Cayman Islands Wedding Venue :: Ristorante Pappagallo
by Danielle on September 27, 2011
in Cayman, Crystal Blue Preferred Provider, Weddings
I’m a little hungry as I write this, so just the thought of this place makes my mouth water…If you’ve been there, you know. If not, get there NOW because you are missing out!
Pappagallos has the whole package. A unique venue tucked away in the district of West Bay, you will find this amazing Italian-meets-Caribbean fine dining restaurant. This thatched roof restaurant has three different dining rooms, so can accommodate parties of small or large. The menu is beautiful and the wine list extensive. Of course let’s not forget the amazing service you will receive. Vico and Franco, along with the rest of the team, will take great care of you and give you an unforgettable experience. Oh, and let’s not forget Humphrey Bogart…he will meet and greet you at the door and make you feel welcome. P.S. HB is a parrot.
Find out more about Pappagallos by clicking here.
Cayman Islands Wedding Venue :: Grand Old House
by Danielle on September 17, 2011
in Crystal Blue Preferred Provider, Uncategorized, Weddings
Grand Old House is a beautiful plantation house found on the South Sound of Grand Cayman. Established for over 100 years, this venue is a perfect setting for weddings and receptions, small and large. Overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea, exchange vows on the deck at sunset and then enjoy a fantastic meal with your guests under the stars.
The blank canvas of the Grand Old House deck leaves endless possibilities for you to express your creativity. Decor ideas, color palates, and overall wedding style can be easily portrayed at Grand Old House to make your wedding unique.
The staff at Grand Old House are top notch and are there to help you with whatever you need. Offering wedding packages for smaller weddings and for those arriving by cruise ship, you can definitely find whatever you need to suit your style and budget at this gorgeous location.
Find out more about Grand Old House and see more photos from Grand Old House weddings here.
photo credit :: All photos from Grand Old House website except couple dancing, Craig Wolfrom
Cayman Islands Wedding Venue :: LUCA
by Danielle on September 13, 2011
in Cayman, Crystal Blue Vendors, Weddings
You have seen it featured in many of our real weddings and we just wanted you to get to know LUCA a bit better! One of Grand Cayman’s most popular wedding venues, Luca combines amazing Italian cuisine with a contemporary atmosphere, just a few steps to the Beach. Located on the ground floor of the Caribbean Club, LUCA is a fabulous location for any wedding reception!
Not only are the owners and staff downright awesome but the chef is truly talented…anything you want, they will make. I had a client that requested a mudslide cake for their wedding cake and let me tell you, that was one of the BEST cakes I have ever tasted (and as my Mom says, I’m not a cake person)!
As you can see, Luca has a large wine room with wines from all over the world. The setting inside is contemporary with beautiful art work, dark wood furniture and gorgeous ambient light. The patio outside is perfect for dining as well, overlooking the beach and Cayman Sea!
Are you having your wedding at LUCA (or did you have your wedding there)? We would love to hear about your experience! To learn more about LUCA, click here.
Crystal Blue Providers :: Mise En Place and Sunset Bay
by Danielle on September 10, 2011
in Cayman, Crystal Blue Vendors, Weddings
We hope you’re hungry because today we are featuring one of the Cayman Islands finest professional catering companies and their exclusive venue. Mise En Place (pronounced meez on plahs) was created in 2002 by Chef Sean Collins. Taking your meal and event to a new level, Mise En Place creates not just food, but exquisite dining experiences to stimulate your senses.
In addition to culinary delights, Mise En Place now offers an exclusive venue, Sunset Bay. When I tell you this venue is beautiful, that doesn’t even come close to describing how amazing it actually is! Water, beach, and garden all in one…what more could you want??
So, I had a few questions for the team at Mise En Place and I thought I’d share them (and the answers) with you…
Crystal Blue: Describe your process with a couple. How do you create these dining experiences?
Mise En Place: We meet with the couple (either in person or by phone) and discuss not only the kind of food they like but the style of their wedding, their vision and their overall personalities. From there we create a menu which includes the food items as well creative service and display ideas for them to review. After they review it, we can tweak it however they would like to suit their needs and their vision. It’s important to us that the food fit in with the overall flow of the event.
Crystal Blue: What do you mean when you say service and display ideas?
Mise En Place: There are various ways to serve a meal–buffet style, station style or a plated meal, to name a few. We need to figure out, with the couple, the best style of service for their wedding. Also, we like to get creative and display our food in different ways–not just on plates. It allows us to reflect the couples personality and vision to make the entire dining experience personal.
Crystal Blue: Tell us more about Sunset Bay! What a gorgeous property!!
Mise En Place: Sunset Bay is a private residence in the Prospect area of Grand Cayman. We have been fortunate enough to have been granted permission to use Sunset Bay as a venue for weddings and other special events. The property overlooks the water, has a beautiful garden as well as a beach and, as the name implies, has gorgeous sunsets!
Here are some photos of the creations of Mise En Place as well as Sunset Bay. To find out more about Sean and his team, click here. To see what Sunset Bay has to offer, click here.
photo credit::
Cake:: David Wolfe Photography
Ceremony:: David Wolfe Photography
Sunset Bay at night :: David Wolfe Photography
Cayman Islands Inspired Story Board :: Bougainvillea
by Danielle on April 27, 2011
in Inspiration, Weddings
If you’ve ever been to the Cayman Islands you will know that Bougainvillea grows all over the place! It’s so beautiful with its many different shades–from orange to hot pink to purple–lining the edges of some streets. So, in honor of bouganvillea beauty, here is today’s Cayman Islands inspired story board!
Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Kalli and Alex
by Danielle on March 3, 2011
in Real Weddings, Uncategorized, Weddings
For those who know me know that I am a very family oriented person. As a new mother, even more so, but even before the little one was born, it has always been important to me to keep close to my family and participate and be present for family events (which isn’t always easy seeing as I live abroad). So when I heard the story behind this wedding, I couldn’t help but share it with you…it’s all about family!
When I talked with the couple the focus of our discussion was about family. From the proposal, the engagement ring, the planning and finally the wedding, it was all about family. I love that.
The bride and groom have known each other since they were 14. How cute is that?? Before Alex proposed, after asking permission from Kalli’s father, the groom was given a diamond ring that was the bride’s grandmother’s ring (seriously, when I heard that detail, I got a little teary…)
The guests all stayed at the Discovery Point Club on Seven Mile Beach which is also where the ceremony was held. When I asked this cute couple why they chose to come to Cayman for their wedding, here’s what Kalli said…
“My Nuno (grandmother) was my inspiration. Ever since I was 4, it was a gift to fly down to Grand Cayman to visit Papa and Nuno for a week, once a year. When I was 10, I saw a bride at the Hyatt (now called Grand Cayman Beach Suites), and that was it. I remember my grandmother kneeling down next to me and telling me, that could be me someday. I never forgot it and because of that I always wanted a Cayman wedding.”
Crystal Blue :: Tell us about your favorite moments from the day.
Kalli and Alex :: One of the most memorable moments was the ceremony. The exchange of vows, my husband’s tears and him telling me, all throughout the ceremony, “you’re so beautiful”. There was not a dry eye in the place, so much love that day. Our first dance was amazing as well. For my college graduation present Alex organized dance lessons and let me pick the song. I chose “Lucky”, by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, we surprised everyone with our foxtrot to the song. We didn’t mess up once. Dancing in his arms, we just stared into one another’s eyes with big smiles, we knew all the steps and just were so happy. It was a great moment.
For the reception, the couple and all of the guests enjoyed a catamaran cruise by Red Sail Sports to Rum Point Restaurant. Looks like they all had a blast!!! Congratulations you two!
Providers who made this day happen ::
Cake :: Treats
Event Rentals :: Massive Equipment
Photography :: Rebecca Davidson Photography
Transportation :: Red Sail Sports
Venue :: Ceremony, Discovery Point Club; Reception, Rum Point Restaurant
Crystal Blue Vendor Feature :: Fireworks Limited
by Danielle on December 21, 2010
in Cayman, Crystal Blue Vendors, Weddings
Let’s start this day with a BANG! Sorry, had to do it… Today we would like to introduce you to Fireworks Limited. Want to really punctuate your wedding? What better way than a breathtaking fireworks show!
Crystal Blue :: Describe your company to us.
Fireworks Limited :: We are a full service commercial pyrotechnics display company. We have a pyrotechnician on staff to design and produce our shows so they are always creatively arranged and designed to work with our client’s budget and design criteria.
Crystal Blue :: Describe the process that you go through with a couple.
Fireworks Limited :: We work with our clients in conjunction with their venue or wedding planner. Working with a couple or venue we first expectations the client has and the amount they are expecting to spend. We talk budget not to work to ‘spend it all’ but rather to more accurately produce a proposal that balances show length or artistic expectations with the budget. Once the budget and design expectations are addressed we generate a proposal with an outline of the show description and execute a booking contract with the client. From the booking we take care of all other details for example securing all fire department permits, civil aviation permits, insurance coverage (with specific named insureds if requested), and arrange the safe shoot location including barge if water based as most shows in Cayman tend to be. All that is left for the client is to enjoy the show!
Crystal Blue :: Tell us something that we wouldn’t know just by looking on your website.
Fireworks Limited :: You don’t have to be locked into the ‘typical’ show of 5 minutes with an opener, a body section and a grand finale. We love to get creative and welcome working on alternative concepts for shows such as all colour specific (white’s and blue’s only for example), or taking the P-Diddy White Party approach and shooting one firework every minute…all night long… We are only limited by imagination!
Crystal Blue :: If you could give one piece of advice to couples, what would it be?
Fireworks Limited :: An intense and artistic 1-3 minute show is far more memorable than a ‘thin’ 5-8 min show produced against the same budget. Always focus on the product going into the sky than the amount of time from start to finish. You will end up with an incredible show!
Thank you guys for taking the time to “speak” with us today and introduce yourselves to our readers!!! I personally think that a fireworks show makes an incredible and lasting impression on all of your guests and if the budget allows, go for it!!
See more about Fireworks Limited here.
photo credit :: David Wolfe Photography
Cayman Islands Inspired Storyboard :: The Cayman Sea
by Danielle on August 18, 2010
in Cayman, Inspiration, Weddings
Without fail, every time I get a glimpse of the Cayman Sea (which, by the way is every day…don’t be jealous!) I want to jump right in and go for a swim. While I may not always have my swimsuit in hand, the colors always dazzle and really sparkle in the sun. The Cayman sea brings the perfect color palette for your Cayman wedding–starting with a very light aqua blue and darkening into the depths of the deep blue sea. I’ve put together a story board that reflects these amazing blues…I hope you enjoy–I’m going for a swim!
photo credit:
top row, second from left:: David Wolfe, third and fourth across:: The Knot
second row, first:: The Knot second and third:: David Wolfe third row, first:: Jim Gates second:: Wedding Channel, third from:: The Knot fourth row,first and second:: The Knot, third courtesy of Danielle Cococcia, last:: Rebecca Davidson
Crystal Blue Top 10 :: Frequently Asked Questions
by Danielle on August 16, 2010
in Cayman, Crystal Blue Vendors, Destination weddings, Weddings
Of course you will have questions. You are planning a wedding, something you may not have done before. The wedding is in the Cayman Islands, somewhere you may never have been before. Ask away!! Here are my top 10 (in no particular order) most frequently asked questions from brides getting married in the Cayman Islands. Feel free to leave your questions in a comment below and I will do my best to answer them!!
10. Q: If I get married in the Cayman Islands, is it legal in the United States?
A: Yes, as long as you have applied (and been granted) a marriage license by the Cayman Islands Government, a Cayman Islands Marriage Officer has witnessed your ceremony and you and your witnesses have signed the marriage certificate provided by the Cayman Islands Marriage Officer.
9. Q: Do you have photographers in Cayman or do I need to bring my own?
A: We have many extremely talented photographers in Cayman and we fully 100% endorse their art!! All you need to do is check out the Crystal Blue Provider page for photographer information!
8. Q: What is the best time of year weather-wise to have a wedding?
A: Although I am not claiming to be mother nature and can’t predict the weather, there are some general rules of thumb. Rainy season technically begins May 1 and ends November 30. That doesn’t mean we have torrential rain every day…typically there is a shower once a day for about 45 minutes. September and October are generally rainier than the other months. February through April are absolutely gorgeous and typically the most popular months for weddings.
7. Q: Is there ferry service to the Sister Islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman)
A: No, they are too far for a ferry, but we do have daily flights into and out of both sister islands.
6. Q: I’m coming on a cruise ship, can we get married the same day we arrive?
A: Yes, the Cayman Islands do not have a residency period requirement in order to apply for a marriage license.
5. Q: Should I ship my dress down or carry it down?
A: Well, this one is totally up to you, but my two cents…carry it. It’s a rare occurrence, but with couriers it is a possibility for things to go missing or get damaged. You don’t want to take that risk, especially with your dress.
4. Q: What is the best time of day to get married?
A: Most couples opt for sunset time which varies depending on the time of year. My suggestion is to discuss it with your photographer or on-island planner as they will be able to tell you when the best light is for your photos. Legally you can be married anytime between 6:00am and 8:00pm
3. Q: What about help with planning and designing my wedding. Do I have to do it on my own or are there people who can help me with the details of the wedding?
A: The Cayman Islands have some amazing talent to assist you with whatever your planning and designing needs may be. The providers you see on Crystal Blue have been invited as members because of their proven high quality standard and are ready to help make your wedding spectacular!
2. Q: Can I have a wedding on a Sunday?
A: Yes, you can, however, keep in mind that live music must not be played in places licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. If you are having a wedding on a Sunday and would like music, discuss this with your on-island planner or your venue contact as they can apply for a special exemption.
1. Q: Are there a variety of locations to have a wedding and reception or is it just the beach?
A: While our beach is GORGEOUS, that is not your only choice! We have locations with decks overlooking the water, gardens, rooftops and more. Have a look at the venues section of the membership for more information.
That’s the 10 for today! Of course there are so many more questions people have, but these are some that I come across more often than not. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Cayman Islands Inspired Storyboard :: White Sand Beach
by Danielle on August 4, 2010
in Cayman, Destination weddings, Grand Cayman, Inspiration, Weddings
If you have been to the Cayman Islands you know we have the most amazing white sand beaches in all of the Caribbean (in one gal’s opinion!). My husband and I walk the beach every weekend and every time we go, I am reminded of one of the reasons why I am so lucky to live here!
These are the things that remind me of the beach–neutral colors, sunsets, shells and pretty, simple flowers.
Challenge for you…create a story board that makes you think of the beach (doesn’t have to be the Cayman beach!) and send it to us. We’d love to see what you put together! (And maybe there’s a little something in it for you….)
