T

he stars were perfectly aligned when Florida locals Danielle 
Lynette Hood and Joshua Lee Howell met. Danielle grew up 
in Milton, Florida and Joshua calls Pensacola his hometown. 

This adventure loving duo enjoy many of the same hobbies and have a 
lot in common, including a mutual love of dirt track racing.  As soon as 
Josh noticed Danielle she sparked his interest, he asked their mutual 
friend Will about who this beautiful girl was. It didn’t take long for Josh 
to reach out to her and ever since the two have been inseparable. “I 
knew that Josh was the one for me when he picked me up on our first 
date, opened the door for me and treated me the way any girl would 
dream of. I knew he was something special from the moment we first 
talked,” said Danielle.  Josh’s mother is from Steamboat, Colorado and 
planned their annual trip along with their family friends of over 30 years.  
Josh had been secretly planning on popping the question on the trip. The 
weekend was spent in a beautiful log cabin with breath-taking mountain 
views in the heart of Steamboat. Danielle recalls the proposal, “On 
the fourth day we hiked up Fish Creek Falls overlooking the stunning 
waterfall. Josh walked up behind me and whispered in my ear how much 
he loved me, then he choked up. I instantly knew what he was going to 
do. I turned around and saw him on one knee and he asked me if I would 
be his wife. Tears flowed, this was a dream come true! To my surprise, 

there was a secret photographer there to capture every second of this 
special moment.”

A picture perfect proposal was followed up with a picture perfect 

wedding at The Hilton Garden Inn in Pensacola. On the big day, Danielle 
and her bridesmaids spent the morning having fun getting ready. Danielle 
had always envisioned a rustic and romantic wedding, and her dreams 
became a reality as the ceremony began with light music playing for the 
guests. “As I walked down the aisle I lost it, and as soon as Josh saw 
me, so did he. Our ceremony was a simple, traditional one. We did our 
unity sand ceremony, exchanged vows and sealed the deal with the best 
kiss of my life,” described Danielle. Sunflowers and flickering tea light 
candles were the perfect compliment to the brown and champagne color 
scheme. The bride wore a stunning lace fit and flare gown with a keyhole 
back adorned with a beautiful beaded belt with rhinestones. She wore 
her grandmother-in-laws’ pearls as her something old, her earrings as her 
something new, her mother’s ring as her something borrowed and the 
bottom of her Betsy Johnson shoes were blue to complete the ensemble. 

There were many touches throughout the wedding that were 

personalized to fit the couple’s personalities; including the racecar 
shaped groom’s cake complete with racing tires and a trophy. The couple 
were surprised when they entered The Hilton’s Honeymoon Suite to a 
room completely covered in fragrant rose petals, a heart in the shape of 
a H decorating the middle of the bed, chocolate covered strawberries 
and a bottle of champagne. The staff went the extra mile, thinking of 
each and every last detail, and even boxed up their left over dinner with 
‘bride’ and ‘groom’ written on each box to enjoy late night in the suite. 
The newlyweds enjoyed the perfect honeymoon, beginning with a night 
at the Golden Nugget in Biloxi, Mississippi, followed by a few days spent 
exploring New Orleans and ending with a tropical cruise to Cozumel, 
Mexico. Danielle and Josh love life as a married couple as they continue 
to “live life in the fast lane” together. 

BEHIND THE SCENES

Coordinator: Kathy Powell
Photographer: Vanessa Burleigh & Kara Mears
Caterer: Hilton Garden Inn Airport Boulevard
Floral Design: The Bride &Vanessa Burleigh
Bridal Dress: Simply Elegant in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Wedding Cake: Robin Mueller at Bon Appetit Catering in San Antonio, TX
Venue for Ceremony: Hilton Garden Inn Airport Boulevard
Venue for Reception: Hilton Garden Inn Airport Boulevard
Hair Stylist: Lyza Hawthorne at Posh Color Bar in Pace, FL
Makeup Artist: Lyza Hawthorne & GiGi Lund at Posh Color in Bar Pace, FL

Danielle Lynette 

Hood  

Joshua Lee 

Howell 

story by Courtney Murray |  photography by K&V Photography

38       VIPPensacola.com 

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