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Venue: Grand Old House
Dress Boutique and Dress Designer: Mori Lee by Madeline Gardner
Wedding Planner: Livia Kwong
How did you meet? Robert: I was heading to coffee with his friends one morning at work and Sarah stepped off the elevator, with her stunning good looks, with her hair done, cute skirt and nice shoes. I said hi to her and Sarah smiled as she walked by, heading to her desk. I decided that I didn’t want coffee any longer and followed Sarah to her desk. Best decision I made!
So Robert and Sarah had a common LOVE and that was diving. What better place to get married then the Cayman Islands, where you can dive pretty much 365 days a year. When Sarah told me that she wanted to make a dive before the wedding and would I come with them for an hour to photograph them doing their favourite thing… diving. Sure, why not… how hard can it be 🙂 ? hmmmmmmm anyhow thanks to their dive buddies who came with us, preventing me from “sinking in the drink”, we had a great time and got some fun photos. Love the one below of these guys where Sarah wrote “Do You?” on the slate, and Robert checked off “YES!” Which was a good idea, since the wedding was all planned at ready to go at the Grand Old House.
What was your favourite moment(s) from the wedding?
Sarah:
– The intense feeling that “it’s really happening!” that I got heading down to the first look. Happy emotion overwhelmed me, but I managed to swallow the sob that started the second I left the hotel room toward Robert.
– The crashing waves that were LOUD when I walked the path to the arch at the edge of the deck
– Reading our own vows – so happy we could share our commitment in our own words, promising ourselves forever
Robert:
– The first look – The build-up, then turning around and seeing Sarah on the bridge, looking so stunning.
– Watching Sarah walking down the aisle with her dad, because I knew this was our moment of commitment to each other. Plus, she had a HUGE smile on her face.
click below for slideshow….
No photographers were harmed during the filming of “Sarah and Robert do the I do in the sea”
How did he pop the question?
Sarah: For our one year anniversary of dating, Robert booked us a weekend on the central Oregon coast, in Yachats. We’d been out wine tasting, and on the way back he got reeeeeaaaalllly quiet, and I started getting reaaaaaaallllly suspicious. Then on a walk on the rocky shoreline at sunset, he got down on one knee, and told me he did not want to be my boyfriend any longer. I gladly agreed to no longer be his girlfriend.
What advice would you offer to other couples planning a destination wedding?
We decided not to sweat the small stuff. If you choose a good location and good people to go with, all will be just great.
Our best cost saving decision was to book a big condo on VRBO. So much cheaper than hotels, allowed more time together, and a kitchen to handle most meals and snacks. (Not to mention, we chose a place with scuba tanks and weights available on site, for unlimited shore diving just steps away – paradise!!)
What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?
Use a local photographer! We attended wedding shows back in Oregon where photographers were jumping at the chance to follow us to Grand Cayman to shoot our wedding. No thanks! Working with Rebecca was so much better because she knew the island, the best spots for the right time of day, what to do when the beach we wanted was too crowded, etc. We were in the best hands to take care of us.
Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?
My cousin and I scoured new and used boutiques, and I tried on lots of dresses – but, especially in the new-dress boutiques, I felt very pressured to go with what the sales lady wanted, and not much about what I liked. By going to a used boutique, I could get a much better dress for the money – a dress worth thousands of dollars could be had for hundreds – and the variety was surprisingly very good!
How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?
Rebecca was game! We had this crazy (very crazy) idea of incorporating some underwater pictures into our photos of the day. I dressed into scuba gear and a veil, and Robert added a bow-tie to his gettup. I still eager to see if our insane idea will yield the funny pictures we were hoping for, but it was a wild fun time regardless, and ‘no photographers were drowned in the making of this shoot’.
Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?
We didn’t have attendants, though Sarah’s cousin Grace was a LIFESAVER as ‘Bestest of the Bride’. She survived the heat of the day while we took pictures, helping Sarah in and out of the car, lifting her train over puddles and brush, and making sure that her lips had gloss. Thank you Grace!!
And for Robert, we had an extra undershirt and dress shirt available, just in case the heat was too much for keeping clothes looking nice. He didn’t need them in the end, but we’ve seen too many sad pictures around the web where I bet the groom wished for an extra set!
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!
Etsy.com was a life saver – so many options from everything like our Unity Sand vases, to the exact blend of sand colors we wanted, to the pretty dress hanger that said “Mrs. Scott”.
Did you find a store/site that had everything you were looking for? Use this space to talk about favorite shops. You can include where you got your dress, sites you got your veils/décor/accessories, etc.
• Sarah’s favorite two shops were The Unique, in Vancouver WA, and Richele Kay Bridal Consignment in Portland.
• Robert had good luck at the Men’s Wearhouse – just make sure you find a salesman with good taste and a fun personality.
• Our rings were from Kassab Jewelers in downtown Portland. The store is one of the only places in Oregon that sells the Gelin Abaci tension-set engagement ring that Robert selected
What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?
We were anxious about keeping to the timeline – it was a bit rushed (our fault!) because we tried to fit so much into that morning, but Rebecca did a great job of guiding us along and we made it to the sunset kiss on time!