Romantic Destination Wedding at Viceroy Anguilla

When a wedding planning pro herself says “I do” we get extra excited with all the goodies coming our way! The owner of DM Events Planning and Design created her own wedding wonderland with the help of a talented team including Face Time Beauty Concierge, Laura Hooper Calligraphy and Paperfinger, and not one, but two fabulous photogs snapping away. Allan Zepeda and Mel Barlow & Co. captured every picture perfect moment, leaving us in absolute awe of this Bride and her beautiful bash.

Colors

From the Bride… As a wedding planner and designer, I’ve witnessed countless brides walk down the aisle so I figured when it was my turn, I would be cool, calm and collected. Needless to say, I wasn’t any of those. I think because I have watched “the walk” so many times, I fully understand how important it is. When it was my turn, I was a complete mess! A well put together mess, of course, but a mess nonetheless! All the photos of me walking down the aisle are proof that even a seasoned wedding planner can fall apart on her wedding day.

While planning my big day, the question I was asked the most was, “What does it feel like to plan your own wedding?” Simply put, it feels overwhelming in the best way possible! Cliff and I knew right away that we wanted to have a destination wedding. The venue selection process can be a taunting task but with one sole contender on the list it was pretty easy: Viceroy Anguilla, our first vacation together and our go-to island getaway. There was a major problem, the only date that worked also happened to be Cliff’s birthday. He didn’t think twice and generously agreed to forgo his birthday to let me steal the spotlight ;) I, in turn, surprised him with a Clemson University-inspired birthday cake (his alma mater and obsession) in lieu of a wedding cake.

The wedding weekend kicked off with a Thursday evening cocktail party (hosted by our dear friend and officiant!) followed by a Friday night welcome dinner at our favorite island restaurant, Veya. A destination wedding on an island is not complete without a boat outing, so Saturday we took everyone to Prickly Pear Island during the day making it back to Anguilla in time for everyone to get their beauty rest for the big day on Sunday.

I always tell my clients that photography is the one item you don’t want to skimp on. Knowing this made it even more difficult to choose between my two favorite photographers: Mel Barlow and Allan Zepeda, who also happen to be two of our dearest friends. We, of course, wanted them to attend as guests but selfishly also wanted them to capture our big day, too. What is a bride to do? Beg and plead? Well, that’s exactly what I did and it worked! They nobly agreed to be there as part-time photographers and part-time guests. I will be forever grateful to them for capturing all the moments of the weekend, and sharing the priceless moments with us “behind the scenes” on the wedding day.

When it came to the design, I have to admit, I was in heaven! After all the years I’ve spent creating designs for clients, it was finally my turn to let loose and design for myself. I quickly turned to Paperfinger to help me coordinate all of the paper elements as well as the wedding day goodies. I wanted the invitation to feel warm and timeless, so the letterpress was done in soft shades of grey and blush. I’m also a lover of all things watercolor so we incorporated soft tones of pink watercoloring on the RSVP. I topped off the invite with Silk and Willow hand dyed silk ribbon. Reception goodies also included simple white linen napkins with watercolor-inspired hand-written guest names, driftwood grey and white acrylic signage, and nautical Laura Hooper Calligraphy “our adventure begins” coasters. Then came the flowers! I spend an unhealthy amount of time obsessing over flowers so I knew they had to be perfect, which is not always an easy task when importing to an island. All of the flowers came from St. Martin and they were gorgeous! I designed a lush runner of greenery down the tables featuring oversized garden roses and candlelight. Large driftwood pieces adorned the room with matching runners woven through. The room was aglow and I was ecstatic to see my vision come to life!

After all the hours spent on planning and designing, my absolute favorite moment was when my new husband gave his speech. I’ve heard my fair share of speeches and I may be partial to his, but I must say it was perfection and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world! The night ended with a candlelit serenade from our friends and family to our favorite song. The entire weekend was filled with so much love and happiness that at many times I thought my heart may explode!

Photography: Allan Zepeda Photography | Photography: mel barlow & co. | Wedding Dress: Marchesa | Invitations: Paperfinger | Groomsmen's Attire: Hugo Boss | Wedding Venue: Charnissa Richardson, Viceroy, Anguilla | Anchor Tie Clip: J.Crew | Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Calligraphy Napkins: Paperfinger | Cufflinks: Saks Fifth Avenue | Drink Stirrers: Laura Hooper Calligraphy | Groom's Custom Pocket Square: W.B. Thamm | Groom's Customs Sneakers: Nike | Groom's Shoes: Hugo Boss | Make-Up Consultation: Face Time Beauty Concierge | Matches: For Your Party | Planning & Design: DM Events & Design | Reception Signage: Host And Toast Studio | Ribbon: Silk and Willow | Velvet Ring Box: The Mrs Box | Wedding Coasters: Laura Hooper Calligraphy | Wedding/Birthday Cake: Charnissa Richardson, Viceroy, Anguilla | Welcome Bags: Wedding Chicks