My shoes were found on a clearance rack at DSW. I wore my grandmother’s pearl earrings and Alex gave me my beautiful Mikimoto pearl necklace during our first look.
Love this shot by Tanya!Tanya photographed the bride coming down the stairs. Love this!
Honestly, I was so nervous that Alex wouldn’t like my dress. When he turned around and smiled during the first look it made me feel incredible and I realized that I was silly for being worried, he was going to marry me whether he liked the dress or not! I was also a little nervous for the first dance. I was worried I would trip on my dress or something because it’s not like I could practice in it first.
How did you two meet?
We met at Penn State when Alex auditioned for a show where I was the assistant director. We were friends for a while before we started dating at the end of Alex’s senior year after he walked me home from a cast party and we stayed up talking all night. The rest is history!
How did he pop the question?
Alex and I were preparing for a trip to Machu Picchu by hiking a local mountain with some new backpacking gear. When we reached the top he surprised me with champagne and let me pop the cork off the mountain. I honestly thought it was the best day ever. Then he proposed! We sipped champagne and ate lunch on the secluded boulders and then worked our way down the mountain. It was nice to be out of cell service range so Alex and I really got to enjoy our special moment.
What advice would you offer other couples planning a destination wedding?
Get a planner that you trust and a photographer whose photos make you swoon and you should be just fine. I was never worried about any of the details falling through because I had complete faith in Desiree and Rebecca. My other piece of advice would be not to doubt yourself. You could make yourself crazy if you second guess every decision you make.
How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?
Unbelievable. Alex and I had so much fun with Rebecca! She made the whole process feel effortless and really was an incredible joy to work with. She’s so sweet and fun that you can’t help but want to smile when she’s around. She also let us play in the water a little bit, which Alex and I both loved! She is truly an incredible photographer and I can’t imagine our day without her.
How would you describe your overall wedding experience?
Incredible. We honestly wouldn’t change a thing. The entire day I think I used the word “perfect” at least 100 times.
How did you feel during your vows or just before you walked down the aisle?
Surprisingly calm and radiantly happy.
We love to hear about vendors you love. List any vendors here and feel free to share your experience. Be sure to include the name of the vendor, their profession, city/state, site or Facebook page and how your experience was!
Desiree Boeyen is an incredible professional. She kept me on track with planning and really worked to make our day incredible. I never worried that things wouldn’t get taken care of because she was on top of all of it! The Grand Old House was an amazing venue. The food was above and beyond what we expected and they were so accommodating in every way imaginable. They made us feel like the only people in the venue, even though they were open as usual for other guests on the night of our event. Lastly, Rebecca couldn’t have been any easier to work with and, honestly, her work speaks for itself.
What was your favourite moments from the wedding?
On our way to the first look it was pouring rain. Alex and I were in separate cars and both of us were so excited because we were actually hoping it would rain a bit on the wedding day (partially because we both love rain and partially so that it wouldn’t be too hot from a cloudless sky). The wedding itself, of course. Our friend Katherine wrote the entire ceremony herself and it really had a profound impact on all of us and our guests. At one point she had our guests stand so we could see them as our support system and role models. It was a beautiful moment where we really got to see how lucky we were to have such incredible friends and family to support us. The speeches were perfect and really moved us. It was so beautiful to hear my sister, Alex’s brother, and my Dad speak about us as a couple and it really solidified the support that we’ve felt for many years. Lastly, after we cut the cake Alex and I were feeding it to each other the piece he was holding fell apart and I caught it before it landed on my dress. It felt like a miraculous victory.
What made you choose the Cayman Islands for your destination wedding?
Originally, it started out as a joke when Alex’s brother suggested a scuba wedding. We looked at many other places near both of our homes, but decided to have a destination wedding since both sides of the family would have to travel anyway. Alex’s family had been to the Cayman Islands before, and after looking through many photographs and websites we decided to have a tropical wedding where everyone could relax for a long weekend together. It was even more incredible than we could have imagined!