Meet the Team: Kristi Oliver

A destination bride herself, she’s your go-to gal for getting started when planning a destination wedding!

Allow us to reintroduce Kristi Oliver! Formerly Kristi Summerlin, Kristi is our latest team member to say “I do!” to a destination wedding. After helping so many destination couples get started in planning their weddings here on the Emerald Coast, it was finally Kristi’s turn to walk down the aisle in August 2023.

Kristi is SunQuest’s Director of Sales and Marketing, which means that she’s usually the first person that our couples meet, whether that’s through email, phone call, DM, or initial consultation. “I love helping couples realize the true potential of their wedding here on the Emerald Coast,” says Kristi, “usually couples call and say that they want a beachside ceremony. I help them fine-tune their overall wedding experience – from helping them discover the perfect venue, create custom packages to fit their needs, and identify ways that we can personalize their celebration to best reflect them as a couple.”

In addition to being a destination wedding pro, Kristi is also a destination bride, making her the perfect go-to for SunQuest’s destination couples. Kristi and her husband Heath first made it official here on the Emerald Coast at Eden Gardens State Park, with an intimate ceremony witnessed by just their parents. Kristi then took her knowledge of planning destination weddings to Lake Como, Italy, where she and Heath hosted a three-day wedding celebration in Laglio complete with a wine tasting, a Riva boat excursion, a lakeside reception dinner, and a farewell brunch. On planning a destination wedding, Kristi shared, “By applying SunQuest’s unique planning process designed for destination couples, I felt completely at ease knowing that our team already had the checklists and processes to make planning a destination wedding a breeze. I followed my own advice in hiring local vendors who know the area best and relied on our planning team at SunQuest to guide me in making all of the design decisions along the way. I sent Courtney, our Director of Events, only three inspiration photos and she created a design recipe and roadmap for me to show the local florist.”

When Kristi isn’t assisting couples get started in this little thing called “wedding planning” you can find her begging the rest of the SunQuest team to join her for sunrise swims in the Gulf, renovating her childhood home into her newlywed home with her husband, and chasing down her corgi puppy, Piper.

We asked Kristi a few questions to better get to know her. Here’s what she said!

What’s your favorite current wedding trend?

“I’m obsessed with couples writing guests letters to open on their wedding day. For larger weddings, I would recommend writing each table a letter and addressing them as a group (your college friends, coworkers, etc.), and for smaller weddings, take the time to write each guest a note to thank them for traveling and share a memory with them. It is the perfect intentional detail that isn’t cost-prohibitive and makes everyone feel special.”

Where is the best place to catch the sunset on the Emerald Coast?

“You’re asking me to give up my local secrets?! Ok – my “marketing” answer is the Sky Deck of the Solaris Yacht, our exclusive wedding venue! My “off-the-clock” answer would be the east jetties.

What’s your go-to Starbucks order?

“Grande caramel macchiato with an extra shot!”

What’s the best marriage advice that you received as a newlywed?

“Mean what you say, say what you mean, but don’t say it mean.”

Can you recommend your favorite local restaurant?

“Mimmos is our go-to date night spot. I know you’re shocked that it’s Italian cuisine. It’s where we get our fix of pappardelle all’Aragosta!”

What’s the best part of your job?

“Every day at work, we get to celebrate! Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays – every moment that makes up a family’s most special memories, we get to make it happen.”

We’re incredibly lucky to have Kristi as a part of our team! Contact Kristi and the rest of the team for your wedding or event in Destin, FL!