With a love story that began underwater, it only feels fitting that a Ritz Carlton St. Thomas ceremony followed suit. Strawberry Milk Events came alongside the couple to plan their dream seaside soiree bursting with East End Flowers. Subtle patterns of (real!) wallpaper – from paper cones to table runners – were a lovely ode to the Bride’s family business while Sylvie Gil was beautifully capturing all the tropical glamour here.
From Julie at Strawberry Milk Events… An elegant fun destination wedding weekend, 100 of their nearest and dearest gathered to celebrate their wedding.The night before the wedding there was a colorful beach bash with a carnival theme. We embraced classic glamour in a tropical setting. The muted palette showcased gorgeous scenery. With shades of white, cream, and a pale aqua accented against gold and lucite. We honored the Bride’s family by incorporating their family business, York Wallcoverings, as a subtle pattern through the day. Using real wallpaper into the details of the day, paper cones, petal toss, menus, invitations, escort cards, and table runners. It was a beautiful celebration.
From the Bride… We met by accident at a cocktail party. William asked me if he could take me on a date. He had trouble remembering my name and called me “Allison” when he asked me out. We went on that date 4 years ago and the rest is history.
As a birthday present William got me scuba diving certification classes and to complete my certification I had one last dive in Cozumel, Mexico. When I was underwater my future husband showed me a shell and lifted it up from the ground and when he opened the shell there was a diamond.. He proposed right there on the spot UNDERWATER! Which was pretty smart, because he didn’t have to say anything, plus the diamond looked extra big underwater :)
What was special about our wedding was the idea of creating a vacation getaway for everyone. Originally we were going to have our wedding in his hometown, which was going to require a long commute for everyone, especially for those guests who were coming from outside the U.S. So, we decided to change our whole plan and choose a beautiful vacation destination-the Caribbean. We chose St. Thomas, USVI.
We wanted it to be easy and exotic all at the same time. A place people might not ever get a chance to visit. We wanted a smaller, more intimate feel but with enough options of things to do. The choice of resort was extremely important with the requirement that everyone stay at the resort. Since English was the native language, US currency and cell phone reception was everywhere. There was a built in convenience factor that helped us make our destination decision. The setting of the resort, while large enough to accommodate all of our guests, was still very intimate, creating the environment for our 125 guest to meet and get to know one another over the course of the long weekend. Also helpful was the shared experience of participating in daily activities we planned like group snorkeling, a sailing Regatta and Beach Olympics.
Since I work in the family business of manufacturing wall coverings, we used wallpaper to accent the wedding decor – from the invitations and table runner to programs and pocket squares for the groomsmen. My wedding dress was from Monique Lhuillier, style-Luminere bought in Washington, DC. My shoes were custom-made by Kate Spade.
Photography: Sylvie Gil Photography | Wedding Planner: Strawberry Milk Events | Floral Design: East End Flowers | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Shoes: Kate Spade | Hair & Makeup: Artistry By Kristina | Band: In The Sand Band | Bistro Lights, Uplighting, Dance Floor, Chairs: Jenn Events | Ritz Carlton St Thomas: Ritz Carlton St Thomas | Wallpaper On Tables: York Wallcoverings