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Last year I worked, for the first time, with Cayman Islands Photographer, Aaron Rebarchek.  Originally from the mid-west,  Aaron has already made a name for himself as one of the Cayman Islands leading wedding photographers!  I wanted you to get to know Aaron a little bit better, so here you go….

Crystal Blue:  Can you describe your photographic style?

Aaron:  Many progressive photographers are leaning to the “photo journalistic” side of photography.  This is definitely what a lot of couples want especially since it’s what they see in magazines and on the Internet.  I’d have to say that I love photo journalism but I understand that many clients still want very traditional photographs, so I combine the two.  Mostly, though, I’m always scanning the event looking for emotion and the little moments that are happening all the time.

Crystal Blue:  What is your favorite part about any given wedding?

Aaron:  The cake. Kidding!  My favorite part is the fact that I’m playing a huge role in the entire family’s wedding experience. In my opinion, the photographs are the most important part of the wedding. The photos are all you have once your day is finished.  The details are soon forgotten, but you’ll always have the photos to help you relive your joyous day.  The photos I take will be hung on walls, be placed in family albums, carried in wallets and purses, tagged on Facebook and shown to future generations. It gives me great pride that I’m chosen (and trusted) to capture this major event.

Crystal Blue:  Really?  Are you sure it’s not the cake?  Hahaha!  After shooting so many weddings, how do you keep things fresh and new?

Aaron:  To many photographers, this may be the biggest challenge.  For me, it really helps to get an idea of what the couple likes and try not to shoot every wedding the same.  I love to know what makes them laugh out loud or blush. It’s very important to have a connection with the couple.  The couples that understand the importance of photography and really value the skill are the couples that end up with the best shots.

Crystal Blue:  Speaking of connecting with the couple, how do you get the couples to relax and be themselves during the photo shoots?

Aaron:  Let them have fun taking pictures, not dread them.  Joke around with them and remind them that it’s their day and they should have fun and relax, not stress.  Sometimes if they express in the consultation that they are really nervous or uneasy about the portrait session, I suggest doing a pre wedding or engagement shoot so they get a feeling of how the wedding shoot will go and so they can get to know me better and the way I work. This works wonderfully because once it’s time for the wedding day portraits, they feel very comfortable in front of me and the camera.

Crystal Blue:  That’s a great idea!  What else would you suggest to couples looking for a photographer?

Aaron:  Ask a lot of questions.  Find a photographer you connect with and will deliver what you want.  I think it’s important to have more than just a CD with the images and work with your photographer to develop pieces of art that will last a lifetime. 

Thanks Aaron!!  To see more of Aaron’s work, you can find him here.  Also, keep watch for upcoming Cayman Islands Real Weddings to see Aaron in action!!

Since Jenny and Josiah had previously lived in Cayman, the decision to marry here was easy.  They wanted to share all of the things they love about Cayman with their family and what better time to do that then at their wedding!  The couple incorporated local bougainvillea into their ceremony decor with the beautifully decorated chuppah to give the decor some local flavor.

This lovely couple had planned to be married outside on the deck of the Cracked Conch, but Mother Nature had other plans.  They moved their ceremony inside, however, when it was ready for cocktails and dancing, the skies had cleared!

Oh, did I mention they  had my favorite color scheme??   Aqua and orange…I just love it!

Everyone finished off the night dancing under the stars!!!

Providers who made this day happen :: 

Accommodation ::  Caribbean Club, The Westin and various other locations

Equipment rental ::  Massive Equipment

Flowers ::  Every Bloomin’ Thing

Photography ::  David Wolfe Photography

Venue, Food and Beverage ::  Cracked Conch

Transportation ::  Grand Limousine

Of course, I know you didn’t choose to get married in Cayman just to have an indoor wedding.  I get that and I agree with you.  Sometimes, however, Mother Nature is not exactly on board and may try to make things interesting.

For every wedding I’ve ever helped plan, I always have a Plan B.   I work with my vendors to figure out when we have to make the decision and once it’s made, everyone knows exactly what to do.  Luckily, I have had very few instances when I have actually had to use Plan B!!  Just knowing a plan is in place takes the stress off of you, your guests and makes the day run smoothly–rain or shine!

photo credit :: Project Wedding

I mentioned last week we would be re-introducing you to our favorite photographers.  Below is our interview with David Wolfe.  Enjoy!

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It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to photographer, David Wolfe!  I started working with David on one of the very first weddings I ever planned.  He doesn’t know this (well, now he does) but before I met him I was a little nervous and quite intimidated.  I had heard so many amazing thing about him and here I was– just a newbie! 

Anyway, when he arrived, I was instantly impressed with his down to earth personality, how he immediately made the couple feel so comfortable and just his overall gentle demeanor.  Then, a few days later, I saw the first of the images.  One word, WOW!!!  He really captured more than just the moments but the personalities of the couple and the emotions behind the moments. 

I recently caught up with David to chat with him more about his philosophy, style, etc.  and here’s what he had to say. 

Crystal Blue:  How long have you been photographing weddings?

DW:  For about 20 years!  I shoot about 60-80 weddings per year, so if you do the math, that puts me up over the 1000 wedding mark.

Crystal Blue:  Wow!  That’s amazing!  How do you keep things fresh and new?

DW:  I always, always, always, try to do something new at every wedding; something that I’ve never done before.  Something even a little bit risky photographically.  I try to push the edges of the envelope with regard to exposure, shutter speeds in particular.  I’m also very open to suggestions.  The guests at a wedding know the couple far better than I do.  They often come up with ideas about a photo that will mean something that I would never have a clue about, so I listen to their ideas and go with the flow.

Crystal Blue:  With Cayman the destination it is for weddings, you may not meet some of your couples until the day of their wedding.  Can you describe the process you go through with the couple prior to and on the wedding day?

DW:  I like to keep things as simple as possible.  95% of the weddings I shoot are booked via email and I don’t meet with them until literally their wedding day.  That’s the first time I see them so everyone is being nice and smiling a lot just trying to make a good impression as you do when you meet someone for the first time.  I just build on that initial encounter and try to nurture a friendship by the end of the day.

Crystal Blue:  If someone were to ask, “What is your Style”, how would you describe it?

DW:  I would say very “clean”, having a strong focus on the subject without distracting backgrounds.  I started out working for real newspapers in Tennessee so the photo-journalistic style is ingrained in me.  “Candids” are my favorite.

Crystal Blue:  Newspapers to weddings….Tennessee to Cayman…interesting!!!  What is your favorite part most weddings?

DW:  Being a part of the party!  Everyone at a Cayman Islands wedding is having fun.  I like to have fun with them!

Too right!!!  Thank so much for chatting with us, David!!!!   Do you have any questions for David?  If so, leave a comment below and we will follow up for you.

To see some of David’s work, visit his page in Crystal Blue Vendors.  David was also the featured photographer on yesterday’s real wedding of Katherin and Matt.

photo credit :: Rebecca Davidson Photography

We had a chat with the Bride about the details and here’s what she said…

CBWS ::  Why did you choose Cayman as the destination for your wedding?

Jillian :: Grand Cayman, in our opinion, is unlike any other island destination.  You cannot go anywhere else and find the same hospitality, environment, and beautiful, natural surroundings.  We both have very small families so we wanted to go away to a place that would still feel like home.  We found that in Grand Cayman at the Marriott Beach Resort and Grand Old House.  We recommend these two places to any couple thinking of marrying in Grand Cayman, and we certainly recommend the island for any couple unsure of a destination wedding location.

CBWS ::  Tell us about finding the wedding dress?

Jillian :: This is a memory that will stick with me forever.  Because my mother and sister do not live very close to me, Bryan and I actually did a little dress shopping on our own.  It was just so difficult to get everyone in one place.  I actually found a dress that I loved.  Much more casual than the one I ended up with.  When we were finally able to schedule a time that we could all be in the same place, we set up a couple of appointments, one at the location of the dress that I had originally liked, Nicole Miller, and then one at Priscilla of Boston (per my sister’s recommendation).  We went to Priscilla first.  My mother brought her close friend Yolanda.  She came equipped with Sharpie’s and paper plates.  She proceed to make judging cards (putting 1-10 on each of the plates).  When I would try on dresses, they would rate the dress.  When I put on the (I think 6^th) dress, before they could display their score, they all began to cry, as did I.  Slowly they all raised “10”s.  It was a wonderful moment.  After the paperwork was signed, I called the other location and cancelled.  I knew as soon as I put THE DRESS on at Priscilla that it was the dress that was meant for me!

CBWS ::  What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day?

Jillian :: The most memorable part of our day was probably our vows.  We both wrote our own and did not share them with each other or anyone else until the Ceremony.  It was a very emotional moment that we were able to share with our guests.   My favorite design element was really all the decorations that my sister created.  The Grand Old House did a wonderful job with providing her with the canvas, and then she was able to take it to the next level.  The centerpieces, programs, chair décor, place cards, guest book table, etc. all fell into place and matched our personalities well.

CBWS ::  In retrospect, do you have any thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

Jillian ::  We had the wedding of our dreams thanks to all parties involved.  We seriously do not have one thing we would have changed.  I never thought a wedding could run so smoothly or be so beautiful, but it was all we wanted and more.  To all the soon-to-be Brides and Grooms out there, Grand Cayman is the place to get married…hands down!  You can’t go wrong with staying at the Marriott, marrying at the Grand Old House, and having Rebecca Davidson capture all the special moments!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation ::  Grand Cayman Marriott and Beach Resort

Photography ::  Rebecca Davidson Photography

Venue, Food and Beverage ::  Grand Old House

**All decor, invitations, place cards and menus designed by the Bride, Groom and Family members.

With that said, in Cayman there are some fantastic marriage officers who will also make your day extra special!  They are more than happy to work with you leading up to the day to create a ceremony that is personal, reflects your style and is also legally binding. 

Any questions or any planning tips you need help with?  Let me know!

photo credit ::  Project Wedding