Lovelies, this is just the beginning. This e-sesh right here? It’s the sweet little appetizer to an even sweeter wedding on the pristine beaches of Ocho Rios, coming up this afternoon. Christina McNeill shows us just what a fun-loving couple Kelsey & Cory are and we can’t wait to reveal the rest. For now, kick back in this sandy, love-filled gallery!
Photography: Christina McNeill | Location: Couple's Tower Isle
In all honesty, this Jamaica beach wedding couldn’t have come at a better time. You see, here in New England we’re on the verge of the season’s first frost. Terrible, right? So a virtual vacay to the tropics is basically a complete and total a must. The ultra talented Blush Wedding Photography captured every second of this sun and sand soiree, and there’s a whole lot more to love in the gallery, plus a don’t miss video from Nate Makes Films.
[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/66026644 600 338]
From the Bride… Duke proposed during our trip to Dominican Republic for our 12th year anniversary. While walking along the beach and trying to set up the timer on the camera to take photos of us, Duke was writing down in the sand “Will you marry me? Jan. 2012”. As I ran back to take the photo, Duke was down on one knee and I noticed what was written in the sand. and then I read what he wrote in the sand and then looked up as Duke got emotional and teary and tried his best to say the words, “Will you marry me?” and I replied, “Of course!”
The reason why we chose to have a destination wedding is because we’ve always liked to go to tropical places and just knew that we wanted to be married on a beach. During dinner time after we got engaged, we were already discussing our wedding plans and decided on Jamaica since we haven’t been there before and heard it was a beautiful place to be. We’ve already been to Mexico three times, Cuba, Bahamas and then Dominican Republic and instantly thought Jamaica was our next destination. We wouldn’t have done it any other way. We just knew it was how we wanted to get married.
We are extremely happy that everything went perfectly. From the weather, to the ceremony, the bonfire and releasing of the Chinese sky lanterns. Most importantly, we were happy to be all together with our family and friends celebrating our happiest day of our lives and that everyone enjoyed themselves.
Photography: Blush Wedding Photography | Cinematography: Nate Makes Films | Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal | Invitations: Custom | Bride's Shoes: Benjamin Adams | Rings: Custom | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Custom | Groom's Suit: Custom | Venue: IBEROSTAR ROSEHALL Montego Bay | Bride's Bracelet: Swarovski
This wedding is pretty much my idea of paradise. I mean — a destination shindig on the beaches of Jamaica with the ocean breeze blowing as you swap the I Dos? Well, it sounds like heaven. And while I can’t help but be a wee bit envious as the temps here in Boston slowly drop, I think I’ll head over to the gallery from Reign 7 Photography and start my virtual vacation right…now!
All of our vendors were on time and our appointments went swimmingly. As we were wrapping up pictures pre-ceremony I glanced outside and noticed what looked like a tropical storm forming in the distance. I immediately went into panic mode, looked at my Maids of Honor and said “Im getting Married. Right. Now.” We rushed everyone downstairs and outside, I didn’t realize how fast I was moving, let alone that I was running, until one of my Maids yelled “Where are her shoes?” and the other yelled back “She is wearing them!!!” Our wedding coordinator, Charlene, was amazing and kept saying, “It won’t happen, it can’t happen, not to you and Joe, to anyone but you and Joe!” We did get a bit of a shower but it was, in true Jamaican fashion, about 3 minutes long – just enough to let us know that we can’t control everything and that life, including our marriage, would be a series of surprises and we just need to roll with it.
As I came down the aisle it felt so much more serious than I had anticipated – we are a fun, funny couple and I could see Joe start to get choked up. As if the island read my mind, a gust of wind caught my veil in a neighboring bush and in a moment of total awkwardness, I ripped it off my head while hysterically laughing with my dad. That loosened up the ceremony right away and it just felt more relaxed and more “us”.
Our reception was held on site at the Sugar Mill Falls water park, which I loved. I work for a music company in NYC so the set list was really important to us, I don’t think the DJ had ever received a list of 250 “do not play” songs! But to be fair the “play” list was a lot longer so he had a good amount of material to work with. We danced the night away to Ja Rule, Montell Jordan, Sean Paul and a slew of throwback songs that truly encapsulated our near decade of dating!
Inspiration around the day: Jamaica has always held a very special place in our hearts, it was where we first fell in love almost exactly 9 years prior. But what keeps us coming back are the people, the culture and the warmness the country embodies. It was important for us to use as many local vendors and have as many local accents as possible while adding our own style to our special day.
The special touches that made our day extra lovely: I really liked that we had special pieces of us woven into the day. Representing my old, new, borrowed and blue were…. Old- Pearls from my late Grandmother wrapped around my flowers, New- My Dress, Borrowed- My headband was worn by my close friend, Danielle, in her wedding and she handed it down to me, Blue- I had my married name and our wedding date sewn in blue into the skirt of my dress. Other special touches – I gave Joe an engraved watch that said “Best Day Ever” and he gave me his mother’s engagement ring to have made into anything that I wish.
DIY Projects: I created a lot of the accents for the wedding myself with the help of a slew of Etsy vendors. For all future brides, get a Pinterest board going and an Etsy account ASAP!
Photography: Reign 7 Photography | Cinematography: Elite Media Concepts | Floral Design: Grande Garden | Wedding Dress: Rivini | Invitations: LamaWorks | DJ: Elite Media Concepts | Wedding Venue: Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa | Bridesmaids' Robes: Wedding Prep Gals | Cake Topper: LandscapesNMiniature | Engraved Forks: BellaJacksonStudios | Father of the Bride Tie: Dana Marie Creations | Favor Bags: BeautifulAdditions | Frames: Michaels | Luggage Tags: 0namesleft | Menus: Mimosa Digital | Sand Ceremony: ThirdShift | Stamp: AproposRoasters | Wedding Dress via: Kleinfeld Bridal | Welcom Bags: Zazzle
If you ask me, destination “I dos” are where it’s at. Because when you combine the romance of a wedding, the excitement of adventure, and those postcard-perfect views…well, it’s like snagging yourself a one-way ticket to swoonville. And this Jamaica love fest? No exception. With Round Hill Hotel and Villas as their backdrop and the crazy talented Closer to Love duo behind the camera, there’s no doubt this wedding was the ultimate day.
From the Bride…We were the couple that never thought we would be wed – that progressive couple that thought we didn’t need marriage to define our relationship. But something happened to us ten years later, our hearts changed and we were open to the idea. Aaron popped the question and I had butterflies. It couldn’t have been more perfect of timing.
Needless to say, I’ve never dreamt once before of what my wedding could be and had no expectations other than for it to be intimate and relaxed. And since we’re not the traditional couple, we certainly did not want a traditional ceremony. All of these things led to an easy decision, destination wedding. We fell in love with Montego Bay right away, but trying to find the perfect resort was tricky. With much research, it led us to the most incredible place on Earth (according to us), the Round Hill Hotel and Villas. This former pineapple plantation captured everything we wanted: complete sophistication but with an effortless atmosphere. Grand enough to house the likes of Grace Kelly and the Kennedys but small enough that the entire Round Hill staff knew my guests by name.
Transferring and planning for 40 people was certainly a tall task – someone described it on the trip as to “herding kittens.” However, we were up for the challenge and made it work. We were incredibly fortunate in assembling the best team that made everything incredibly easy for us – from our coordinator, Raquel, to our lovely photographers to the local artist that we used to letterpress our invitations and menus. Everyone went above and beyond and made the planning process equally as enjoyable as the execution was. Each detail was valued as a memory and was tailored to giving our guests the ultimate experience. It was important for our friends and family to feel the gratitude that Aaron and I had for them – that they had traveled so far to witness us say ‘I do’ and that they had patiently waited all these years for our big day to come.
Every day was planned with an event. A chartered sailboat served as our welcome party, where we snorkeled in a nearby lagoon and toured the bay until sunset. The following day, Aaron proudly organized beach games on the shore, which involved tossing mangos into rings and relay races on paddle boats. Later that night, we kicked off our shoes and dined directly on the beach in the sand for our rehearsal dinner. We enjoyed a Jamaican barbeque feast and celebrated with folklore dancers, fire breathing artists and the now-infamous limbo. News traveled quickly, and I was greeted as “Limbo Queen” from there on out.
Our ceremony was held on a shallow cliff overlooking the bay and the cocktail party in a large hut next to the infiniti pool. Candles illuminated the path for our guests which lead them to our sunset reception at the Hanover terrace. Paper lanterns adorned the large tree that pierced through the balcony and shaded our guests below. Candles glistened throughout… That night was perfect and will forever have our hearts. Every second was divine.
[dotted]
Photography: Closer to Love Photography | Venue: Round Hill Hotel and Villas | Wedding Coordinator: Raquel Bernard | Cinematography: Elite Media Concepts | Floral + Candles: Tia Flora Services Ltd. | Invitations + Menus: Blackbird Letterpress | Calligrapher of invitations + Menus: Neithersnow | Calligrapher of place cards: Nancy Hopkins Handlettering | Guest Bags: Faux Pas Printing | Cake: Round Hill | Officiant: Glenroy Clarke | Ceremony Guitarist: Jorge Valenciano | DJ: Kevan Stewart | Makeup: LVO Makeup Artistry by Lynna Vo | Hair: Huey Nguyen | Wedding Dress + Hairpins: BHLDN | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Veil: Mia Bridal Couture | Garter: Bella Fleur Bridal | Maid of Honor Dress: J.Crew | Groom + Best Man Suits, Custom: Luca Falcone | Shoes: To Boot New York | Tie: Tie Bar | Cufflinks: Zara
When your job entails writing about wedding after gorgeous wedding, you tend to fall fast and hard for a myriad of details and styles. I don’t have a favorite dress or style of wedding. I definitely play the field in that department. One day it’s a classic ballroom obsession and today it’s destination Jamaica. But it goes deeper than the dreamy beach details crafted by Firefly Events. For me, its all about the couple and the way their love is so beautifully captured by Bryce Covey. That love literally bounces out of each image. It’s palpable and these two also happen to be drop dead gorgeous which never hurts. Beauty, beach and love; it’s all entangled in one gorgeous gallery right here.
From the Bride + Groom… The story of our wedding was nothing short of an adventure. We are a creative couple (Andre is an artist) that simply wants to have fun with the people we love. We wasted no time attracting a set of partners that felt the same way. First we immediately fell in love with our wedding planner Teissia, owner of Firefly Events, after a quick dinner at Jane. She knew we were crazy and wanted to just have fun but was excited about the adventure. We quickly chose Jamaica as our destination because Andre’s family is from there and it allowed us to have a less stressful process. Even though Teissia was based in NY, we felt confident in her abilities to guide us in the right direction with my parents being her overseas liaisons. Next, we found Bryce Covey who was the perfect photographer to round out the crew. He loved traveling, he’s outgoing, an awesome photographer and, most importunately, was ready for whatever adventure we put in front of him. Last we used Tanayia’s brother, J William Washington, as our art director and master of fonts. He gave all our invites, cards, save the dates, and website the perfect design sensibility that was a mix of adventure, vintage elegance and fun.
Before the wedding, we did everything we could to set the stage for what to expect. The first element that set a tone was our Save the Dates. Instead of sending out cards, we made a video of us redubbing our own story on top of a scene from “Coming to America” and titled everything Coming to Jamaica. From that point on, all our guests knew they weren’t in for a traditional wedding. Our wedding website guided everyone through how to prepare for our wedding and even set up a live video chat to answer any questions before everyone took off. In planning the details of the wedding no tradition was safe. In everything we planned we asked ourselves: Is this necessary? If it wasn’t we tried to figure out a way to make it personal and fun for all our guests. One of the best decisions we made was taking over a private villa, Golden Cove Villa, for 7 straight days which allowed our guests to make a trip out of it all. We had an itinerary everyday that gave them a taste of Jamaica. It felt like a family reunion where the Golden Cove staff made us feel like a part of their family.
The wedding dress was also non-traditional and that created a stir amongst mothers and friends. So eventually a compromise was made and a white dress was purchased for the ceremony while the original dress from Jenny Packham was set for the grand entrance into the reception. This turned out to be the perfect decision because it was a good surprise and delight but also in the end, everyone was in love with the original non-traditional dress. As for some of our own personal touches, there we many. Instead of having our wedding party walk down the aisle in faux couples we borrowed from the Indian tradition where the groom is danced down the aisle. Andre led a procession down the aisle with his groomsmen dancing to James Brown. The ladies strutted down the runway aisle to Beyonce’s “Girls.” To add a little drama (and because it was really hot) the girls carried feathered fans instead of bouquets. Each chair was dressed with sunglasses and guide to having fun at our wedding.
For the reception it was really important that our guests get to know Jamaican culture. This means that it is mandatory that you drink Andre’s dad’s famous rum punch placed on each table in glitter covered bottles personally crafted by his mom. Dancing is also a mandatory, so to encourage our guests to hit the LED light floor we had a dance contest (shout out to DJ Kevan who rocked the turntables!) between each table where the winner would receive a prize. Instead of a guest book we created a “Love Line” with a vintage telephone connected to voice activated recorder where people could leave us message (which turned out to be hilarious as the night went on and the drinks were flowing). Also, there was a photo booth in the gazebo to capture everyone putting on fake dreads. Because we wanted to celebrate all the love in the house the garter was tossed to the married men and the bouquet to the married ladies, coincidentally a matching married couple both won and “showcased” their love with the garter belt dance. The day after the wedding we took our friends to a hidden waterfall to hang out. We also brought our wedding gear to take a second set of photos. We didn’t plan it but the last shot was us “taking the plunge” which ended up being one of our favorite photos of the entire experience.
Wedding Photography: Bryce Covey Photography / Wedding Venue: Golden Cove Villas in Oracabessa, Jamaica / Wedding Planning: Firefly Events / Floral Design: Jan’s Bridal and Flowers / Wedding Catering: Chef Gregory Nelson / Wedding Cake: Lincoln Peterkin / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal (white ceremony dress) + Jenny Packham (reception dress) / Bride’s Shoes: ALDO / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: JLM Couture / Groom’s Suit: My Suit / Groom + Groomsmen’s Shoes: ASOS
When dreams of a big city soirée came up over budget, this DC bride went south (literally!) to plan her dream wedding for 50 at the Hummingbird Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Guests came from accross the globe to celebrate with the bride and groom, and the tropical locale gave everyone a chance to relax and enjoy the view. Put on some sunscreen and bask in the gorgeousness by Rebekah J. Murray Photography in the full gallery!
From the Bride… Rob and I met in December 2005 on a cold, snowy evening in Newark, Delaware, at a bar where I was celebrating a friend’s 21st birthday. I was a college senior, and he was a first year grad student. We talked a lot that night, and I ended up giving him a ride home. As he got out of my car, he got my number and thanked me profusely for driving him. “I owe you dinner, or my life!” he said. After that, we were pretty inseparable. He’s from California and I soon moved to DC for grad school, so there were some tough times when it came to tackling the distance. However, meeting a best friend and a soul mate makes any distance worth doing! DC has become our home now, and we got engaged here at the Lincoln Memorial in 2010.
I’d been planning an elaborate DC wedding in my head for ages, but the cost just rendered my dream wedding unfeasible in DC. It made sense to have a destination wedding, as my family is on the East Coast and in England, and Rob’s family is in California — everyone would need to travel somewhere regardless. After doing a lot of research on destination venues, we stumbled upon Hummingbird Hall in Jamaica, and it was our dream come true. Hummingbird Hall made the planning so completely simple, and it made it possible to have my dream wedding in a dream location! I would communicate with them often on design elements that I loved about other weddings, and the team worked with me to create a vision for my day. We also made the decision to bring our amazing photographer with us — no regrets there!
The wedding day was absolutely perfect. We didn’t have a wedding party, as we were only having 50 guests, but we each still had some of our closest friends come with us to get ready. It was such a low-key day; we sat around and laughed, exchanged our gifts, drank champagne, and waited for our ceremony! Rob and I did a first look, which both of our mothers hated, but we really enjoyed having a few calming minutes with each other pre-ceremony. The ceremony was short, informal and sweet, with four readings by close friends (mostly from children’s books!) and our own vows. Guests sat on chairs adorned with ribbon streamers and could pass the time with program fans that had games on the back of them. We had a cocktail hour with a steel drum band, drinks with striped straws (my favorite!), and guests had a chance to sign our guestbook: a vintage map of Jamaica. Our reception featured more ribbons, with ribbon runners on the tables, fresh flower and fruit centerpieces and custom-made ribbon chandeliers on the pool deck. After a traditional Jamaican buffet dinner, there were toasts, lots of dancing, cigar-smoking and even some illicit pool-diving.
I honestly adored my wedding and the planning process. Having a venue that was so hands-on with the planning was fantastic, and they always made me feel like everything would be okay. It gave me the opportunity to concentrate on all the wonderful friends and family who traveled to be with us, which was the best part about having a destination wedding. There is nothing like being surrounded by people who are genuinely happy for you, and who can make your reception a party even in small numbers! Rob and I were so grateful for all of the love and support, and couldn’t have imagined a better start to our life together.
Wedding Photography: Rebekah J. Murray Photography / Wedding Venue: Hummingbird Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica / Event Coordination, Floral + Event Design, Officiant, Band + DJ: Hummingbird Hall / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Wedding Dress: Wtoo Brides / Bride’s Jewelry: Nadri / Hair Flower: Bella Mia Design / Bride’s Makeup: Jessie, A Friend of the Bride
Poring over weddings filled with pretty sea-scapes is one of our favorite past times. It’s a sun + ocean + beautiful backdrop for vows and merry making kind of thing. And one we’ll never ever get sick of. Especially when that merry making is captured in such a beautiful way. In other words, Kjrsten Madsen Photography rocks our Jamaican wedding socks off. Set your sights on the full destination dream right here.
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Choosing a destination for our wedding was one of the most important choices we’ve ever made. We wanted something small, intimate and romantic, in a place that meant something to us and with a handful of loved ones present. We wanted this wedding to be more than a “one day” event — we wanted to really celebrate our love and everyone that loves us. The most important thing to us was looking at our parents and drawing inspirations from their love. When looking at Chris’ parents, we see what love is truly about. And although my father is no longer here, the love that he and my mother had will always live in my heart. We wanted our guests to feel that too, so during our ceremony we had my brother and my mother place the infinity flowers that my parents used during their wedding mass around us (in Hispanic tradition, it’s called a Lazo and signifies the union and bond of a marriage that can’t be broken). This was a surprise for my mother. On our guest book table we placed a picture of Chris’ parents on their wedding day kissing. Lastly, to honor my father and grandmother who are no longer here, we decided to have a poem dedicated to them next to their pictures. These touches were the inspiration for the day which really made it even more special.
For my look the day of, I didn’t want a traditional “destination” wedding dress. Again I wanted something romantic. I love classic and timeless wedding dresses, so I obviously ended up with lace. I have to say that I felt that my dress was PERFECT. I truly had that “moment” when I chose it. I knew it was the one, and the sash that comes with it … I still love it! I wanted to add a pop of color and bring in some glam, so opted for a pair of sea foam Badgley Mischkas. Tying in my look, making me feel romantic and beautiful, was my great friend and hairstylist/makeup artist Joyce Castaneda. She did a fabulous job of making me look natural and giving me a timeless hairstyle that perfectly matched my dress. It was important that Chris look and feel just as great as me. He wore a Hugo Boss suit from the 2011 summer collection. It was perfect with my dress, light in color and weight for our perfect 85-degree day. He also opted for a pair of Silvano Sassetti shoes, which kept his look classic.
And we can’t forget about our fabulous photographer, Kjrsten Madsen! Definitely one of the best choices we made was having her be part our special day. She captured the most beautiful moments, not only on our wedding day but also during our before and after celebrations. Our favorite moment with her was during our first look shoot that was located in the same spot that Chris proposed to me. Ultimately having our families and closest friends there was the one thing we wished for and received. Now we will forever have Jamaica in our hearts, not just for one day, but several days filled with love, food, drink, sunbathing, laughing and just celebrating with the people we love.
Wedding Photography: Kjrsten Madsen Photography / Wedding Venue, Planning, Cupcakes + Floral Design: Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay in Montego Bay, Jamaica / Wedding Invitations + Printed Materials: Sugar Press / Wedding Dress: Enzoani / Bride’s Jewelry: Nadri / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Thread / Hair + Makeup: Joyce Castaneda / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Shoes: Silvano Sassetti / Groomsmen’s Suits: Michael Kors
Imagine getting married in a place where the likes of Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy escaped to get away…seem like a dream? Well after drooling over this Round Hill Hotel wedding by Raquel Reis, I can confirm that a wedding in such a place definitely looks like a dream. The entire affair has that effortless glamour those starlets were known for – and the bride and groom? Well they are equally as stunning as the gorgeous Jamaican surroundings. They filled their big day with the most darling details making their intimate beach wedding the perfect mix of casual and elegant, which makes it worthy of any starlet – or even better this couple’s nearest and dearest. See it all here!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the bride… When it came to planning I knew right away I wanted to have it at the Round Hill hotel. The hotel, a former pineapple plantation had the exact style I wanted. It was a glamorous but carefree, a place that housed icons like Babe Paley (my favorite is the Slim Aarons photograph of her in her villa!), Grace Kelly, Noel Crawford and Jackie Kennedy. It was small enough that you can see everyone and large enough that all my guests could stay there. Growing up, my family loved the 1950’s — loved Frank Sinatra and the casual elegance that surrounded that time, so when I saw the place, I fell in love. We actually stayed in villa 25 where is where JFK practiced his now-famous inaugural speech.
We tried to include as much of our family in our ceremony. I wore my grandmother’s vintage diamond chandelier earrings and was married in my other grandmother’s wedding band. Our kiddish cup was used in David’s brother’s wedding, we had two tallis’ on the table under the chuppah. One was David’s and one was my grandfather’s whose name was also David. It was to symbolize the old and the new. The ceremony was located on the other side of the Infinity Pool on a cliff overlooking the ocean. There was a candle lit passage way spanning the entire hotel that led to the reception! My mom and I had a stamp created with myself and David’s monogram that Neither Snow made. All three of us stamped each muslin bag with it, and then we restrung the bags with linen and white butchers’ twine. Instead of favors, we wanted to incorporate our dog Frankie — who is the love of our lives — so we donated money in everyone’s honor to an animal charity and wrote it on the menu! My mom hand made all the happy tears hankies – she had a stamp made on etsy that said “B+D” like david’s cufflinks and hand-stamped each of them.
The most special moment was at the rehearsal dinner when all the guests lit Khom Loy lanterns. Khom Loy lanterns are meant to bring good fortune and also represented where we would be going on our honeymoon… Thailand!
Wedding Photography: Raquel Reis / Venue + Catering: Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica / Calligraphy + Monogrammed Stamp: Mara Zepeda of Neither Snow / Save the Dates: iomoi / Postcards + Postage Stamps: Designed by Bride and Her Mother on Zazzle / Vintage Stamps: Precious Owl / Flowers: Paulette of Tai Flora / Wedding Gown: J. Mendel / Butcher’s Twine: The Twinery / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Dolce & Gabbana via Net-a-Porter / Shoes: Custom Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Outfit: Ralph Lauren / Groom’s Cufflinks: Jeneri Jewelry / Wedding Stationery: Anita Katz Forster Design (Owned by bride’s mother, artfulwall@aol.com)
I sure hope you’ve got some frequent flier miles burning a hole in your pocket, because after you spend some time with this Jamaican wedding from David Murray Weddings, you’re going to be turning up the Bob Marley as you zoom to the airport. You may recognize this couple from their engagement shoot a while back. You may also recognize the bride as one of our favorite LBB floral geniuses, Melanie of Le Bonne Fleur Flowers. Needless to say, we were all a tizzy when we finally got a peek into their Caribbean wedding, which did not disappoint. It’s completely stylish, completely laid-back, and completely fabulous. And there is more in the gallery. Ya mon.
About eight months before we were engaged we took a trip to The Rockhouse Hotel. My family has always liked those hidden, off the beaten path places and decided to try Rockhouse. After spending a week swimming in the lagons, cliff jumping, sleeping, eating, taking in the breathtaking western susnsets and enjoying the friendly staff and laidback atmosphere of Jamaica, Mike turned to me and said “I have never been this relaxed in my life!”
When we got engaged, we thought this would be the prefect place to get married and share with our friends and family. Since the resort was the perfect size, we figured we could occupy the whole thing and spend the weekend sharing, celebrating and entertaining those closest to us. We did just that and have no regrets!
The setting was a large part of the inspiration for the style and overall feel of the wedding. Being in Jamaica, where “ya mon” is a way of life, we wanted things to be relaxed and comfortable, from the guests’ attire (flip flops welcome) to the family style sit-down dinner.
Our palate was neutral as the surroundings of the property’s gardens, the ocean and sunset were the focus of the decor. The Rockhouse Hotel is located on the cliffs at the western most point of the island, making for the most spectacular sunsets. The ceremony, cocktail and reception all took place here.
Rocks, cliffs and jumping became a theme throughout the wedding and weekend’s events. Not only did the venue provide the perfect setting for this, being perched up on the cliffs, but also the act of “jumping-in” seemed to be the perfect metaphor for taking the leap into marriage. We incorporated hand drawn images of cliff jumping by our stationer, Paper Daisies, and select phrases custom calligraphed by calligrapher Neither Snow on the invitations and RSVP cards.
To conclude the wedding weekend, Mike and I recreated the image on our invitations in person, jumping in with both feet into our new life as a married couple – committed fully, no turning back, a little scary, but so much fun!
One memory I will never forget is how nervous, excited and hot (I think that was the warmest day of my life) I was before I walked down the aisle. Once I saw Mike standing at the end of the aisle, I didn’t feel any of that. It all went away and my focus was on him. The most vivid memory Mike has of our actual wedding day was “the beauty that glowed from Melanie as she turned the corner and walked down the aisle with her father, tears rolling down her face. I have been known to cry at times like these, but I did not. I really couldn’t do anything else but smile at that point, knowing I was about to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love.”
Photography: David Murray Weddings / Venue: Rockhouse Hotel / Event Coordination: Rockhouse Hotel / Invitations & Rock Jumping Illustration: Paper Daisies / Calligraphy: Neither Snow / Shoes: Valentino / Dress: Priscilla of Boston Vineyard Collection / Pearls: Dolmas Pearls / Groom’s Attire: Tommy Bahama / Makeup: Marissa Nemes
Two words came to mind when I first saw this dress – hubba hubba. It is a total wowzah, showstopper, jawdropping number like only Vera Wang can do and perfect for this destination wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The glamor did not stop at the gown but continued with a mix of modern luxury and historic charm at a breathtaking seaside ceremony location. SB Childs Photography beautifully captured both the old-world loveliness and the modern elegance throughout this magical day. Click here to see even more!
Click here to see the entire image gallery!
From the Bride… I couldn’t be happier with our decision to have our wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Everything turned out just as I had hoped. We had just over 50 people, our families and closest friends. It was exactly what we wanted.
When picking a location, I used a wedding planning company who sent me many recommended properties. While their suggestions were nice, none of them really “wowed” me. I did some internet research and fell in love with the aqueduct at Rose Hall Resort and Spa. The aqueduct was built in 1837 and had an archway cutout overlooking the ocean. It was perfect for the ceremony. We had minimal flowers, the aqueduct and surrounding landscape were all we needed.
The reception immediately followed the ceremony, in the courtyard of the Three Palms Restaurant. We had a steel drum band during our cocktail hour to enjoy some local music, followed by dinner and dancing. About a half hour before the reception ended, it started to rain. We had been so lucky with the weather up to this point. Taking pictures outside, the outdoor ceremony, dinner in the courtyard. As I looked around at my friend and family on the dance floor in the pouring rain, everyone was still dancing and having a great time. It was a moment I will always remember. Everything was perfect.
I’m so thankful to have captured these memories in pictures from SB Childs. Stefanie and Brock are not only talented, they are such sweet and genuine people who were amazing to work with. My friends and family instantly connected with them, too and I felt like they were guests at the wedding, not our photographers.
Wedding Photography: SB Childs Photography / Event Design & Coordination: Luxe Destination Weddings / Wedding Ceremony Location: Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa (Aqueduct) / Wedding Reception Location: Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa (Three Palms Restaurant) / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Groomsmen Suits: JoS. A. Bank / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vineyard Collection by Priscilla of Boston / Floral Design: Grande Garden
THIS is LOVE … a hippie-chic wedding in Negril. Love that description! Love the look!
photography courtesy of Andrew Norton
We’ve heard from many of you about designing beach weddings in a new and personal way. Well, ladies, this is it!
Crystal, from Distinct Occasions, always sends terrific weddings … but Mara & Adrian’s destination wedding in Negril might just take the Grand Prize!
Mara and Adrian’s wedding celebration happened the first part of March at the gorgeous and private Moon Dance Villas along seven mile beach. Their wedding design was eclectic and hippie-chic with a mix of eco-touches and personal tributes to keep it “jammin”…
The tree … oh my goodness!!
Special touches included ~ a Jamaican almond tree as the altar hung with photos of the couples friends/family, a freshly purchased local tree that we helped hand-cut to make charger plates (rubber with vegetable oil), b&g handpainted nesting dolls filled with a thank you note & beach sand, local coconuts chopped and filled with ginger lily, a menu featuring local faves like rice & peas, fresh lobster and conch, the bride’s wedding dress was custom made and featured the lace from her mother’s wedding dress on the train and wrapped around the stems of her ginger lily bouquet, Ukranian traditions & Polish traditions were used including the nesting dolls, traditional dances, and handmade handkerchiefs, a vintage styled fabric was hung with a mix of props to create an on-site photobooth setup, amber glass collected by the bride & groom was mixed into the decor, Jamaican blue mountain coffee beans were used with hurricane lamp shades and candles to add to the fragrant ginger lily on the tables …
I honestly don’t know what to say … Mara and Adrian blended their cultures and traditions with the amazing locale of Negril. For some reason the word ‘harmony’ keeps popping into my head! I think it must be the nesting dolls. So sweet. So different. You guys ~ all of you ~ did an amazing job. So much more to see in the gallery here!
Crystal’s blog has a some great articles you should all read … “Know When To Quit” and Making An Impression At Your Wedding are two of the latest ones that I think we could all take to heart. Thanks to all for sharing this very special celebration!
Wedding Planner & Design ~ Crystal Adair-Benning by Distinct Occasions, Photographer ~ Andrew Norton,
Venue ~ Moon Dance Villas, Catering ~ Villas Personal Chefs
