After putting planning on hold due to a deployment to Afghanistan, this beautiful couple picked back up where they left off, with the help of Mary Bartolucci of Island Style Weddings, and created a celebration truly fitting of their personalities and wedding wishes. Lindsay Vann captured both the sparkling sands and smiles and this gallery is bound to be an unburied treasure for years to come.
From the Bride… Getting to our wedding day was quite a journey for us. My husband proposed to me on Memorial Day 2013 on Catalina Island. We then started the process of deciding a wedding location. We threw out many ideas but kept coming back to St John, a place he and I both fell in love with after traveling there twice together. When the location was set, we then selected Mary and her team at Island Style Weddings to assist us with the planning and coordination. We were able to set a date the following May and started to sort through some of the details. During the fall of 2013, right before we gave the green light to print our save the dates, my husband (a pilot in the Marine Corps) found out he would be leaving at the beginning of the year for a deployment to Afghanistan which could be up to a year duration. Mary was extremely understanding when I contacted her to let her know what was going on and told me to give her a call when we were ready to pick back up on the planning. Thankfully, Ben did not have to be in Afghanistan for the full year and we were able to set a new date in February 2015. Though the journey to get to our wedding was longer than we initially had planned, having our friends and family there with us to experience the magic of St John was more fun than we could have dreamed it could be. Choosing to have a destination wedding allowed us to have more time and make more memories with our guests. Island Style Weddings helped to arrange a Welcome Party, a day sail to the British Virgin Island and a beach BBQ on the days leading up to the wedding. From saying our vows overlooking the beautiful blue waters to dancing the night away with our friends, the wedding is a day we will both remember forever. As I look back now, the only word I can think to describe our wedding is “perfect” and the wait was sure worth it.
From Island Style Weddings… As the daughter of a former Marine Captain, this couple holds a special place in my heart. Ben, a fighter pilot in the US Marine Corps was called for deployment to Afghanistan nine months prior to their wedding date. Everything went on hold as we all prayed for Ben’s safe return. I was delighted when Jen called to tell us he was coming home and we set a new wedding date.
Jen was a dream bride to work with. Easy going, with a strong sense of style, Jen made wedding planning easy. She had a clear vision of what she wanted and we helped her make her vision a reality. I am honored to have been part of their wedding celebration and thank both of them for the sacrifices they have made for our country.
Photography: Lindsay Vann | Event Coordination: Island Style Weddings | Event Design: Island Style Weddings | Floral Design: Roses Too | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Wedding Cake: Queen Of Tarts | Invitations: Inspirations By Amie Lee | Ceremony Venue: Annaberg Ruins | Reception Venue: Ocean Grill | Hair And Makeup: Sugar and Spice Artistry | DJ: Adonis Morton | Groom's Attire: Mercy Streams | Officiant: Island Style Weddings | Day Sail: Daydreamer | Musician: Chris Robbert | Save The Dates: Serendipity Beyond Design | Wedding Rings: Charles Koll | Welcome Party Venue: High Tide Bar And Grill