Just Married: Cathleen and Matt

Distance was no issue for Matthew Paul Walworth Purmort and Cathleen Christina Cason. The couple first met online in 2014, when Matt was living in Ohio and Cathleen was living in Sarasota. After a few months, the two arranged to meet in Kentucky, and their long-distance romance began.

During one of his visits to Florida, the couple spent a day at Sea World in September 2014. Later that night, Matt proposed to Cathleen at her apartment.

Matt, son of Wells and Marsha Purmort, and Cathleen, daughter of Byron and Linda Cason, were married March 14, at the St. Armands Key Lutheran Church and held their reception at the Bird Key Yacht Club. The couple chose to host the wedding in Sarasota because Matt is from here. Cathleen grew up in Pinellas County, and she knew her family would like to visit.

Family and friends traveled from all over the country for the ceremony. Afterward, a bagpiper and drummer played for guests as they exited the church. To send off the happy couple, guests ushered the two with sparklers to an awaiting boat at the Bird Key Yacht Club dock, which took them to the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Boarding the boat, a friend surprised the couple by playing “Anchors Aweigh” on the trumpet, while another friend had set up fireworks.

Matt and Cathleen live in Okinawa, Japan, where Matt is a chaplain with the U.S. Navy.

The details:

Honeymoon: Disney cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream.

First dance song: “At Last,” sung by Matt’s sister-in-law, professional singer Lyn Purmort.

Photography: Villetto Photography

Floral design: Soft-textured roses by Sarasota Florist. Ivory and blush were the colors. “We didn’t want anything to compete with the ambience of the church gardens and nautical décor of the reception, so we kept it soft and subtle,” Cathleen said. 

Cake: Ombre icing design with layers of white cake with strawberry filling and carrot cake with cream-cheese filling, made by Der Dutchman

Dress: Maggie Sottero

Favors: Sparklers, used for the send-off.

Something new, borrowed, blue: The dress was new, veil was old (made from Cathleen’s mother’s veil), borrowed and blue was a University of Florida garter that had also been worn by Cathleen’s mother at her wedding.