Just Married: Ethan Biter and Molly Klauber

Bride’s parents: Mirta Matheu Klauber and Michael and Terri Klauber
Groom’s parents: Tina and Rich Biter

How the couple met:
Lieutenant Commander Ethan Rahn Biter and Molly Michael Klauber met in 2012. It all started with cheese at the Gulf Coast Cheese Fest, which was co-founded by Molly. Ethan and his family decided to partake in a whole day of eating cheese and drinking wine at the local festival. Molly greeted his family with grace, but little did she know who she was dealing with — a family full of surprises and good times.
The first surprise was a trip to Bern’s Steakhouse to celebrate Ethan’s brother, Jesse’s, birthday. To cause the utmost embarrassment for Ethan, his family did not hold back. From rolls being thrown across the restaurant, to the manager politely asking Molly to “quiet her party down,” the typical first date was surely on the opposite end of the spectrum. At the end of the date, and with no stone left unturned, they both knew they had found love at first date.

The proposal:
On June 23, Ethan and Molly flew down to Staniel Cay, Bahamas, for a trip on a private cruise. One day while the other couples on the trip went for a mini fishing excursion, Ethan and Molly stayed behind and he asked her to join him on the bow of the boat so they could enjoy the beautiful sunset. When discussing their favorite moments of their relationship, Ethan noted that that exact moment was the ultimate. At that moment, he got down on one knee and proposed.

The wedding and reception:
The couple was married April 5, at The Ringling. A trumpet player led the bride and her father, Michael, down the aisle. Molly had given the groom a custom wood chip engraved in Morse code with “You are my Sunshine” and “I love you” to keep in his pocket the day of the wedding so he could “feel” her saying those things to him whenever he needed it. It tied into the “You are my Sunshine” played by the quartet during the wine ceremony. Following the ceremony, Molly and Ethan passed through a traditional sword arch.

Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres — including a table of wheels of cheese (Molly’s favorite) made to look like wedding cakes — on the second tier of the courtyard. Dinner took place on the final tier of the courtyard, where guests finished the night dancing to the sounds of Serenade of Souls — after the couple cut the cake (with Ethan’s sword).

Honeymoon:
The couple will travel to southern France and southern Italy in September. However, to kickoff their first week as newlyweds, Molly, Ethan and 28 of their friends and family set sail on a post-wedding cruise.

Fun fact:
The rehearsal dinner was a surprise to Ethan, who thought it was going to be at Polo Grill. However, friends and family surprised him at an airport hangar for a “flying” themed party. The staff was dressed as flight attendants, the food was themed around Daniel Bouloud (Ethan’s favorite chef), the bathrooms had signs that said the “mile high club” and beverage carts featured mini bottles of alcohol and more.

Click here for more photos.

THE DETAILS 

First Dance: “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies
Photography: Binary Flips
Wedding planning: Maria Brady, Choreographed Events
Floral design: Victoria Blooms
Invitations: Write-On Sarasota
Lighting: Affairs in the Air
Linens and rentals: Linens by the Sea at US Tent
Props and furniture: So Staged
Cake: Cakes By Ron
Catering: Michael's On East
Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Hair: Fresh Salon Spa Style
Makeup: Eri Vincent