When it came time to plan their destination wedding, this couple knew The Bahamas was the perfect spot for them. Not only because of the island’s obvious beauty, but it was the birthplace and home to the groom during his childhood years. Julie Cate captured their white-on-white beach soiree and our jaws have officially dropped. More in The Vault!
From The Bride…Rob and I met nearly 7 years ago on the 4th of July at a friend’s rooftop party after I had just moved to the city from Florida. We had an instant connection and have made so many amazing memories together over the years, two of the most special being our engagement in Provence and our wedding in Harbour Island.
After we got engaged, we immediately knew we wanted a destination wedding with a weekend full of activities where our family and friends could be together in a relaxed setting. We visited several venues in the Northeast and in the South before taking a chance on a charming little island we read about in the Bahamas. Rob was born in the Bahamas and lived there with his family in his early years, so we thought it was particularly relevant to us. We visited Harbour Island the year before our wedding and instantly fell in love with the people, the golf carts, the roosters, the island’s beauty and style – everything about it! As soon as we visited The Ocean View Club and met with Ben and Charlie of Little Island Design, we knew there was no one else we wanted to work with.
As we were planning the wedding, I knew I wanted an island chic vibe that would be classic and timeless. We wanted our wedding to feel relaxed and laid back, while still maintaining an element of formality. We worked with Ben and Charlie on the floral design of simple greenery and white flowers paired with a classic black and white dance floor in the sand. I knew from the start that I wanted my bridesmaids to wear fabulous white dresses of their own choice to stand out against our handsome groomsmen in tuxes.
The wedding weekend turned out to be even better than we envisioned. The island is so small that it felt like we took it over! Our families rented houses on the island, our wedding party took over The Ocean View Club, and our other guests stayed in hotels right down the beach. After events on Thursday and Friday, we were married in the iconic Pink Church in the center of the island. After the ceremony we surprised our guests with a Junkanoo band that paraded us down the street to The Ocean View Club. One of my favorite moments was looking back at the line of golf carts driving up to the reception. We had cocktails on the Terrace and then moved down to the tent on the beach for dinner and dancing. It was an amazing feeling to see your vision come to life. Ben and Charlie and the LID team exceeded my expectations with every detail from the impressive food to the custom made dance floor to the outdoor lounge area. Our band, the Sultans of Swing, who flew in from Boston had our guests on their feet and kept up the energy all night.
Lastly, I can’t say enough about Julie and James. Not only is she an incredibly talented photographer who perfectly captured our wedding day, she is the sweetest person who put us at ease on such a special day. We still joke about “almost kisses” to this day. We were blown away by the portraits she took of us and our wedding party and we were rolling in laughter at some of the candid shots she captured from the reception. We are so happy we worked with Julie and we will always cherish the beautiful images that will always bring us back to our wedding day.
Photography: Julie Cate | Floral Design: Near The Ocean View Club | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza Legends | Invitations: Dabney Lee | Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Anglican Church, Harbour Islands Bahamas | Reception Venue: Ocean View Club | Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzmen | Band: Sultans of Swing | Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss Red Label | Officiant: Father Kirkland Russell | Film Processing: The Find Lab