Amanda & Jon-Richard (Villa Susanna)

One year before their chosen wedding date, Amanda and John-Richard came to St Lucia for a few days to meet with Michele, scout venues, meet vendors and do food tastings. What an absolute blast we had together! We met up in Marigot Bay as that was where they were staying and I had arranged an itinerary for their visit that included meeting with various vendors. But first of all, we went to see Villa Susanna, the venue they were interested in for their wedding. It was absolutely love at first sight and Amanda and John-Richard immediately became super excited about having their wedding and reception there. After that they met up with caterers and visited the florist too. On the second day of their visit they met with photographers and marriage officers. The food tastings were done in the evenings, having dinner at the restaurants that we use for catering our weddings.

By the third day all major decisions were made and Michele felt like she had known Amanda and Jon-Richard her whole life!

The day before the wedding Amanda had her manicure and pedicure at the villa, along with her hair and make-up trials. In the afternoon there was a rehearsal for the wedding party and that was followed by a catered “Roll your own Roti” rehearsal dinner. The menu included Goat Curry, Chicken Curry & Vegetable Curry, Roti Shells, Rice ‘n’ Peas and “Sambals” such as a spicy seasonal fruit chutney, shaved fresh coconut, minted yoghurt etc.

On the wedding day, Amanda’s vibrant personality was reflected in the hot pink, tangerine and lime green colour theme, and tribute to Jon-Richard’s military and police background was made in the form of shell casings for all the boutonnieres. The solo violinist accompanied the wedding party and Amanda down the aisle and their customised ceremony was a mix of serious and fun, which is absolutely what we would expect of them!

After the ceremony the Coconut Man served fresh coconut water and jelly from the green coconuts on the back lawn. Signature cocktails and canapés were served while Daniel and Eden captured photo and video footage and the solo steel pan player kept everyone entertained. During this time the Awesome Caribbean weddings team and the caterer reset the ceremony area for dinner and then, while Amanda and Jon-Richard had their sunset photos taken, everyone was invited through to come and take their seats. The formalities – speeches, cake cutting and first dances – were all done before dinner so everyone could relax and enjoy themselves.

Dinner itself was a casual affair, served from three different food stations. One was the pasta station, offering two types of pasta, two different sauces and various additions plus a selection of grilled vegetables. One was the grill station, offering Mahi Mahi fillets and flank steak marinated in tequila and lime. And the third was the build your own salad station from things such leafy greens, sliced tomatoes, fire-roasted sweet corn, bacon bits etc, and Caesar salad made to order by a chef.

Dessert, mmmm… dessert! Chocolate decadence buffet serving BBQ bananas with rum and chocolate chips, chocolate brownies and cocoa tea and mini sweet bakes, all served with ice cream or whipped cream. Plus the wedding cake and wedding cupcakes made by Amanda herself and thoroughly delicious.

And of course, after dinner the DJ ramped up the music and everyone hit the dance floor until midnight. Quite a few ended up in the pool, but that is to be expected at a wedding reception that has the pool right there, temptingly inviting!

A magical and enjoyable day for a super lovely couple, we loved being a part of your special day.