Leah & Andrew (Resort Wedding)

Leah and Andrew’s wedding kept growing… and growing… and growing! Every day it seemed I was getting an email telling me that more people had RSVP’d and were coming. The final number was 190 people in total.

Leah, Andrew and Leah’s Mom had come out to visit in the January for a week, so we had plenty of time to get to know each other and for me to be able to understand their taste and style. They stayed at the resort where they knew they were going to have their wedding and this helped with the tastings and also understanding the logistics behind planning a larger wedding. During this visit Leah and Andrew met with photographers, videographers, the florist, marriage officers, hair and makeup artists and musicians. By the end of the week we had a lot planned and many of the vendors picked out and booked.

Over the coming months we continued to plan the details of the wedding day together, often via WhatsApp while standing in stores picking out fabric colours or décor items! And very soon, it was time for everyone to come back to St Lucia for their special day.

The legalities were taken care of the day after Leah and Andrew arrived. We had the rehearsal on the Thursday before the wedding and, as there was a large wedding party and entourage, this was particularly useful.

The weddings itself was in the garden, the wooden arch decorated with ivory fabric, ivory ribbon and beautiful red and orange mokora orchids, Asiatic lilies, dahlias, pin cushion mums and gerbera daisies. The columns of the verandah where the processional started from were also draped in the same fabric and wore a collar of matching flowers. The aisle flowers also matched and were tied on with very pale peach and ivory ribbon.

The bride’s bouquet was a custom design, a dramatic hand tied, off-set cascade using orange pin cushions, red and orange mokora orchids, Asiatic lilies, red dahlias and red and orange gerbera daisies. The bridesmaids, wearing burnt orange, held hand-tied bouquets of mostly white flowers with soft touches of peach, ivory and pale orange.

The solo violinist played the wedding party and entourage down the aisle, and finally the bride and her father. At the last minute one of the readers dropped out and as a substitution the marriage officer played guitar and sang a song to the couple, Lulu is a talented singer as well as a fabulous civil status marriage officer!

The cocktail hour was held around the fountain, cocktail tables decked out in burnt orange linens with more orange and red flowers. And while the couple and wedding party were off having photos taken, the guests were entertained by the amazing Manmay la Caye chak chak band, our local folk music.

Dinner in the restaurant followed. We transformed the restaurant from its everyday look to something pretty and magical. Soft draped fabrics on the columns, warm up-lighting, ivory tablecloths with burnt orange runners and napkins, along with tall dramatic floral displays in reds and oranges completed the overall effect. A saxophonist and singer entertained everyone during dinner and, after the main course, there were speeches and the cutting of the cake.

The formalities over, everyone headed off to get changed and then down to the beach for the after party. We had built a stage and DJ booth and lit them for a club style party vibe, along with a dance floor in the sand lit with overhead string lights. The next part of the entertainment was the limbo and fire dancers who really got the party started, until the DJ took over and filled the dance floor until the wee small hours.

Truly, a day to remember!