ZOLFO SPRINGS – Trevor Bystrom and Katrina Lathrop got married on Friday, March 11, during their three-day Wedstock festival.
Wedstock took place at the family-owned East 40 Preserve – an undeveloped 40-acre property in Zolfo Springs, about 90 minutes east of Anna Maria Island.
The couple got married on Friday evening in front of family members and close friends, many of whom camped on the property for the weekend.
Attending family members included Trevor’s parents Jeannie and Dr. Bill Bystrom, a well-known veterinarian who owns the Palma Sola, Island and Safe Harbor animal clinic. Trevor’s aunt and uncle, Judy and Steve Titsworth, attended; Judy is the Holmes Beach mayor and Steve owns Shoreline Builders. Guests also included Katrina’s mother, Anne Lathrop, and several aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Erica Benarroch (A Shore Thing Events) helped plan and coordinate the wedding festival, assisted by Caleb Roberts. Courtney Cole (Wilted Twig) provided the flower arrangements.
Billed as “Three days of peace, music and love” and open to everyone on Saturday and Sunday, Wedstock featured Make It Saucy, Ezios and Rodney’s Jamaican Grill food trucks, yoga by Sydney Weiss, live art, a neon forest, firepits, a Woodstock costume contest, a photo contest, a bass fishing contest, a 40-acre scavenger hunt, an outdoor shower, a Wedstock website and more.
Bradenton Beach City Commissioner Ralph Cole, his wife, Beth, and several family members attended the festival on Saturday, as did Swordfish Grill General Manager Adam Sears, his brother, Michael Dolan, and others in their group who rented a motorhome for the occasion. Attendees with Island ties included Vacasa Assistant General Manager Vivian Balducci, Sandbar restaurant event coordinator Jessica Barhitte, Tide Tables bartender Staci Wilkinson, Live Naturally and Cool Beans A.M.I. owners Morgan and Ben Bryant, Kelly Moore Hunt, Casey Hoffman, Adam Jenkins and many more.
Music festival
With Trevor Bystrom on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, the Trevor Bystrom Band kicked off Saturday’s musical entertainment with a set of world music and roots rock that featured several songs written by Bystrom.
Bystrom’s band features drummer/percussionist James Hershey, violinist Zooey Seraphine, lead guitarist Pedro Arevalo, bassist Juna Serita, percussionist Benny Maldonado and backing vocalist and percussionist Judit Maldonado.
Performing on the Pole Barn Stage or the generator-powered East 40 Lounge stage in the woods near the rear camping area, Saturday’s musical roster included The Zack Yoder Group, Wahh World Fusion, The Al Donadi Band, Jah Movement, Paul Fournier and DJ Fender Bender 2000, with “Qauzi” running sound at the Pole Barn Stage. Sunday’s musical lineup included Sycamore Shade, Dan Signor, Steve Arvey and Koko Ray.
A dream come true
While standing by the Wedstock sign along the shore of a large pond, the newlyweds shared their thoughts on their wedding and the festival.
“It’s a dream come true. This is definitely a labor of love. We worked really hard on it and we can feel all the love here this weekend. It’s magical,” Katrina said.
“It’s a perfect party. This is everything I’ve ever wanted. This is our big project and it turned out so awesome,” Trevor said.
While pointing to a nearby canoe, Katrina said, “This place is pretty special to us. We got engaged on that canoe on this lake. We found out we were having a baby the day they bought this property and we were out here when we found out the baby was going to be a boy.”
“After I proposed, I said we could do a Wedstock festival for our wedding. Let’s make it happen,” Trevor said.
“We thank our crew of Wedstock G.O.A.T.s – greatest of all time – who really made this happen. We couldn’t have done this without them. We’re stoked to spend the weekend outdoors listening to music with family and friends and we got all the weathers: a sunny day, a rainy day and a cold day,” Katrina said.
“The sun’s coming out now. It’s beautiful out here,” Trevor added.
The newlyweds, who were both raised on Anna Maria Island, live in Bradenton and plan to honeymoon locally, with a possible trip to Africa in the fall.
