Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Rachelle and Justin, The Reception

Welcome back!  I promised you some cute details and here’s where you’ll find them!  First, though, some more gorgeousness from Better Angle and the Ritz Carlton.

So Rachelle and Justin love their dog.  I mean, REALLY L-O-V-E their dog.  Unfortunately he couldn’t make the trip, but that didn’t stop them from incorporating him into their wedding details. 

The favors…

The escort cards….(note the dog collar used to hang the luggage tag)

And finally…

I had to do a double take on this one, but alas, they are human cookies.

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation ::  The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman; The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa;  The Grand Cayman Marriott

Coordination ::  The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman

Design, decor and event rentals ::  The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman in collaboration with Celebrations

Gown ::  Vera Wang

Hair and Makeup ::  Spa to Go

Invitations :: Bella Figura

Music ::  One World

Photography ::  Better Angle

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Rachelle and Justin, The Ceremony

From the moment I saw this wedding I fell in love.  First and foremost everything was absolutely beautiful.  Second, there were some really cute and fun details incorporated into the day.  Then, I chatted with Rachelle and found out how they got engaged and I knew I had to feature this wedding on Crystal Blue! 

The proposal ::  Justin and I have been going to Dave Matthews Band concerts for about 10 years every summer. It has always been a “summer thing” of ours to do. Somehow, Justin worked it out with a friend of ours who works for the Dave Matthews Band to give us all access back stage passes at a concert in NY and he proposed to me on the side of the stage during a song about a boy who has a crush.  (CBWS note…I am a HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan, and I mean HUGE.  I couldn’t think of a better evening–backstage at DMB and a proposal.  Awesome!)

The beautiful color palette of turquoise and lemon rocked in so many ways.  Rachelle’s bridesmaids above–absolutely gorgeous in that stunning dress!

The ceremony at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman was one of a kind.  The aisle was a series of bamboo canopies draped in white fabric and accented by yellow flowers and star fish.  The bride and groom stood under the final canopy to exchange their vows. 

Crystal Blue ::  What was the design inspiration for your day?

Rachelle ::  

We had seen a walkway that we fell in love with in a picture and when we were beginning to plan the wedding, we knew we wanted a similar design.  With the help of  Adriana (our coordinator) and Frank (the floral designer) the vision was turned into a reality.  As for the colors, we wanted something that would complement the ocean and the beach which was why we chose the blue my bridesmaids wore.  The yellow seemed like a perfect compliment to complete the color palette. 

Come back later for the reception and to find out who made this day happen! 

photo credit ::  Better Angle

Cayman Islands Photographer :: Melissa Wolfe of Better Angle

Re-introducing  you to Melissa Wolfe of Better Angle! 

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Meet Melissa!  Fun, down-to-earth, and ever creative, Melissa Wolfe of Better Angle.  Melissa has been shooting weddings for a while now and I am so happy to be able to introduce you to her!

Crystal Blue:  Melissa, describe your style to our readers.

Melissa:  I like to have fun with the couple and make sure to capture the sentimental moments, the details of the day as well as those unique candids with the guests.  Of course portraits are a must and need to capture the personality of the bride and groom.

Crystal Blue:   Especially for the portraits, since many 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?

Melissa:  Well, it varies with each couple, but I’m relaxed and find it only takes a few minutes to get everyone relaxed and enjoying themselves getting photographed. 

Crystal Blue:  After shooting so many weddings, how do you keep things fresh and new?

Melissa:  Well, I can’t give away all of my trade secrets!  hahah!  I have new things up my sleeve everyday!  Recently, during Pirate’s week, I did a “Trash the Dress” session the day after the wedding.  I hired 10 pirates to join us for the shoot–they “stole” the bride and the groom triumphantly fought back to win back his lady!!

Crystal Blue:  That sounds like so much fun!!  What is the process you to through with each couple?

Melissa:  Again, it varies with each couple.  My only goal is to ensure my clients are 100% satisfied throughout the process and with the end product.  To me it is not good enough for someone to say “the photos are nice”.   I want my clients to be overjoyed with the photos and thrilled they chose me as their photographer! 

Crystal Blue:  Well, based on what I’ve seen, I’m sure they all are!!  If you could give one piece of advice to couples looking for a photographer, what would it be?

Melissa:  Make sure you hire someone with a good reputation for delivering amazing photos and has established experience shooting weddings.  Also, remember your photos are the one keepsake you have from your wedding day so have your photographer present for every moment, of course, as much as your budget allows.

Crystal Blue:  Thank you so much, Melissa! 

Do you have any questions for Melissa?  If so, leave a comment here!  Melissa was the photographer on yesterday’s real wedding.  You can also check out some of her work here.

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Trish and Michael

We’re back this week after a fantastic week at Engage!10.  Let me tell you, we’re rejuvinated, remotivated and excited for some changes we are going to be making to make your experience at Crystal Blue more meaningful and exciting!!!

Today, we are sharing Trish and Michael’s wedding with you.  Melissa Wolfe did a great job at capturing all of the details of this fab wedding and Trish and Michael were kind enough to share with us their thoughts and the story behind the couple!!

I always wonder why people choose Cayman as their destination….here’s what the couple said:

I wanted a Caribbean island with white sand and clear blue water.  I knew (only from one visit via a cruise ship, a lot of pictures, and word of mouth) that Seven Mile beach offered that.  Compared to many islands, travel was easier for our 24 guests that came from 7 different states.  We also wanted an English speaking island/country where the marriage ceremony would actually be legal.  I don’t think we could have been happier with the choice of any other island.

(I think it was a perfect choice, too!!)

The couple exchanged vows on Seven Mile Beach, at the Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa.  After the sunset, they enjoyed an evening of dinner and dancing beachside!

The bride hand stamped all of her stationery with the palm tree logo she found.  This added a beachy look to the day while keeping the elements classy and coordinated.  They chose pink to compliment the aqua color (my fav!) which made a beautiful color combination. 

The cake was made by the fantastic pastry chef at the Westin and decorated with local bougainvillea. 

All in all, it was a great night!  The group danced the night away under the stars and the bride even got to play DJ for a while!  Congratulations to you both and thank you for allowing us to share your wedding!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Accommodation ::  The Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa

Flowers ::  Celebrations

Food, Beverage and Venue ::  The Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa

Photography ::  Better Angle

Rehearsal Dinner ::  Deckers

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Sheenah and David, Part 2

We’re back and about to knock your socks off…I mentioned earlier that the reception color palate was a mixture of chocolate brown, ice blue and lots of bling…soooo, here you go!

The couple’s favorite design element was the beautiful lighting throught the room.  I don’t know if I could personally choose a “favorite” element…there are too many to choose from!   Their words to describe the day are magical, memorable and beautiful.  Agreed, agreed and agreed!

One thing Sheenah did share with me was that she promised herself she was going to stay calm and enjoy the day.  In doing so, she not only enjoyed her day but soaked in and remembered all of the details and elements.  I think that is a fabulous piece of advice for all of you brides out there…stay calm and enjoy!!

Providers who made this day happen ::

Coordination, design and decor, floral, invitations and cake ::  Celebrations

Photography ::  Better Angle

Venue, food and beverage ::  The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman

Transportation :: Grand Limousine

Music (DJ) :: TNT

Video :: Apex Video Solutions 

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Sheenah and David

Well, you are just going to D-I-E when you see what we have in store for you today!  This wedding is beyond beautiful with every single detail looking just absolutely perfect.  Let’s start with some eye candy and then we’ll get to the details…

The ceremony and reception were held at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman with Celebrations doing what they do best–coordination, design and decor, flowers, invitations and the cake! 

After doing a bunch of research, Sheenah decided on shades of white and ivory for the ceremony and the gorgeous color palete of chocolate brown and ice blue and added a whole bunch of bling to really enhance the decor! 

Come back in a little while for the reception…you do NOT want to miss this one–it’s too gorgeous!!!!

photo credit ::  Better Angle Photography

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Alex and Rachel, Part 2

So we’re back with more yumminess (seriously, look at those cupcakes) from Alex and Rachel’s Cayman Islands Wedding!  Would you believe that the entire day prior to their ceremony it poured rain???  If I didn’t live here I wouldn’t believe it either…look at that sunset!!!!!

As promised, some words from the couple about their day…

Crystal Blue:  What was your most memorable moment from your wedding:

Rachel:  Seeing each other for the first time!  We decided to take pictures before the ceremony, so before gathering the family, Melissa, our photographer gave Alex and I a few moments together.  Seeing each other in our wedding clothes made us even more excited for what was to come!

Crystal Blue:  That’s so nice!!  I’m glad it stopped raining for you!  How about funniest moment??

Rachel:  Oh, that’s easy.  Alex and I were together for 7.5 years before we got married.  Our Pastor was someone Alex has known since elementary school and commented on our long courtship during the ceremony.  A believe the words were something like “a long time in the making…”  When our friends and family openly agreed, we all had a laugh! 

Crystal Blue:  How would you describe your day–in three words?

Rachel:  Beautiful, Simplistic and FUN!

Thank you Rachel and Alex for sharing your day with us! 

Vendors who made this day happen:

Flowers, Venue, Food and Beverage, and Event Coordination done by The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman

Photography: Better Angle

Ceremony music:  Janine Stabler, Violinist

Reception Music:  One World

Cayman Islands Real Wedding :: Alex and Rachel

Welcome to a new week on Crystal Blue Wedding Studio!  We hope you had a good weekend and wanted to start off the week with another fabulous Cayman Islands Real Wedding.  This couple starts their journey in Cayman long before their wedding when the groom, Alex, surprised the bride, Rachel with a trip to Grand Cayman for her graduate school graduation.  If that wasn’t nice enough, he finished off the trip by proposing to Rachel under the moon and stars of Seven Mile Beach!  Melissa Wolfe wasn’t there to capture the engagement, but she did a fantastic job capturing the moments (and beautiful sunset colors) of the wedding!

More in a little while from the couple and to find out who made this day possible!

photo credit:  Better Angle, Melissa Wolfe

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