We’ve spent some time thinking long & hard about weddings. Oh, ok, who am I kidding? It is FUN thinking about weddings!

But we’re considering shifting our focus here a little bit from sharing destination weddings to all weddings, with our focus specifically being on weddings being just the beginning of Matrimony. Because after all, Wholly Matrimony is what is all about, and the wedding day is just the start of it!

What do you think? Feedback? Ideas? Do you love all the destination stuff as you dream about your ideal beach or resort wedding? Or would you love to see details from amazing weddings, no matter WHERE they are at?

Speaking of great destinations, the photograph above is from my own work of recent destination wedding photography at the Fairmont Southampton Princess in Bermuda. More on that here SOON!

Related posts:

1. Meet Brittany!
2. Can’t I Have My Uncle Photograph My Wedding?

Jessa & Brian’s beautiful beach destination wedding took place in Trunk Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands. How lucky is the bride because this is where she grew up! Photography was provided by Crystaline Photography & Multimedia, LLC.

How did the two of you meet?
We met in College. Brian’s Freshman/Sophomore year roommate became one of my best friends when we studied abroad together in Ecuador. I thought he was cute and always found an excuse to talk to him, but he thought I was dating Andrew (our mutual friend). So in the end I had to be a lot less subtle… but it all worked out in the end! We were inseparable for the remainder of senior year and as they say… the rest is history.

Tell us about the proposal!
I had been expecting a proposal, but Brian still managed to take me completely by surprise. We were at my Grandmother’s summer home on Fire Island and we had had a party that weekend so I was in entertainment mode; visiting with people I only see once a year. It was winding down and we went up to the beach in the late afternoon with my brother, Brian’s mother and the last of our company. Brian brought his guitar. Someone stated an intention to go get ice cream and we were preparing to leave, when Brian asked me to walk down the beach with him. We said we’d meet up with everyone at the house.

We walked down the beach, talking of nothing in particular and when we got back to the beach chairs he sat me down and pulled out his guitar. I had been completely oblivious up to this point. But there Brian was, down on one knee, guitar in hand, singing a song he had written about falling in love with me, our ups and downs and promises of love and respect. The song itself was a wedding vow. I was crying by the end. Then he asked me to marry him and pulled out the most beautiful ring. I said YES of course, and we had some lovely quiet time on the beach watching the sunset before heading home to share the news with the family.

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
Well, everyone else’s destination is my home town! We thought about Fire Island as a more central place, but it is almost as hard to get to and more expensive. We considered Colorado where we had been living. But in the end going to St John just made the most sense.

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
Because it is where I grew up and I wanted to share it with friends I had made all over the country. Besides, I always wanted to get married barefoot on the beach!

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
What an unfair question! There were so many. Brian had written me a song for our proposal and he sang it for me as part of our ceremony and my sister wrote a song and sang it for us. Brian had wanted me to do something as well but I hadn’t or at least he didn’t think I had. I had secretly written a poem and when I stood up to recite it Brian was so surprised and so moved. I will always remember his face. I will also remember that I had shouted myself hoarse between my bachelorette party, the rehearsal and assorted other wedding party activities and lost my voice the day of the wedding.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
My friends collected local flowers and decorated the beach where we had the wedding ceremony. I was so happy already, that walking out onto the beach and seeing the beautiful vista and all the flowers, I felt it couldn’t be more prefect.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
Being able to have an outdoor wedding and reception. To be barefoot for almost the entire wedding (certainly on the beach!). We also had a party on the beach the day after the wedding to use up all the extra food and alcohol. I love the beach!

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination location, or go somewhere special after wards?
We haven’t had our official honeymoon yet but my plan is to take Brian out on a boat and sail through the BVI’s for a week. The best sailing in the world! And so many private and picturesque beaches.

Ceremony Venue: Trunk Bay
Reception Venue: Estate Concordia Preserve
Photography & Video: Crystaline Photography & Multimedia, LLC
Florist: East End Flower Shop
Cake: Homemade by Bride’s Sister and friend of the family Andrea Leland
Caterer: Katylady
Bride’s Dress: Modified Destiny Collection Dress by Alfred Angelo
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: The Bridesmaids picked their own dresses. The requirements were purple, knee length with a flowy/beachy vibe.
Groom’s Attire: Longsleeved “Great White Shirt” from Territory Ahead in dobby, linen pants and black sandals.
Groomsmen’s Attire: Short sleeved “Great White Shirt” from Territory Ahead and khaki shorts.
Stationery: Any Occasion, Edwards, CO
DJ / Band: Rich Greengold played sax for the ceremony and then joined T-Bird and company to play at the reception.
Lighting: Kent from Concordia Eco Resort strung up the beautiful twinkle lights for the outdoor reception.
Makeup Artist/Hairstylist: Carolyn (Friend of the Family)
Jewelry – Necklace, Earrings, Tiara, Veil: The necklace, earrings and hair ornament were primarily white pearls, made by the Bride’s Mother Suki Dickson Buchalter, who also made the Bride and Groom’s wedding rings.
Shoes: Vanno, from a small shop on the upper east side of Manhattan.
Any other vendors? Our wedding gift was an island salsa made by Trinidad Charlie
We also took a Sailing Trip with Our family & Guests who could attend on: Breath

Thank you so much Jessa & Brian for sharing your wedding with us and also to Crystaline Photography & Multimedia, LLC for submitting these lovely photos.

Related posts:

1. Huatulco, Mexico Destination Wedding – Susan & Kirk
2. Destination Wedding in St. Petersburg, Florida – Chelsea & Casey
3. Montego Bay, Lucea, Jamaica Destination Wedding – Vusala & Gurban

Vusala & Gurban’s gorgeous, colorful destination wedding took place at the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I love the combination of orange and pink! The beautiful photography was done by Kristina Hill Photography.

Vusala was kind enough to share the details of her wedding day as well as tips for those planning a destination wedding.

From the very beginning we wanted to have something unusual, informal and original. The idea to have about 200 guests, being all formal and organizing this whole thing just seemed to be scary. Plus, I’m in love with photography and destination wedding pictures always seemed to be so beautiful and out of this world. And we decided, why not!? We both are originally from Azerbaijan, the country where everyone is having traditional weddings in a big restaurants and crazy amount of guests and relatives. So here we were deciding to take our chances and be different and make this day about us, and not the crowd of people

A big difficulty we faced was communicating with resorts trying to find out wedding plans, locations and all that stuff. It’s really hard and extremely unbelievably stressful to organize and get answers when you are not there and can’t really see the actual picture. We were expecting it to be much smoother and stress-free( just the way all wedding magazines describe wedding destinations!)

I would say that Our favorite wedding memory would be the fact when we decided to trash the dress the day of the wedding and finish the photo shoot with jumping into the water in the wedding dress and suit. It was great feeling of happiness and excitement when we came out from the water and the whole beach of strangers were clapping for us, coming up to us, sharing in our happiness, and congratulating us.
One of the locals, a teenage girl came up to us and told us that she wants to be just like us when she grows up. It was extremely sweet. Random people were genuinely happy for us.

My favorite detail was my dress I had it custom made because of an image I had in mind to take. I kept seeing shots of brides sitting down with their dress flowing all around them. I knew it was a memory I wanted!

Some advice I have for brides planning a destination wedding is that If you have a chance, try to visit the location before the wedding. Go there for a vacation to check things out, to plan, to speak face-to-face with wedding coordinators.
You should keep in mind that besides rain, it might get really windy on a beach location. Consider all of those things.
Definitely if you want to have a live music, don’t choose a saxophonist. Hooked up ipod worked perfectly though.
Oh and yes, make sure check out your wedding cake the day of the wedding. They have several weddings per day every day and things can happen (like confusing your cake with some other wedding party

You always have to be on top of your wedding coordinator to make sure that everything is being done as promised (we had the wrong cake! It didn’t match anything and was not what I ordered. We cut it and I didn’t say anything, because I was just having fun. Then they brought us the real cake at the end of the night and we had a cake cutting do over!!!)

MAKE SURE you spend enough time choosing your photographer. Pictures are everything for this type of weddings. And Kristina Hill simply did a wonderful job!

Also, if the wedding video means a lot to you, then don’t trust video guy from the resort. It’s a waste of money.

In conclusion, people are very friendly and pleasant, it was definitely memorable and unique experience!:)

Venue/Cake/Catering/Flowers/Hair – Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa
Photography: Kristina Hill Photography
Make Up – Bride’s Mother
Hairpiece – USABride Weddings
Dress- Lace & Satin
Shoes – Badgley Mischka
Rings- My rings were custom made by Ariel, name of the company was “Fine Laser Cut Inc.”, Gurban’s ring we got from Zales
Pillow for rings- Etsy Shop: creativebridal
Cake topper & cutters: Wedding Mountain
The andle next to the cake – I Do Originals
The sand ceremony set – Amazon.com
Wedding favors, silk fans: Beau Coup

Thanks to Vusala for the details and tips and to Kristina Hill Photography for submitting this beautiful wedding.

Related posts:

1. Huatulco, Mexico Destination Wedding – Susan & Kirk
2. Destination Wedding in St. Petersburg, Florida – Chelsea & Casey
3. Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia Destination Wedding – Natalie & Claudio

Susan & Kirk traveled from Saskatchewan, Canada for a destination wedding at the Dreams Resort & Spa in Huatulco, Mexico.  Their crisp and colorful photography was by Keyhole Photography & Design.

Check out the great beaded foot bracelets that Susan made for her special day! Perfect for a beach wedding and also a great DIY detail.

How did the two of you meet?
Kirk and I met June of 2008, before that date we never even heard of each other. A really close friend of Kirk’s happened to be enrolled in the same college program as me. She and I didn’t know each other all that well until our second year of college and every now and then we would hang out. One Saturday morning I got a call from Eryn asking me to drive 2 hours out of the city  to come to a party with her. It didn’t take much convincing since it was summer and most of my friends left the city for the next few months. On the drive out to this party she sent me a text saying I was going to meet a really nice cowboy! My first thought, “She was playing match marker!” I just laughed and went along with her plan. When Kirk and I where introduced we were shy, but the topic that keep our conversation going was that we both traveled to Australia to work.

Tell us about the proposal!
The second date with each other happened the following weekend. Kirk invited me out to see his farm and tour around the beautiful country side by ATV. Kirk and I both have a love for the outdoors so quadding through a treed valley with a river located at the bottom was amazing. Leaving the Pembina Valley we stopped at this massive bolder and took our very first picture together. It was 2 ½ years later Kirk took me back to that same bolder and got down on one knee and asked if I would like to see “A Big Rock Beside Our Big Rock!” And of Course I said YES!

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
Both of us felt that planning a huge wedding was not our style, we just couldn’t picture ourselves going through the motions of having a traditional wedding. We love spending time with our friends and family, but living far away from everyone we figured that the destination wedding would be a great idea since everybody would have a beautiful relaxing holiday and we wouldn’t feel rushed since we had an entire week to hang out.

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
The thoughts of walking down the aisle barefoot with sand between our feet, hearing the waves roll in on the shore, being married at sunset and beach-side dinner with friends and family screamed no other words but romance to us. We figured that was a great way we would love to remember our special day.

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
The most memorable moment of the wedding day was when we both exchanged our own written wedding vows to each other. We stood facing each other and held each others hands as we read our own thoughtful words to one another.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
The most favorite detail from our wedding day was how the wedding coordinator set up the bamboo tent in front of the ocean, and had rocks lying along the aisle way, everything looked and felt so natural and earthy. Everything looked so beautiful no words can describe it.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
The best part of having a destination wedding is that everybody gets to have a week long holiday in a beautiful tropical climate with close friends and family. The second best part of having a destination wedding is nobody has to plan or help out on the day of the wedding. Everyone gets to hang out at the beach side bar and relax, then join up with friends and family for a night of celebration.

Anything else you would like to share about your wedding? We would love to hear more!
The best memories that we will have forever from our destination wedding is very beautiful photos from the week long trip to look back on and a huge purple/orange swirl sea shell we found on the beach that is kept for holding our rings.

Ceremony/Reception Venue: Dreams Resort & Spa
Photography: Keyhole Photography & Design
Florist/Caterer: Dreams Resort & Spa Wedding consultants
Makeup Artist/Hairstylist: Chelsey Staples
Shoes: Handmade beaded anklets by Susan

Thank you so much Susan for sharing your wedding with us and also to Keyhole Photography & Design for submitting your awesome photography!

Related posts:

1. Puerto Aventuras, Mexico Destination Wedding – Kim & Sean
2. Destination Wedding in St. Petersburg, Florida – Chelsea & Casey
3. Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia Destination Wedding – Natalie & Claudio

We have a bit of a twist for you today here at Wholly Matrimony. Today we are featuring the awesome wedding reception, yea that’s right, I said reception, of Aubrey and Kaiao that was held at the Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, California. Aubrey and Kaiao were married in their home state of Hawai’i but wanted to have a reception for family members in California that were unable to make the wedding. Their fantastic photography was by D. Park Photography.

How did the two of you meet?
We actually do not remember! It probably happened at our friend’s house while we were in college. A bunch of guys lived in a house at the top of the hill and I lived at the bottom. I was always baking and needed people to share it with, so I would bring cookies, etc up to the guys house for them to try. Kaiao was always hanging out up there and was the quiet, shy one. Finally one night I was talking about how I had gotten into cooking interesting dinners but had no one to share them with, and Kaiao volunteered to help me out! So I invited him over one night and we really hit it off. We ended up going surfing and studying together a few times before he finally asked me out on a real date. Our first date was really simple – stargazing at the beach. He brought his guitar and played me some songs and we talked for hours. It was super dreamy and our faces hurt from smiling so much!

Tell us about the proposal!
After I graduated from the University of Hawai’i, I went to culinary school in New York for two years. The long distance wasn’t easy, but God gave us the strength and patience we needed to make it through! About halfway through, I had a break and came to Hawai’i for a week to visit my love for our two-year dating anniversary. On my second day there, Kaiao said, “I want to make this the best day for you!” and I just thought it was because he had missed me so much. We went and saw the sunrise, went surfing, had a picnic lunch at the beach, I went paddling with some friends, he cooked me dinner, and then we had plans to go to the beach where we had our first date. This all seemed very normal to me and I had no idea of his plans to propose! It was a beautiful night – perfect weather, low tide, clear skies and a full moon. He brought his guitar and started playing it after we had settled in on the beach. He’d written me a song and said that there would be some audience participation at the end…After the beautiful song, he made me stand up and he told me all the things he loved about me, then got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to be his wife. I said “Yes!!” about twenty times while crying, hugging, and kissing him! It was too late to call anyone to tell them the news, so I had a hard time sleeping that night – I was so excited!

What made you choose to have a destination reception?
We got married in Hawai’i because that is where we both live now and it is beautiful here! But a lot of my family and friends from California couldn’t make the trip. So we decided to have an “at-home reception” a few weeks after the wedding. It was such a blast and I am glad we did that! Everyone was ready to celebrate. Plus what bride wouldn’t want to wear her dress twice? I had always wanted pictures of me in my wedding dress at my childhood home, so we decided to do a photoshoot before the reception. It was a lot of fun for both of us and our photographers did a fabulous job!

What was the most memorable moment about your reception?
I will always remember the love I felt from our guests when we walked in to our reception area. We felt totally “at home”. It was truly a celebration made possible by the ones we love! I will also never forget the incredibly fun dancing!!! Our party was supposed to be over at 4pm, but we didn’t leave until 6pm! My feet were definitely sore the next day, but it was worth it!

What was your favorite detail from your reception?
My shoes! Teal is my favorite color and I searched high and low for the perfect shoes. I stumbled across these accidentally at H&M in New York. I got so many compliments on them and they were really comfortable. I decided to dress them up with the cute shoe clips! Also instead of a guest book, we had a custom designed mailbox and used Orange County postcards for guests to write their well-wishes on. We loved reading them later and they are a fun keepsake.

What was the best part of having a destination reception?
Our at-home reception was definitely kept low-key and casual, and I really liked that. We didn’t have any formal wedding events to stick to. It made it very relaxed and allowed us plenty of time to visit with all of our guests (about 100) and have fun. We pretty much just had lunch, a few speeches, chatting and lots of dancing!

Did you honeymoon at your reception destination location, or go somewhere special after wards?
We did an eight day road trip up the coast of California, starting in Orange County. We wanted to do something that was a little different since we can lay out on the beach any day of the week at home in Hawai’i. We stayed at a different bed and breakfast every night, in places like Carmel-By-the-Sea, Half Moon Bay, Healdsburg, and Shasta. We also spent a few nights in Yosemite National Park, one of our favorite places! It was a fun trip and was very budget friendly. We must be meant for each other if we can spend eight days driving around in a car and still love each other madly!

Reception Venue: Salt Creek Grille
Photography: D. Park Photography
Florist: Lynn Moe (family friend)
Bride’s Dress: Allure Exclusives
Groom’s Attire: The Men’s Wearhouse
Stationery: Anna Griffin – The Wedding Studio (DIY from Michael’s)
DJ / Band: Mitch Devine (family friend)
Makeup Artist: Jamie Michelle
Hairstylist: Tiffany Loggins
Jewelry – Necklace and bracelet were the bride’s mom’s. Earrings came from Nordstrom.
Shoes: H&M
Any other vendors? Etsy goodies? Shoe clips and hair clip came from Etsy seller Mikiye Creations.

Related posts:

1. Newport Beach, California Destination Wedding – Nikki and James
2. South Hampton, Bermuda Destination Wedding – Janelle & Dana
3. Monterey, California Destination Wedding – Andrea & Joseph

Kim & David’s romantic getaway wedding took place at the  Marriott Delray in Delray Beach, Florida. Their fresh photography was provided by Alexi Shields Photography.

How did the two of you meet?
I was working at Barnes and Noble and David had apparently been coming in for a few months checking me out. Little did I know this because he was just another face in the crowd. He asked me out one night and being in the good mood I was I said yes. We dated casually for three months and David moved to Denver to open a restaurant. I went to visit thinking it would be fun to get away. Well two days into the trip he decided he would move back. To this day he tells me when I got off the plane he was crazy to have moved away. We dated for two years. During this time his mother had passed and her brother who was her caretaker passed six months later. His father passed when he was fifteen. It was a very difficult time however we made it through all of it. On our two year anniversary we made plans to eat at our favorite restaurant 32 East (we went on our second date there). Before leaving to go he said he changed his mind and thought maybe celebrating our anniversary there wasn’t what he wanted to do. Annoyed I said well what do you want to do. He popped out of bed and got down on one knee and said ” I think we should celebrate our engagement there instead.” Of course, I said yes…..

As we approach our first anniversary we do so with our new baby boy Brody Martin Rosenthal. It was a crazy year!

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
It was not planned. We came across the Marriott and were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the venue was. We had to have the wedding there

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day? Seeing his face when the doors opened. His lips were quivering because he was so nervous. It melted my heart.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
My dress, the photos…,the food

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
Knowing all of your friends and family love you so much to go to a place that makes you happy.

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination location, or go somewhere special afterward?
No, we went to Breckenridge, Colorado to snowboard. We took my fourteen year old son with us..

Ceremony Venue: Marriott Delray
Reception Venue/Catering: 32 East
Bride’s Dress: David’s Bridal
Groom’s Attire: Tommy Bahama
Cake: Publix Greenwise
Flowers: My sister-in-law, Seemona Fuchs, did all the flowers
Makeup: I did my own makeup.
Hair: John Ridgely of The Lane Spa did my hair
We made all the table favors ourselves. Our Music was from our own play list and we used the iPod. Everything was very DIY

Thank you so much, Kim for sharing your wedding with us and also to Alexi Shields Photography for sharing your wonderful photography with us here at Wholly Matrimony.

Related posts:

1. Destination Wedding in St. Petersburg, Florida – Chelsea & Casey
2. Irena & Danny – Miami, Florida Destination Wedding
3. Newport Beach, California Destination Wedding – Nikki and James

Chelsea and Casey’s destination wedding took place on the beach in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida at The Sirata Beach Resort. Their elegant photography is courtesy of Stephanie Smith Photography.

I absolutely love the floral arrangements and decorations used in this wedding! The strong purple and orange colors provide such a great background for the flowers, shells and driftwood on the tables.  Read on for the details…

How did the two of you meet?
It was meant to be…

Chelsea’s cousin, Joe, just got back from Iraq and had plans to go on a cruise. At the last minute, he invited her along and she packed her bags and went for it! What else was she doing, except job hunting, applying to graduate school and recovering from college expenses!

Casey’s family planned a trip which he wasn’t initially able to go on. Last minute, he decided to go and booked the flight and room.

Joe and Chelsea walked around checking out the boat and searching for fun places to hang out and ended up at the Wheel of Madness blackjack table. There was a very adorable man at the end of the table that looked up at Chelsea with these goofy tipsy eyes and introduced himself as Casey.

Since Joe and Chelsea were headed to the Princess Idol contest (where Chelsea would inevitably embarrass herself to Joe’s amusement), they made plans to meet back up throughout the trip. After the Princess Idol was a flop they headed back to the casino where Casey was still sitting.

The cruise was amazing and by the second night Casey & Chelsea found friendship and good conversation.  They were intrigued by each other and exchanged phone numbers. Slowly but surely they began talking and a close friendship began. Within months, they planned a date and found and immediate connection. They decided that no matter how hard by the distance that separated them, they would make it work.

Two years later, they were engaged, buying a house, raising a puppy, and beginning to start planning the wedding of their dreams! Now that they are married and settling into happily ever after, they are expecting their first child.

Tell us about the proposal!
Casey had to attend the Oracle conference in San Francisco in October and had plans to be gone for over a week. Chelsea got a call on Wednesday night and Casey informed her that she was leaving in the morning to come join him in San Fran! He had already taken care of the work and school schedule.  She flew out and met him at Hotel Frank, where they made plans to travel the city, visit the golden gate bridge, go on a catamaran, visit Alcatraz, etc. They spent the entire weekend reveling in the beautiful city. On the last night they were there, Casey drove Chelsea up to twin peaks, a spot that overlooked the entire city. It was breathtaking. As they were leaving, he pretended to drop the keys, and as Chelsea stood up after finding them, he stayed on one knee and asked her to make him the happiest man in the world. It was amazing!

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
Casey and Chelsea met on a cruise, so they strongly believe that their love grew on the open ocean.  Having taken many trips to beaches, islands and lake homes, they find the most enjoyment and spirituality being on or near the water.  Therefore, it was only fitting to go back to Florida, where the met, and get married in the midst of their most favorite scenery.

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
They did a lot a looking, research and exploring, but when they stumbled upon St. Pete Beach, it was too beautiful to pass up. The town was perfect, everyone they met there was delightful and accommodating, and the ocean view was breathtaking. It was love at first site.

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
Chelsea’s most memorable moment about the big day was walking down the aisle, arm and arm with her father and seeing Casey for the first time that day.  He father had been the most supportive and amazing man in her life to that point and she realized at that moment that now, she had two fabulous, supportive and loving men in her life that would always be there for her. It was an incredible feeling. As her Dad handed her off to Casey, he whispered in her ear, “You will always be my shining star” and as Casey took her hand, told her how beautiful she was.  Could it get any better than that?!

Casey’s most memorable moment was as Chelsea walked down the sand aisle with her Dad, because of how beautiful she looked and how lucky he felt at that moment.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
Of all the little things they put together, their most favorite detail was the guest time capsule. Since it was a smaller wedding, they wanted to do something different than a traditional guest book. This is what the sign said, when you walked up to the table with 3 large mason jars, 3 colors of index cards, pens and a Polaroid camera:

Guest Time Capsule
In front of you are 3 future anniversaries ahead of us – our 1st(blue), 10th(yellow), & 25th (red)…
On each of these important milestones, we would like to relive today, look back and remember all the special people who shared in our joy. Therefore, we would like you to take a moment and jot down something on one or all of the anniversary cards, and drop it into the corresponding capsule. On each date, we will open it up and see what you came up with – whether it be well wishes, advice, humorous predictions or something else all together unique. It’s up to you – let creativity guide you!!
We also included a Polaroid camera. Use this at your own discretion! Each anniversary, we will open the capsule so we will have new and exciting memories to enjoy!

This was a great addition to their wedding, and the guests loved the opportunity to be creative and silly. They can’t wait to open the first one in November.  They are displayed in their china cabinet in their dining room.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
The ENVIRONMENT! They couldn’t get over the gorgeous scenery, the cooperative weather and that unbelievable sunset. It was so organic and beautiful, which is how they feel about their love for one another.

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination location, or go somewhere special afterward?
They decided to wait a year to travel to Europe for a 2 week honeymoon.  Therefore, they wanted to make the best of where they were and Casey’s parents planned a family vacation to Disney World. It was an exciting trip and made the wonderful weekend last even longer, in a place where (even more) dreams come true!!

Anything else you would like to share about your wedding? We would love to hear more!
When we first thought of having a destination wedding on a beach, it was the most beautiful idea, but when it all came together with the help of their parents, friends and family, wedding planner, and photographer – among others – somehow it exceeded all of their wedding dreams. It was truly an unforgettable weekend.

Ceremony Venue: The Sirata Beach Resort, on the beach
Reception Venue: The Sirata Beach Resort, hotel grotto
Photography: Stephanie Smith Photography
Florist: Apple Blossom in Tampa
Cake: It’s icing on the cake
Caterer: The Sirata Beach Resort,
Bride’s Dress: Martina Liana, purchased at Bridal Beginning
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Target
Groom’s / Groomsmen’s Attire:  Joseph A Bank
Stationery: Handmade by the Bride, Materials purchased at Paper Source
DJ / Band/ Lighting: Josh at Inspire Entertainment
Makeup Artist / Hairstylist: Allison, L’Bella Style Lounge
Jewelry – Necklace, Earrings, Tiara, Veil: Necklace was my grandmother’s engagement ring, transformed into a necklace. No veil, I wore a real gardenia in my hair – which smelled amazing!!
Shoes: Barefoot and fancy free!
Planner: Brooke Palmer from RSBP Events
Linens: Kerri with BBJ Linen

I want to thank Chelsea for being so sweet and answering all of our questions and to Stephanie at Stephanie Smith Photography for submitting these beautiful photographs.

Related posts:

1. Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia Destination Wedding – Natalie & Claudio
2. Puerto Aventuras, Mexico Destination Wedding – Kim & Sean
3. South Hampton, Bermuda Destination Wedding – Janelle & Dana

Kathleen and Scott’s destination wedding took place in Savannah, GA, with a reception at the Savannah Yacht Club. Kathleen did all of the planning from Hawaii.  She created stained glass candle holders for the reception tables as well as the floral design and decorations. She also designed an intricate nautical themed paisley print that was included on their programs, favors and the cake. Wait until you see that awesome cake! Way to Kathleen go on your creativity and DIY savvy skills!

Scott and Kathleen’s great photography was by Nashville Wedding Photographer | Jennifer Creed.

Thanks, Kathleen for sharing the details of your wedding with us!

How did the two of you meet?
We meet at a Bible Study in Savannah, Ga.

Tell us about the proposal!
He slipped the ring on my finger while I was sleeping, it was extremely early in the morning before he went to work.

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
Savannah is where we meet. He grew up in Savannah and I went to college there.

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
I had lived in Savannah, Ga for four years and I love the history and beauty of the city.

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
Walking down the else looking at my future hubby.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
The cake.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
It was great to have our special day in a city that was meaningful and close to our hearts.

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination, or go somewhere special afterward?
No, we are going to Maui this summer.

Anything else you would like to share about your wedding?
Our Photographer was amazing!

Ceremony Venue: Trinity United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: Savannah Yacht Club
Photography: Nashville Wedding Photographer | Jennifer Creed
Florist: I did my self
Cake: Kerry O’Connor Cake Deign
Caterer: Savannah Yacht Club
Bride’s / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bridal and Formal – in Cincinnati OH
Groomsmen’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Stationary: I designed it myself
DJ: VIP Disc Jockey Entertainment, LLC
Hairstylist: JC Penny Salon
Jewelry – Necklace, Earrings, Tiara, Veil: Bridal and Formal – in Cincinnati OH
Shoes: Bridal and Formal – in Cincinnati OH
Linens: BJ Linens – 615/399-6900
Favors: the Knot.com

Thank you to Nashville Wedding Photographer | Jennifer Creed for sharing her wonderful photography.

Related posts:

1. Puerto Aventuras, Mexico Destination Wedding – Kim & Sean
2. Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia Destination Wedding – Natalie & Claudio
3. Barmouth, Wales Destination Wedding – Katrina & Paul

What a great setting for a fun destination wedding! Ashley and Keahon chose the Disneyland Hotel, Rose Court Garden in Anaheim, California for their special day. Their beautiful photography was by Katie Keller photography.

How did the two of you meet?
We both worked for the same company

When I arrived, we met at the Walt and Mickey statue in the center of the park. Keahon said he needed to grab something from a store for his friend. He started heading towards the castle…away from where he said he needed to go. I kept telling him he was going the wrong way. He said he wanted to go this way because there were less people. Annoyed, I just kept telling him he was going the wrong way. He turned around and had a ring in his hand. It was all pretty much a blur from then. All I remember was he was shaking and said “oh yeah! I need to get down on my knee!”

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
Disneyland is truly the happiest place on Earth! It’s such a special place to us and so why NOT have our wedding there!

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
The Best Man and his family surprised us with a guest appearance from Mickey & Minnie. It was such a surprise and amazing gesture from them.

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
The food!!! I still have dreams about our meal! I wish I could eat it everyday!

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination location, or go somewhere special afterwards?
DISNEY WORLD!!

Ring Bearer Pillow: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ORomeo

Storm Trooper Garter: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66839402/storm-trooper-garter-and-toss-combo

Storm Trooper Cufflinks: Made by Maid of Honor

We would like to thank Ashley and Keahon for sharing their wedding day with us! We’d also like to thank  Katie Keller photography for submitting this awesome wedding!

Related posts:

1. Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia Destination Wedding – Natalie & Claudio
2. Newport Beach, California Destination Wedding – Nikki and James
3. Barmouth, Wales Destination Wedding – Katrina & Paul

Natalie & Claudio’s stunning wedding (look at that view!) took place at the exotic Khayangan Estate in Uluwatu, Bali Indonesia. Their beautiful photography was by Darko Sikman Photography. This Australian couple, who first met as flat mates, share the details of their wedding day with us.

How did the two of you meet?
We met as flat mates. We shared a large house together with four other people in Bondi, Sydney Australia. We were friends for 6 months – our friendship simmering until it blossomed.

Tell us about the proposal!
We went on holiday to Thailand. We went on a day trip to the River Kwai. There was a large waterfall there with 8 different levels to climb to with ascending views and beauty. I convinced Natalie to conquer her fear and climb to the highest peak. When she got to the top I was already down on one knee with the diamond in a clump of leaves. It was a like a vision out of a dream. Waterfalls, butterflies, sunshine and her saying ‘yes”

What made you choose to have a destination wedding?
We have spent more time travelling in our lives than we have being in Sydney. Sydney didn’t quite feel like home yet…We wanted to be in an exotic location and feel totally expansive and free.

How did you know your destination would be the perfect place to hold your wedding?
We have done a lot of travelling to many places in the world. We are jewellery designers and have a manufacturing workshop in Bali so we travel there doing business quite frequently. When we went to Bali we felt automatically at home, warm and loved by everyone and the beauty of the people and the place is unrivalled. We knew the Khayangan Estate was perfect because it was majestic and pristine. The staff lead by “made” were incredible. The architecture was historically Javanese wood carving. It was a private playground for us, our family and friends!!

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
When Natalie walked out of the palatial villa arm and arm with her Dad. She looked radiant walking through an aisle of rose petals to join me at the alter where we stared out a panorama of ocean and sky on the cliffs of Uluwatu. A moment that is impressed in our hearts for always!

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day?
The laughter and crying during the speeches. The exquisite organic local Balinese food from Karen at Bali Good Food. The Buddhist ceremony lead by our celebrant Miranda 081 138 9432 (a beautiful, beautiful person). The fire twirling and dancing all night long to the funky sounds of Erin and his crew with tropical transit…

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?
50 family and friends got to have a holiday in paradise. Everyone was in holiday mode away from their responsibilities back home. The love in the air was intoxicating. Everyone was in love with life in such a perfect idyllic location.

Did you honeymoon at your wedding destination location, or go somewhere special afterwards?
We stayed 4 nights at The Khayangan Estate with special friends and then went to The Gilli Islands for a week to bask in the bliss of all the feelings and emotions of the wedding. It was definately the most sacred, special day of our lives.

Vendors:
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Khayangan Estate, Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia. 087860079721
Photography: Darko Sikman Photography
Florist: Gloriosa herni  -081 338 002803
Cake: Ixora Almirfa – 087 877170592
Caterer: Bali Good Food – Karen Waddell 0811385583
Bride’s Dress: Wendy Maiken
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Hand Styled
Groom’s Attire: Tommy Bahama
Stationery: Hand Styled
DJ / Band: Tropical Transit – Erin 08123903621
Lighting: Provided by Gloriosa- Herni 081 338002803
Makeup Artist/Hairstylist: Bali Brides – Annie 0818356127
Jewelry: Kenyon Medel Jewellery + 61 424 069 659

We would like to thank Natalie & Claudio for sharing their beautiful wedding with us and also Darko Sikman Photography for sharing these photographs.

Related posts:

1. Puerto Aventuras, Mexico Destination Wedding – Kim & Sean
2. South Hampton, Bermuda Destination Wedding – Janelle & Dana
3. Barmouth, Wales Destination Wedding – Katrina & Paul