Chad and Lindsay

The Westin Resort and Spa

“And so our adventure begins…..”

Part 1

Planner: Juliette Heath | Five Star Events and Laura Schaefer | Westin Seven Mile Beach

Cake Maker: The Cake Studio

Officiant: Rev Donovan Myers

Wedding Colours: Blush and Navy

Guests: 66

Flowers: I used an eco-friendly floral arrangement alternative to real flowers for my bouquets and centerpieces made from recycled and sustainable materials (including sola wood, birch wood, recycled fabric, pine cones, burlap, vintage novels, used music sheets, reclaimed pallet wood, etc.)

Live music: I LOVE the Beatles! Jeff Alban played selected acoustic Beatles songs with his bass player during the ceremony and it was perfect. He played an array of feel good, island, acoustic vibes during the cocktail hour.

DJ: DJ Craig Urchyshyn | One World

Dress Boutique: Allettante Bellezza | Justin Alexander

Hair and Makeup: Rock Gorgeous Hair

Videography: Tom Williamson and Jason Banawa |Picture This Studios

What was your favourite moments from the wedding?

My guests did not leave the dance floor ALL night long. We even extended the DJ for another hour because the party was hopping late into the night. My dream was to have great music where the drinks were flowing all with a dance party all night… and that’s EXACTLY what we got! All of our guests said they’ve never been to a wedding where everyone danced the entire night. I was so happy and everyone had a blast.

How did you two meet?

We were introduced through mutual friends from Crossfit at an outing in good ole’ downtown Sarasota on a Saturday night… The night started out at the Tavern, drinking beer, and playing darts and we eventually ended up dancing at Gator Club until they turned the lights on us! We have been inseparable ever since, and still continue to laugh and have just as much fun as the first night we met.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to other couples for planning their wedding?

This is your ONE time to be selfish and do what you want to do. Everyone will have their opinions, but ultimately this is your wedding and you shouldn’t let other people sway you. You are never going to please everyone anyway, so you might as well plan your dream wedding exactly how you want it to be!

How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

In the end, I am so happy we decided to do a destination wedding. We had a much smaller wedding than we would have had if we had it locally, which is exactly what we wanted… A small group of people to spend a long weekend relaxing, exploring, and celebrating with us. The people that made the trip truly wanted to be there, and it was clear that the group that made the trip was there to support us and have the time of their lives with us. We are lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one? Who were you with? How did you choose the grooms outfit?

My dress is nothing like anything I would have initially picked out, but as soon as I put it on, I knew it was the one because I did not want to take it off! My mom and sister came with me and they agreed it was perfect for me. I love how timeless and vintage it was, but it was also the perfect style for an island wedding. I wanted something I could move around in and not weigh me down all night. Chad wanted to wear a blue suit, so that made it easy. We were able to find all the groomsmen suits on a website called generationtux.com. It was SO affordable, and the fit was amazing. I highly recommend using them for suit rentals… Very professional, fast, and customer service oriented.

How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?

Rebecca was a breath of fresh air. I usually love to control everything (hehe), but I knew with her I could leave everything in her hands. She has such a creative eye, that I didn’t want to take away from her vision. I cannot wait to see all of my photos!!! Especially the trash the dress shoot

How did he pop the question?

Chad and I planned a trip for my 30th birthday to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. To be honest, I had a suspicion that he was going to propose, but that all went out the window when each day ended during our week-long trip and he hadn’t popped the question yet. I had finally come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to propose on the trip when the last day of the trip came around… We planned day hike around Jenny Lake at Grand Teton National Park. After our hike with no one else in sight, Chad said he wanted to take a panoramic photo of us overlooking the lake. I thought nothing of this because we had been using the Go Pro to take selfies all trip to improvise while we were by ourselves. Little did I know he was recording what turned out to be one of the best days of my life. Chad got down on one knee and asked me to marry him… After the shock wore off and I finished bawling my eyes out (and apparently after leaving him hanging for a while down on one knee), I said YES!!!

Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!

We did a first look prior to the wedding and I am SO glad we did. Our photographer and videographer were able to capture this moment as well, which was nice because it was just the two of us in a secluded area. This made the cocktail hour so much less stressful, as we were able to get in all of the photos with the bridesmaids and families with ease.

Were there any traditions or ethnic customs that were included in your wedding? (i.e jumping the broom or smashing the bottle)

Our wedding was pretty non-traditional, and that’s exactly what we wanted 🙂

What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?

I was nervous about the weather! It rained the morning of my wedding, but then it was overcast for my first look, ceremony, and cocktail hour. It rained as soon as everyone got indoors for the reception, so God was definitely watching over us on our wedding day! Rebecca mentioned that overcast is the PERFECT photo condition, as there are no shadows, so I would have to say I am pretty lucky with how the weather turned out. It POURED all day the following day too. Phew, I still pinch myself at how absolutely perfect it was.

What advice would you offer other couples planning a destination wedding?

Trust the experts! It is impossible to know everything and/or see everything ahead of time, so have faith in their abilities to give you absolutely everything you are looking for during your special day. It was important to me to chat on the phone with all of my vendors ahead of time so I could get to know them a little prior to meeting with them during my wedding week, and that helped a lot!

What photography related advice would you offer to a couple?

Invest in your photographer and find someone you love and trust! There is so much planning that goes into a wedding, and it’s nice to have a photographer that you can trust and let them be creative, so you don’t have to make every little decision and micromanage your photos.

How did you feel during your vows or just before you walked down the aisle?

I was most nervous about getting through my vows since we decided to write them ourselves. I did pretty well until the last few sentences because my eyes were full of tears and I couldn’t read my writing any longer! Chad and I both had a few funny portions of our vows where we used almost identical language about him ‘being grumpy when his alma mater football team loses’. We both laughed, and the guests laughed so that created quite the ice breaker. In the end I am SO glad we muscled through and wrote our own vows from the heart, as it was very important to me to do this!

Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos? Did I give you enough time?

I left most of it up to Rebecca and she just ran her ideas by me to let me make the ultimate decisions. Rebecca gave me a pretty conservative timeline prior to the wedding to prepare everyone of when to be ready and where. This was extremely helpful. The day of the wedding is pretty hectic and goes by SO fast, so trust your photographer when they give you extra cushion in your timeline because chances are you’re going to need it!

Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?

Again, the timeline Rebecca prepared was perfect. I sent everyone the timeline ahead of time, but on the day of I had my sister (MOH) text everyone to remind them of the time and place to be ready.

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.

Etsy.com allllll day! I literally got everything off Etsy from my bridesmaid gifts to my cake topper. You cannot go wrong with finding original pieces for your wedding day because most of the artists/vendors create customer work for you!

What made you choose the Cayman Islands for your destination wedding?

I’ve visited Cayman in the past, and I just love the people, the ‘Cayman Kind’ culture, food, and overall vibe. I also happen to be close friends with Francis (Omar) Campos with Rock Gorgeous Hair, so I knew I would be in good hands knowing that I knew a local who was in the wedding business!

What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance?

We had a choreographed dance to Ed Sheeran – Tenerife Sea. We practiced for a few months, and it was something that was certainly a challenge, but also extremely fun and rewarding. We are so happy we decided to take dance lessons together, and we plan on continuing our lessons even after the wedding to learn more dances to different styles of music. Father Daughter Dance – Zac Brown Band – I’ll be Your Man Mother Son Dance – Rascal Flatts – My Wish

How did you find your photographer? Online research? Word of mouth?