Cayman Islands Photographer :: Rebecca Davidson

I have had quite a few requests to learn more about the photographers we feature on Crystal Blue.  We thought we’d start by re-posting their introductory features just in case you missed them the first time!  Today, we’d like you to meet Rebecca Davidson!

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I’m so excited to introduce this Cayman Islands photographer to you today.  If you couldn’t tell by her profile photo, Rebecca is FUN with a capital F!  I have worked with Rebecca on countless weddings and always have such a great time with her!  So, without further delay….

Crystal Blue:  Rebecca, how long have you been photographing weddings?

Rebecca:  Can you believe it–15 years! 

Crystal Blue:  That’s incredible.  I know the word passionate doesn’t even begin to describe how you feel about your work.  How do you keep things fresh and new?

Rebecca:  This is challenging.   A lot of brides will say, “I love this shot on your site, I want that!!!!”.  So, what I do is tell the bride and groom I want to create something new and different and specific to them.  I encourage them to let me know what they love and what they are passionate about.  Then the ideas just start flowing.   A few weeks ago I shot a bride and groom and he pulled out his golf shoes for a shot.  The bride wasn’t having any of it!   Anyhow, I convinced her to take a few shots of just their shoes under the dress (the bride with her gorgeous shoes and the groom with his dirty old golf shoes).  They loved one of the shots so much, the ended up using it for their thank you cards!   

Crystal Blue:  That’s fantastic!  Tell us more.  How would you describe your style?

Rebecca:  It is actually hard to pin point a specific style as I would want to list everything I do, emotional, photojournalistic, artistic, traditional, fun etc. and I feel it is almost best to say I adapt to the bride and groom, hugely influence them and bring out their fun and creative side. I guess I would like to be considered their ‘story teller’.  Can that be considered a style? Story Teller!

Crystal Blue:  Well if it wasn’t before, Story Teller is a style now!  What is your favorite part of any given wedding?

Rebecca:  The emotion! Absolutely, hands down. I love it when the bride looks up for the first view in the mirror of her dress, her mother watching from the back.  I love capturing the look when she puts on her shoes. I love love love it when the groom cries or the father of the bride cries. (Or the planner!!!!  Hahaha Yes, I have seen you cry, Danielle! )  It really is an amazing experience and by the end of the day, you really feel part of their family.   Then….. you get to show them their images and they get to relive the whole thing over again.  I love that part!!!  Is that too many favorite things????

Crystal Blue:  Hahhaa, no–you can have as many as you’d like!  And yes, I do get teary at almost every wedding!   You have such a warm and fun loving personality, but since more couples are not used to getting photographed to the extent they are on their wedding day, how do you get them to relax and be themselves?

Rebecca:  I’m a very laid back person, so that immediately relaxes them.  I want to have fun with the bride and groom but I also know it is important to be in the background to allow the natural flow of the family and friends with the couple allowing me to capture those emotions as they unfold.  When I have the bride and groom to myself  is when we have a blast!   After all the fun and creative shots are done is not uncommon for them to say, “That was so much fun!!!We feel like rock stars!”.

Crystal Blue:  That must give you a lot of job satisfaction!  If you could give one piece of advice to a couple looking for a photographer, what would it be?

Rebecca:  When you look at the photographers images, you need to be moved emotionally and be excited by what you see.  Connect with the photographer and make sure you feel comfortable.  Finally, don’t just settle for a cd! This is the most important day of your life!  Let the photographer help you create a ‘piece of art’.  

That’s more than one piece of advice right? Am I in trouble now? Okay one last one…. My favourite slogan….. “Invest in an artist….photography is forever”. Do I talk to much?

Crystal Blue:  You are too funny Rebecca!!!  Thank you SO much for taking the time to chat with us and let our readers get to know you better!  To see Rebecca’s work, click here.  Rebecca was also the featured photographer on yesterday’s Cayman Islands Real Wedding of Marizen and Jamie.

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Angela and Andre

It was a beautiful day with beautiful people and beautiful, simple details.  This intimate wedding was held on Seven Mile Beach during one of our Cayman cold fronts (um…that means it was about 72 degrees) earlier this year.  You can see the band all bundled at the end of the evening…brrr! 

First, I have to confess, burnt orange calla lilies are one of my favorite flowers–especially when coupled with something light green.  So, when I saw these photos I couldn’t resist sharing.

Second, I’ve said it before, but you just cannot beat Seven Mile Beach.  I challenge you.  You can’t do it.  The water is crystal clear, the sunsets are magical and the sand is so white and fine it’s like walking on powder.

Last, but certainly not least, the reception.  The group had a lovely dinner at Morgan’s Harbour with musical stylings of Hi Tide.  You can see things got a little windy and chilly (well, it’s all relative, isn’t it), but everyone still had a fantastic time!!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation :: Grand Cayman Beach Suites

Decor and flowers ::  Celebrations

Music :: Harpist, Eugenio Leon (Ceremony);  Hi Tide (Reception)

Photography :: David Wolfe Photography

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Trish and Grant

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  We are kicking off the week with Trish and Grant’s wedding full of fun color and fun people!  Not only did these two get hitched in Grand Cayman but they also got engaged in Grand Cayman!  As if it wasn’t easy enough to choose Cayman as a wedding destination, they now had a meaningful link to the island which made it all the more special to Trish and Grant.

As a photographer herself, the hardest decision for Trish was choosing a photographer for her wedding.  When she came across Rebecca Davidson’s work, she knew Rebecca would be the right person to document their day.  Based on what I’ve seen, I think so too!!

During the ceremony the couple had a sand ceremony.  In non-beach speak, this is similar to a unity candle ceremony without the pesky candles blowing out!  As you can see the couple chose blue and green sand and will have this memento to keep and remind them of the commitment they made to each other. 

A first for me, this couple also had a rock ceremony.  Color coordinated rocks with inspirational words such as “trust”  and “love” were used to symbolize all of the many intricate parts of a marriage. 

The ceremony took place on the beach next to the Wharf and the group enjoyed a beautiful lunch and dancing to the musical stylings of Musical Crew.  Most stayed at The Marriott Beach Resort with a few staying at Turtle Nest Inn and everyone enjoyed a day swimming with the stingrays and playing with the dolphins!  They all had a truly amazing visit in Cayman!

Providers who made this day happen :: 

Coordination, decor and equipment rentals ::  Celebrations

Hair and makeup ::  Focus

Music ::  Musical Crew

Photography ::  Rebecca Davidson Photography

Venue, Food and Beverage :: The Wharf

Videography ::  Aaron Rebarcheck

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Courtney and Adam

Today’s wedding is filled with such tropical goodness, I thought you would all enjoy a look!  From the colorful flowers to the shoe valet to the thatch woven fans the details just scream “beach wedding”. 

I’m starting you off with the old Cayman Craft Market.  The bright aqua building with the tin roof–a great example of old school Cayman architecture. 

And the flowers…so bright and cheerful!  They just make me smile!

Like with any beach wedding, you can leave the stilettos at home.  Shoes are optional and you can check them here!

And my favorite one from these two…the bride and groom, sitting on a sea wall, eating island patties.  Check out their “we tied the knot” sign.  Instead of a guest book, they had their guests write notes on postcards that they hung from the sign.  Very cute!!

photo credit ::  A Thousand Words Photography

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Charmaine and Kennedy

Hope you all had a nice weekend!  We’re kicking the week off with a cute, local, pretty much DIY couple who were married just a few weeks ago.  I loved the details of this wedding and Aaron Rebarchek did a great job of capturing the details…and the moments!

The couple exchanged vows at Caribbean Club on Seven Mile Beach with their reception at Luca Restaurant.  The bride’s friend took care of many of the details, including the flowers–which were just so simple and pretty!! 

When the couple began planning their wedding, they considered having it elsewhere.  However, after exploring different locations, they knew they already had the perfect place…their home, Grand Cayman.  The specific location of Caribbean Club and Luca was also easy.  As one of their favorites, this is also where they got engaged!  It was a perfect fit!

Miss Ann of Celebrations made this fabulous cake–I’m sure it tasted as good as it looks!!  I love the detail–the flowers looked like fabric to me at first, but of course, it’s all pure sugar.  Yum!

The words the couple used to describe the design was simple and elegant.  I think this is such a great example of exactly that–a few key, beautiful elements without going overboard.  Just lovely!

Providers who made this day possible ::

Cake ::  Celebrations

Food, Beverage and Venue ::  Luca at Caribbean Club

Decor and design ::  All DIY with the help of friends!

Photography ::  Aaron Rebarchek

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Kristin and Howie, Part 2

We’re back with more red details from this fun couple! 

During the reception the couple heard from many of their friends and family with heartfelt speeches (all written on their iphones), fun games and dancing the night away.  Bona Fide got the party started with their amazing musical talent and everyone danced the night away!!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation ::  Grand Cayman Marriott

Beauty ::  La Mer Spa

Coordination and design ::  Octopus Events

Event Rentals ::  Massive Equipment

Floral :: Every Bloomin’ Thing

Lighting ::  Intec Research

Music :: Bona Fide

Transportation :: Grand Limousine

Venue, Food and Beverage :: Grand Old House

photo credit :: Craig Wolfrom

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Kristin and Howie

Weddings in the Cayman Islands do not have to be all sea shells and tropical colors.  This wedding is a perfect example of finding one element (in this case it was the cake) and basing the entire design around that one thing.  The color was red accented by silver, the couple was full of energy and laughter and the guests had a spectacular time!

The wedding was held at Grand Old House in Grand Cayman just a couple of weeks ago.  I had the opportunity to meet this couple and let me tell you, I have never seen two more smiley and energetic people in my life!   Being around them, I couldn’t help but be excited for them and their big day!

So many elements of this wedding were personal to the bride and groom, including the vows they wrote for each other…on their iphones.  I like to think I’m technologically savvy, but when they took their phones out to read their vows I was pretty impressed!

Kristin ::  The most memorable moment of the day was during the ceremony.  I was tearing up while Howie was non-stop laughing.  I looked around and everyone was also crying & laughing at the same time with us. It was so emotional!!  I remember thinking he was so cute  and after his said his vows I asked the officiate if I could kiss him.  He told me I had to wait! 

We’ll be back in a little while with more–don’t miss it!!

photo credit :: Craig Wolfrom

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Kristen and Joseph

On most days, if you look into the harbour front in Grand Cayman, you will see a number of cruise ships hanging out waiting for their passengers to come back aboard.  Downtown George Town is a-buzz with day time tourists shopping, exploring and for some, getting married. 

This cute couple did just that.  After disembarking their cruise ship, they headed up to the Wharf for a lovely daytime ceremony and lunch reception. 

I love the variety of color in this wedding.  Celebrations worked with the couple on coordination and design and used the blue to reflect the gorgeous water used as the backdrop with the oranges, yellows and greens really adding a tropical effect to the design. 

A few words from the bride and groom…

Crystal Blue ::  Why did you choose Grand Cayman for your wedding destination?

Kristen ::  As a child, my family used to vacation in the Cayman Islands.  At dinner one evening and Kristen stated that she wanted to get married there one day.  Following their engagement, Joe and Kristen decided on a destination wedding and could not think of a better place to celebrate their day.

Crystal Blue ::  How did you choose to travel by cruise ship?

Kristen ::  That was THE hardest decision in the entire planning process.  We wanted our guests to have a vacation with a wedding and decided a cruise ship was the best way, for our group, to do this. 

Crystal Blue ::  Can you describe your day in three words?

Kristen ::  Perfect, Beautiful and Simply-Cayman!  We just had a great day and our guests had so much fun dancing all afternoon!!!

Providers who made this day happen :: 

Coordination, decor, event rentals and floral ::  Celebrations

Photography ::  Aaron Rebarchek Photography

Music ::  One World

Venue ::  The Wharf

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Noel and David

Happy Thursday my darlings.   Hope the week is going well.  Some fun from a fantastic couple to keep this week happening for you!  I’m on a Grand Old House kick this week, so here’s one more to round things out.

Noel and David were married just a couple of weeks ago and even the staff at Grand Old House were talking about how much fun their wedding was!  The weather was a little tempermental that day, but that didn’t stop the ear to ear smiles and the great fun had by everyone! 

Before things started at Grand Old House, Rebecca Davidson took the couple to a few favorite spots to get them warmed up. 

I chatted to Noel to find out more about their wedding…here’s what she said!

 Crystal Blue ::  Why did you choose Grand Cayman for your destination wedding?

Noel :: We choose Grand Cayman for three reasons.  First Grand Cayman is a desirable tropical destination because of the unique activities available such as Sting Ray city and diving.  Also, it is a higher-end island, meaning the restaurants, hotels, and services would be first class.  Third, it was central to both west coast and east coast guests. 

Crystal Blue ::  Where did you and your guests stay?

Noel ::  The Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa

Crystal Blue ::  Apart from the wedding which was of course the main event, did you plan any other fun activities for your guests?

Noel ::  The first We started things off with “Welcome Bags” for our guests.  Each contained personalized, custom-made beach towels, personalized water bottles, and custom-made drink tickets for our cocktail party held the first night at the Westin.  The second day’s events involved a chartered fishing boat for all of the men to go deep sea fishing while the girl’s had a bachelorette celebration under cabanas set up at the Westin. Spa services were provided on the beach under the cabanas.  The day after the wedding a group excursion had been arranged with Captain Marvin’s Watersports to go to Sting Ray City, and to snorkel for conch and starfish.  This was a highlight for the guests because we had the boat reserved entirely for our friends and family.  Some members of our family and friends had never even met, so after this experience they went home with new friendships and great memories. 

Crystal Blue ::  What was the inspiration for the design of your wedding?

Noel ::  Our colors were inspired by the sea glass colors of blue and green.  I just loved the flowers used throughout.  The bridal bouquet was a lush bundle of white cymbidium orchids and sparkling jewels wrapped in ivory silk.  The tables’ floral centerpieces were modern displays of orchids, hydrangeas, and calla lilies which kept the look very tropical, but still very chic. 

I just had to include a copy of their vows.  They are a true reflection of the personalities of Noel and David.  Completely in love and really know how to have fun!!

Providers who made this day happen ::

                Flowers, Design and décor, event rentals: Celebrations

                Invitations and other stationery: Prim & Pixie

                Catering and cake: Grand Old House

               Photographer: Rebecca Davidson

               Accommodations (if applicable): The Westin Casuarina

               Place settings: Shore Chic

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Laura and Remo, Part 2

We’re back with some more of Laura and Remo’s trash the dress session.  I just loved looking at these photos–the huge smiles on their faces showed just how much fun they were really having!!!  Makes me want to find my dress and jump into the water…well, almost!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation ::  Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort

Coordination, Floral, Design and decor ::  Celebrations

Food, beverage and venue :: Grand Old House

Photography ::  Aaron Rebarchek Photography

Music ::  One World

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