Ready to cast your cares aside and embark on a voyage of love and sunshine? That’s exactly what is happening in this lovely wedding from St. Lucia, shared with us by Heather Payne.
From Heather Payne Photography: Brandon & Heidi wanted to celebrate their vows with their closest family and friends in a tropical location and chose to set sail on a cruise that would port on many islands throughout the week and then end in St. Lucia where they would exchange vows. It was such a fun (and unique) wedding to be a part of. After the exchange of vows, the couple cruised to the Pitons to take in their glory and then would venture to an island for portraits. While they took their photos, the guests took a fun swim in the ocean and relaxed in the sun.
From the bride, Heidi:
“My husband and I love to travel. We love to visit places we’ve never been before and together, we have had some great adventures through 10 different countries. When choosing a wedding location, we wanted to share this love for travel and discover a new place with our family and friends.
But planning a destination wedding is hard, (especially when you’ve never been there). So you find professionals that take the hard work out of your hands. After talking with various wedding experts, without ever visiting the island (except through pictures), we settled on the beautiful island of St. Lucia.
We wanted a place for our families to relax and enjoy their own mini vacation. We wanted something small and intimate that wouldn’t make us feel like we were the center of attention. A fancy resort wedding wasn’t us, but neither was a vineyard or farmhouse wedding. We love the sound of the ocean and the views of the mountains, and St. Lucia had both.”
“My husband proposed to me in an ice hotel and we were married under the sun aboard the Southern Breeze catamaran. This was followed by a day cruise to see the Piton mountains, a stop at Anse Cochon beach for photos and swimming for our guests. Surrounded by our closest friends and family, a gorgeous backdrop that is St. Lucia and a Caribbean ocean calmness that captivates you, I can easily say, it was everything we ever wanted it to be and more.”
“But, weddings are a funny thing. There’s so much preparation and planning that goes into a single day that is supposed to be perfect, and it goes by in a blink.
You find that you’re so happy just to be there, in that moment, that nothing can ruin it.
Not the pink invitations that were supposed to be yellow (and you hate pink)
Not the phone call, two days before the big day, informing you that your hairstylists contract ran out and there is no one available on short notice to do your bridal hair (thank you mom, Rosie, and Nieves for your assistance)
Not the 80% chance of rain in the weather forecast (it only sprinkled for a couple minutes)
Not the sun poisoning you got from forgetting to put sunscreen on your feet and having to remove your bridal shoes because they no longer fit (thank you flip-flops)
Not the wedding cake, that was supposed to be yellow, but arrived pink (yep, you still hate pink)
Not even leaving the dock an hour late because the flowers on the boat died en-route to picking everyone up.
None of that matters.
Because as you start to walk down that aisle (even if it’s rocking back and forth and you have to hold onto the railing to keep from falling overboard) everything else disappears. All you see is your better half, standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for you. You know as soon as you get there, they’ll hold you up and keep you from falling.”
“And then you laugh, because that’s what you do together. You fell in love because you made each other laugh. And what better way to celebrate your wedding day than by laughing with each other, laughing with your friends, laughing with your family, and laughing at all the things that could have ruined a perfect day.
Because it’s real; because it’s us. Our wedding represented us as a couple. Two people, who’s differences make us imperfect apart but perfect together. “
“And so, it wasn’t all the planning and preparation that made for the perfect day. It was committing to a lifetime of adventures with my best friend, the man that makes me laugh until I cry, the one that will hold me up when I think I might fall, the one that will make every day better because he’s in it. That, to me, is what the perfect wedding should look like, and I’ll be forever grateful to Heather and David for capturing that moment, because without them, it’s gone by in a blink.
To all our vendors who made our day even better, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”
The perfect conclusion to this special feature is this lovely video from our friends at Almond Leaf Studio, who captured the scenery, emotions, and day so beautifully!
Photography : Heather Payne Photography | Video: Almond Leaf Studios | Planner : Awesome Carribean Weddings | Shoes : Badgley Mischka | Stationary : Minted | Dress : Atelier Pronovias | Dress Shop: Dolce Bleu, Seattle | Makeup : Rosie Hill | Hair : Bride & Mother of the Bride | Location: Castries, St. Lucia | Venue: Southern Breeze Catamaran | Engagement Ring: Baranof Jewelers | Wedding Bands: Green Lake Jewelry Works
