When Victor and Analiz decided to get married, the beautiful Bride decided she wanted to marry in an old, abandoned chapel where she could make their dreams come true. With the help of STEM Events, this couple transformed the forgotten chapel by the sea into their own “sacred piece of land.” See the transformation and the rest of this beautiful day, thanks to E.P. Anderson Photography, in The Vault!
From STEM Events…“We want to get married at the Vieques Ecumenical Chapel, that is a meaningful place for us.” This was among the first things the groom, Víctor, told me when we first met. I immediately knew this was going to be a special wedding. I knew very little about this forgotten Chapel and they were very sure they wanted to get married there. Almost all brides and grooms that choose Vieques for their weddings want to hold their ceremony by the beach, but not these couple, they chose a historic Chapel; a chapel that has been a symbol of peace for Vieques island.
For a destination weddings event designer at the Caribbean like myself, my biggest stress the day of a wedding is that it might rain. When I opened my eyes that morning I immediately went outside and look to the most blue and beautiful sky I could ever asked for. It was a perfect Caribbean day to celebrate a wedding, I was happy.
If you have a stunning venue, such as the Vieques Ecumenical Chapel, you don’t need much in terms of décor, you just have to take advantage of what nature offers you. A Eucalyptus garland was the main décor item used at the altar. We hung white fabrics from the sides of the Chapel that were blowing and moving all day long because of the wonderful seaside breeze of the area. Some wild horses got closer to the Chapel as if they were guests to the wedding adding a touch of wilderness and nature to the surroundings.
Analiz wanted and selected very simple botanicals. She didn’t want anything too overdone or elaborated. She chose Peonies in coral and pink tones, Lisianthus and Hydrangeas in bottles, mason jars and simple crystal vases.
They enjoyed a wonderful ceremony and a great party at the W Retreat and Spa and an after party in one of Martineau’s private villas. Today they are as happy as the first day I met them for planning.
From The Bride…When Víctor and I decided to get married, I told him that I was going to find my own chapel, a magical place where I could make my dreams come true. I did a little bit of research and we ended up visiting Vieques to see with my own eyes the abandoned Chapel that looked so beautiful and interesting on the internet. The forgotten old Chapel was sitting by the crystal blue ocean in a beautiful field invaded by wild horses, our eyes could not believe it. It automatically became our sacred piece of land. We asked the mayor of the island to donate the repair of the Chapel if the state would let us marry in it, and he approved our proposal. The Capilla Ecuménica has an incredible history. This chapel was used as a safe ground to protest the band of the Navy from Vieques Island, it is a signature of Peace and Love. My now husband is an event producer and I do all hospitality for his events, so coordinating a wedding did not seem like a challenge to us. However, without having Stem Events on our corner, it would not have looked so stunning. The effort, passion and love we put into fixing it reflected into the awaited date. It was a perfect windy afternoon for friends and family. The sun filtered through the missing walls and over 50 wild horses showed up to witness our beloved union. Everyone in our ceremony felt special, they all understood that true love had prevailed, and for a split second I felt that my fairy tale became a reality.
Photography: E.P. Anderson | Floral + Event Design: STEM Events | Wedding Dress: Ecliptica | Ceremony Venue: Vieques Ecumenical Chapel | Reception Venue: The W Resort and Spa | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Nativa | Hair + Makeup: José Quiñones & Janice Cuadrado | DJ: DJ Gulembo And DJ Dennis López | Groom's Attire: Calvin Klein | Event Management: Vanessa Valedón | Flower Girls Dresses: Pretty Flower Girl | Invitations + Table Numbers: Lisa Semidey