round in Key West.

Out for a stroll, before the rains, I came across this shop, which reminded me of my blogger pal, Bella (One Sister's Rant)

The rain was sporadic while visiting the Ernest Hemingway House. There's really so much to do--and see--in Key West!

Hemingway loved cats and there are currently 44 cats living in and around his home. They're special cats, too, with extra digits on their paws. These cats are commonly known as Hemingway's cats, or, by their scientific name, Polydactyl Cats.

On the wedding day, the rain arrived full throttle and stayed for the next three days. Yikes!

Even these terns didn't have much to do except stare at the gloomy weather.

On Mallory Square, stormy clouds hid what may have been a beautiful sunset.

Rain? What rain? On this day we had one hour free of rain.

Would you believe it's early afternoon in this photo? And to think, the locals kept telling us it never gets this bad.