Featured Links
Venue: Kimpton SeaFire
Planner: Kelly and Alina
Flowers and Decor: Celebrations
Officiant: Reverend Wray
Hair and Makeup: Jackie Soriano
Dress: Pierlot by Grace Loves Lace
Grooms Suit: JCrew Ludlow Irish cotton-linen blend suit
The Dress
I was a few weeks postpartum after having my son Tyson. My best friend and bridesmaid Shannon came to visit and help with the baby so we decided to go dress shopping while she was there. We went to the Grace Loves Lace boutique in Washington, DC and I fell in love with the Pierlot for its exquisite lace design and complexity as both a traditional and whimsical gown depending on what angle you are looking at it. The timing was a big risk getting the dress so soon after baby, but it paid off and since we only went to one boutique, we used the rest of the time to celebrate over sushi! That pretty much sums up Shannon… always there for me when I need her.
We didn’t officially have a wedding planner (other than Alina), but Kelly from the Kimpton Seafire was amazing in helping plan the details and bringing our vision to life.
Tomas was born on an Air Force base in Germany and grew up in the Washington, DC area. Alina was born in Russia and her family immigrated to the U.S. (first NYC) when she was almost 7.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie Charlize in Champagne
First Look
We did a first look and it was a great opportunity to spend time together, just the two of us, before the ceremony. It was fun and intimate, allowing us to take in the moment. We also got random hugs from a couple passing by!
The Venue
We started our search for somewhere in the Caribbean where you can get married right on the beach. Seven Mile Beach came up on a list of the best beaches, and we loved that it was on the West side of the island where you can see the sunset. Neither of us had been to Grand Cayman and we love going to new places together. Once we came across the Kimpton Seafire and saw their photos from other weddings, we were sold. We loved the modern look of the resort and that it was high-end but still family friendly.
Decor
Celebrations did a fabulous job with the decor, striking the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary. They incorporated calla lilies into the florals and added pops of gold to the place settings. I also had some of my own decor elements, like wooden guest names on each plate and seating charts in frames that we are going to use for wedding photos in our home, and Kelly’s team at the hotel seamlessly integrated all of them with Celebrations’ setup. I knew the dance floor was important to Tomas and had to be special. Celebrations came up with the design to use trussing with the lanterns and lighting that I had picked out. We were able to keep the dance floor outside on the beach deck and were lucky to have an ocean breeze since DJ Craig kept us moving until the very end!
The Aisle – How did you feel
Peaceful and elated… like there was no one else there except the two of us
This sounds cliche, but our wedding day culminated in the perfect celebration of our love. Our favorite people in the whole world flew hundreds and even thousands of miles to witness our commitment to each other. From waking up in the morning with our son Tyson (who turned 9 months two days before) to hanging out with close friends in the hotel lobby after the reception, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. People say that your wedding day goes by in a flash and you can’t believe that you’ve spent all that time planning and then it’s over… but our experience was much different. We savored every minute and as much as I pay attention to details, my every expectation was exceeded in the moment. We had to make a venue change a few hours before the ceremony because of an unusual chance of rain that day. This may sound stressful, but we ended up having the reception on the beautiful beach deck after still being able to have the ceremony and cocktail hour right on the beach and watching the sunset. Our reception ended at 10:00pm. It started raining at 10:01pm. We couldn’t have written a better ending.
The Reception
The fresh coconuts with rum, espresso martinis, churros station, and gelato carts seemed like a big hit! We were able to spend time with everyone and enjoy plenty of dancing (which is what we ended up doing on a whim on our first date!). The reason we wanted to have a destination wedding is because many people would have had to travel regardless, so we wanted them to have an amazing time and a mini vacation. Based on what we heard, I think we succeeded!
Party
We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to our epic wedding day that we will cherish for the rest of our lives! Our guests — friends and family who traveled far and wide to be with us, our wedding party’s love and support, my parents for taking wonderful care of Tyson so that we could spend time as a couple, Kelly and her wonderful staff at the Seafire who made us feel so special, Becs for making all the posing fun, capturing even the smallest of moments, and coming back for beach photos with our little bear, DJ Craig for perfect execution of the reception, Jackie for making me feel stunning, and Celebrations for bringing my vision to life for all to enjoy. We got to experience Caymankind in a way we couldn’t have dreamed of, and we can’t wait to come back!
