I was sooo excited when I received this lovely destination wedding held in Key Largo, Florida from HA! Photography! Orlando based photographer, Heather Ahrens joined the couple, Colleen and Josh, in one of the most beautiful seaside cities to capture their big day. The fun-loving couple invited friends and family from Chicago, where they live and even more family traveled from Seattle and Maryland to celebrate. Surrounded by palm trees and bayside views, this wedding is really beautiful. I especially loved the soft yellow bridesmaid dresses (and their cute flat sandals), the map-style alternative guest book, and the blue and white checkered table linens! I also loved that the groom let his hair down a little and totally rocked it out with the band!
More you say? Check out this FUN video of Colleen and Josh’s big day from Heather Ahrens! =)
Creative Team Behind the Scenes:
Sooo…I have an all around gorgeous destination wedding from the very talented Kari Burgess from Eternal Reflections Photography! OMG- talk about amazing photography! I have become a serious fan. She sent in this stunning Riviera Maya, Mexico destination wedding and I can’t be more excited to share it with you all.
The couple is model-gorgeous (not to mention the entire bridal party is like “woah”), the ballroom dress takes destination wedding gown to a whole new level (the bride has convinced me all dress types can work for destination weddings!), the calla lily bouquets are simple and elegant, and the bright yellows {and PINK shoes} are simply amazing.
Kari said: “This couple really brought glam to their destination wedding! Even with the simplest of details- pearls- that her grandpa got for her grandma in Japan many many years ago. The bride wore them on her wrist, to remember the love her grandparents had together.”
Awww- I couldn’t agree more about the glam and the smallest details in this wedding seem to bring the big “wow” factor! Check it out…
From our stunning Oceanside Bride Jamie:
Craig and I met through my best friend and her boyfriend 4.5 years ago. My friend went to school with Craig and her boyfriend played hockey with him. They had a party at their place and we were both invited.
We chose to have a destination wedding because I always imagined myself getting married on the beach with our closest friends and family with us. We decided Mexico because it is relatively inexpensive for our guests and a beautiful backdrop for the wedding of our dreams. Our travel agent suggested Gran Bahia Principe Akumal because she knew we were looking for a larger resort with lots of stuff to do for our guests.
What unique elements or DIY projects did you incorporate into your big day to help make it extra special?
I had my own ipod with a playlist playing in the background as the guests waited. We also made our own slideshow and played it during the reception. We tried to include as many of the guests as we could. We had the hotel do flowers and centerpieces.
What challenges (if any) did you face while planning your destination wedding?
I found it was sometimes hard getting a hold of our wedding planner as she is very busy during the week with other weddings. I also found that everything was planned last minute, so I was in Canada stressing out about when the decisions were to be made and if they were being translated correctly. It was difficult to get an answer on how much everything was going to cost. Deciding to have a destination wedding is not always as inexpensive as people think it is. When the day came, everything ran so smooth and they wedding planners did an amazing job.
What was the best thing about having a destination wedding? Share your best wedding weekend moment!
I don’t even know where to begin, it was all amazing. First, I loved having all my friends and family there to spend the week with. It is not only a wedding but a fun vacation for everyone. I loved walking down the sandy beach isle with my dad and looking into my future husband’s eyes. We had a slight breeze and the sound of the ocean behind us. It felt very intimate. I enjoyed having all of our guests staying at the same hotel.
What is your best advice for other couples considering a destination wedding?
I have a couple pieces of advice:
- If you plan on having your hair done at the “Spa” make sure you do a trial or have a backup plan. You don’t want to be disappointed if it does not go the way you expected it to. The resort we stayed at said they do “Bridal” styles, but I am not convinced they have any training in hair or make up.
- Bring your own photographer. We brought the most amazing and talented Kari Burgess with Eternal Reflections Photography. Probably the easiest decision Craig and I made in the whole wedding process. We also had the hotel photographer take a few (it came with the wedding package). Yes, they turned out beautiful, but nothing in compared to Kari. The wedding has come and gone and we get to relive the moments that Kari captured for us every day.
I really, really love hearing all the advice from the recent real destination couples I feature here because it either helps me prepare for things still yet ahead (although we’re coming up close to our 2 month mark- eek!) or at least solidifies some of the decisions I have made and might have second guessed before.
Like this couple, we have purchased a “basic” wedding package from the resort and although it includes things like hair/make-up, flowers, and photography, I just couldn’t help but wonder would it all turn out like I would like it to. After thinking hard about it and scraping the bottom of our budget for extra pennies, we decided we would be more comfortable finding our own photographer, videographer and salon for hair and make-up. Although it will cost us more outside of the standard resort package, hearing from bride’s like Jamie helps me to feel more confident about the decision we made!
So thank you, thank you to Jamie and Craig for sharing your wedding week details and planning advice and of course to Eternal Reflections Photography for introducing me to this couple through your amazing wedding photography!
Bride and Groom: Jamie and Craig
Wedding Date: January 22, 2011
Location (City, State, Country): Riviera Maya, Mexico
Approximate Guest Size: 70
Ceremony Location: Beach Front at the Gran Bahia Principe
Reception Location: Pool Side
The Creative Team Behind the Scenes:
Venue: Gran Bahia-Principe Akumal Resort / Photographer: Eternal Reflections Photography
This wedding was submitted via Two Bright Lights!
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