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rica Hughes was born in Fort Walton Beach, but moved every 
two or three years as she was raised in a military family. John 
Wirka, Jr. was born in Orlando, but his US Army Special Forces 

career brought him to Destin. A day in 2014 brought the two together 
at KC’s SandBar and Grille when John approached Erica and her two 
friends, armed with three roses and a “smooth” pick up line. John was 
immediately taken with Erica and asked her out for their first official 
date a week later at Dave and Buster’s in Panama City Beach. To this 
day, John buys Erica a rose whenever there is a vendor selling flowers, 
to commemorate that special night. July 11, 2015, started out as a 
normal date night at Dave and Buster’s for some fun and games. On 
the drive home they decided to stop at Red Bar in Grayton Beach for 
a nightcap. Afterward, they walked down to the ocean, and underneath 
a beautiful star studded clear night sky John got on one knee and asked 
Erica to marry him. It was a perfect moment that the two of them will 
always treasure. Two weeks later John was off to Ranger School and 

the couple’s communication for the next three months was limited to 
letters and a three-minute phone call every few weeks. “I got really 
good at checking the mail during that time and John got really sick of 
eating MRE’s,” recalls Erica. 

The wedding ceremony took place on May 21, 2016, on The Grand 

Lawn of Sandestin Resort in Miramar Beach, FL. Their vision was 
natural, woodsy, laid-back, and to acknowledge Armed Forces Day, 
they had American flags and signs sprinkled throughout the ceremony 
and reception to honor all service members. Their style aesthetic was 
classic with neutral colors. The bridesmaids wore taupe convertible 
dresses and the groomsmen were dressed in classic black suits with 
brass bullet casing boutonnieres. The groom and his best man wore 
their Army Service Uniforms. Erica’s bouquet used lots of greenery 
with a splash of white and wildflowers with eucalyptus, green and 
white hydrangea, and white calla lilies wrapped in burlap and twine. 
She was absolutely stunning in her strapless mermaid gown. The satin 
dress had a sweetheart neckline with a vintage lace pattern overlay in 
an ivory and spun gold color. Her something old was a handkerchief 
incorporated into her bouquet with an embroidered “H” for her 
maiden name that her maternal grandmother gave Erica’s mother when 
she was born. Something new was her wedding dress and earrings. 
She wore her paternal grandmother’s pearl bracelet as her something 
borrowed. Her something blue was also entwined in the bouquet, a 
turquoise rosary from her paternal grandmother that was made by a 
family friend.

The reception was held in the Azalea Ballroom of The Grand 

Complex on Sandestin resort where guests danced away to the tunes 
of Post Pluto, an amazing funky band out of Pensacola. The music for 
the entire event was important to the couple. Erica described, “John is 
a huge 90’s grunge fan and I am a classic rock girl; we found the song 
“Thank You” by Led Zeppelin covered by Chris Cornell for our first 
dance song. One of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process 
was picking out the perfect songs to go along with the day/evening.” 
John and Erica are both avid scuba divers and they definitely wanted to 
get some diving in while on their honeymoon, so Belize was the perfect 
location. The newlyweds are excited to embark on their new adventure 
together, residing in Miramar Beach.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Coordinator: Heather Cleveland & Coral Holland 
Photographer:  Sass&Soul Photography 
Caterer:  Sandestin Resort, Chef Javier Rosa 
Floral Design:  It’s A Perfect Day Weddings, Freeport
Bridal Dress:  Simply Elegant 
Wedding Cake: Publix at Grand Boulevard 
Venue for Ceremony:  The Grand Lawn, Sandestin Resort 
Venue for Reception:  Azalea Ballroom 
Hair & Makeup:  Barbie Ortiz-Hayes of Aveda Avantgarde Salon

Erica

Hughes 

John

Wirka, Jr.

story by Courtney Murray |  photography by Sass&Soul Photography 

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