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From the Bride… After my husband and I got engaged in Greece, we didn’t really have an idea as to where we wanted to get married; all we knew was that we wanted to plan the best party to celebrate our love with our favorite people. Finding the ‘perfect’ venue was probably that hardest part, and after endless searching, my husband was actually the one who suggested we go back to our favorite courtyard in Puerto Rico, which was at the Hotel El Convento. And then just like that Puerto Rico seemed the obvious choice for many reasons but the main reason was that it was the first place we traveled to together, fell more in love with each other, and fell in love with the island. Old San Juan was the perfect place to encapsulate our vision for our wedding which was: timeless, romantic, and a day you’ll never forget!

There was so much love that went around all weekend, between our friends and our family. From the ceremony at La Rogativa – my mom walking me down the aisle while my cousin sang the acoustic version of Empire of the Sun’s, “Walking on a Dream” (it was so hard to hold back tears); Will and I sharing our own written vows, to the reception at El Convento – both of us sharing special dances with our moms; Will’s family belting out the German toast, Ein Prosit, every hour; everyone letting loose and ripping up the dance floor; being thrown up in the air more times than I can count; surprising everyone with a five person Puerto Rican band called, Pleneros, to liven up the party, and the vejigantes to dance the evil spirits away, AND last but not least everyone belting out Bohemian Rhapsody (from memory) even after the DJ was gone! It was a complete whirlwind and we both wish we could re-live it again and again. Puerto Rico will always have a special place in our hearts!

More recently it’s hard to look back without crying because of the devastation Hurricane Maria caused to everyone on the island, including our friends and family. We ask that everyone please help our fellow Americans by donating in any way possible.

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Wedding Dresses

Maggie Sottero

Savannah Collection

Serencia Collection

Amarosa Collection

Lisette Collection

Aracella Collection

Avery Collection

Cordelia Collection

Emerald Collection

Alistaire Collection

Maggie Sottero Fall 2019

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Proteas + Peonies Make an Unexpectedly Perfect Mix

The hair! The dress! The BOUQUET! All I can say about this wedding in Puerto Rico is yes, yes, yes! STEM Events outdid themselves with an unexpectedly amazing pairing of the Bride’s favorite flowers, peonies and proteas, which pop against her delicate, lace gown. See more of this amazing fête by the beach in the Vault.

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From STEM Events… Sometimes you don’t need to spend a lot on decor. A great dress, a historic hotel by the beach, and the perfect bouquet with close friends and families by your side can be extremely glamorous!

When I met Nancy a few months before her wedding at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, she mentioned to me that she wanted a big bouquet, and when I asked her what type of flowers she wanted, she told me this: “I love proteas and peonies!” I immediately wondered how I was going to make these two work together. The result was a bouquet unbelievable beautiful, very organic, and dramatic. I had a box full of proteas of different sizes, and I chose the biggest one. When Nanvy held her bouquet for her first time, she did it so gracefully (it was a very heavy bouquet)! The contrast of her delicate figure and beautiful dress against the bouquet with such dramatic mix of flowers made her looked like a professional model. She was the perfect bride.

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Wedding Dresses

BHLDN

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Bridal Beauty 101: Finding That Perfect Style for Your Gown

You’ve found that dress of your dreams and now it’s time to focus on putting the entire look together with hair and makeup. Need help? Well, we’ve got you covered, because today we’re joining forces with Jennie Kay for a quick run-down on all things beauty with tips + tricks on achieving that glam wedding day look, no matter the gown or style you’re dreaming of. Let’s get started.

LOOK 1: CASUAL GLAMOUR

Your style? Laid-back with a big ol’ side of sophistication. Which means rocking a stunning gown that shows some skin and hair + make-up that is just as sleek and glamorous. Jennie Kay suggests pairing your dream dress with a rope braid pony or soft low bun that is dressy enough for a wedding, but is also completely effortless.

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LOOK 2: VINTAGE ELEGANCE

You’re a vintage-inspired lady looking to rock that elegant lace number, but still maintain a modern, yet sexy edge. Jennie Kay’s tip? A bright red lip for that much-needed side of sophistication and a stunning updo that frames one side of the face, plus sweeps across the back in a beautiful style that is reminiscent of the past.

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“Look at the way you wore your hair at your initial dress fitting. It usually mimics your initial idea on how your hair should be.” – Jennie Kay Beauty

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LOOK 3: BOHO BEAUTY

Crave a look that is soft, romantic and free, just like you and your wedding? Then this fab boho look from Jennie Kay Beauty is sooo for you. Simply keep your hair natural in wave and texture and add three gorgeous braids for a little pop of WOW. Want to add a little glamour to the look? Really make those eyes stand out with just the right shade of shadow and mascara.

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LOOK 4: SWEETLY CLASSIC

For those of you who want to keep it sweet + classic on the Big Day, Jennie Kay suggests a low twisted ponytail that is equal parts show-stopping and wholesome. Pair it with subtle makeup (like a light pink lip) and a gown that has just a pop of sass and the results are absolutely timeless.

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LOOK 5: TOUSLED SOPHISTICATION

Waves are a girl’s best friend and when it comes to a wedding day look that is equal parts laid-back and sophisticated, Jennie Kay keeps those tousled waves down with just a few sweet strands pulled back for a look that is all sorts of romantic. Add some soft pink lips and some barely-there makeup to complete the look.

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Contact Jennie Kay Beauty to create a seamless, stunning look from head to toe… you won’t regret it.

Playful Puerto Rico Engagement Shoot

I’ll forever be a romantic, but my personal favorite reaction captured in photos? Laughter. It’s the most authentic emotion there is and when you can feel that joy radiating from photos, it just doesn’t get much better than that. Case in point: this engagement shoot by Greg Finck; don’t you want to be best friends with this couple? See all the laughs in our Vault right here!

From Greg Finck… Yasmine and John have been one of my biggest client crushes! They both live in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and booked me for their wedding, which will happen next October in Charleston, South Carolina. John probably is one of the funniest person I’ve met, and I just could not contain myself behind the camera.

I was traveling to Puerto Rico for a wedding, and that’s how Yasmine and John decided to have their engagement session on the island. I loved every minute spent with this adorable couple. As I’m particularly fond of jokes myself, this was nonstop between John and I, and Yasmine just could not stop laughing during the session. I believe the images speak for themselves, and I just love how the humor and good mood is communicative on them. The day after the session, Yasmine and John just invited me for a day at the beach, where we spent the day chatting about the wedding and paddling… I am just so grateful to have crossed their paths, and literally can’t wait for their wedding in Charleston!

Photography: Greg Finck Photography

Marquee Lights Set the Stage for this Tropical Outdoor Wedding

When planning their wedding in Puerto Rico, this duo skipped anything that wasn’t truly authentic to them, and focused only on what really represented their approach to life and love. The results? Totally worth it. STEM Events created tropical floral masterpieces and ART IS FOR LOVERS captured the blooms and all the other dedicated details – see more in our Vault right here!

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A Gold Beaded Gown Set the Stage for a Glam Puerto Rican Wedding

From the Bride… Our main goal for our wedding was to showcase the real purpose for why people get married, and that is because two people love each other and have made the decision to venture forward in life together. To us, that meant keeping it simple, and eliminating age old traditions that just didn’t make sense to us. Our goal was to keep the formalities short and sweet and to focus on just having a nice dinner and dance party with our closest family and friends. In doing so we did not have a wedding party, we didn’t do any first dances or cutting of the cake. I think the way in which we planned our wedding showed that we are a laid back couple, and that we are not traditionalists. Ultimately it was our day, but we wanted to make everyone else feel just as joyful, and welcomed and comfortable. And by eliminating some of the traditional things that typically focuses solely on us it allowed for a wedding that made it feel like it was also about friends and family!

We really didn’t want a traditional altar, so our designer came up with just some flowing fabric hanging from the palm trees, that I thought was very beautiful. We used some personalized marquee lights for the reception. When the guests arrived they saw our initials lit up (B&L), and then at the cake table the marquee read YUM, BAR, and in the distance LOVE. It made the scene quite beautiful.

For the escort cards, I painted the inside of shells gold and it had the guests name on it. I placed them on clear glass rocks and in a tray to make it look like oysters on the half shell. To give it that beachy feel. I also tried to add a Puerto Rican feel by creating the menus with the title of “Buen Provecho” which is what Puerto Ricans say before a meal – it essentially mean “Bon Appetit”. I also wanted all my flowers to be something that was native to Puerto Rico or to the Caribbean – in doing so we got a beautiful arrangement of colorful, tropical flowers.

I think it’s really important to just put both your personalities into your wedding as much as possible. Even if others might not understand your choices, for doing this or not doing this, ultimately a wedding is about the two people getting married. Guests will really feel the originality of your wedding and it won’t feel so generic. Try to do certain things on your own if you can. Even if it’s just the tiniest thing, it makes your wedding look even more unique. Details, details, details. Think about little things that you can add to your wedding that will help take it to another level. Personalized napkins for the cocktail hour or in the bathroom. Cocktail straws with your colors. Signage. Cake toppers. Bar menus so your guests know what you’re serving. Gift bags… It was all amazing! Every memory is the best!

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Wedding Dresses

Katie May

Bridal

La Vie en Rose

Katie May

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It’s always a given that the bride steals the show on her wedding day. But when she wears a gold beaded gown THIS pretty? It’s stealing the show on a whole other level. With Maria A Lugo and Akua Event Design Group making the couple’s wedding dreams come true, it’s easy to see why their day captured by Enuel Viera went off without a hitch. More in The Vault!

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Al Fresco

From Akua Event Design Group…Destination weddings in Puerto Rico are intimate and provide an opportunity for guests to relax and enjoy the Caribbean. Plus the bride and groom get to have all of their friends and family at one place, to participate in different activities before the wedding.

We were very excited to design the wedding of Kelly Zerbini and Jesse Gottlieb. Especially, because the lovely bride is an interior designer in New York City and with great tastes. She gave us a clear idea of what she wanted for her special day, but she trusted our design and exhorted to use her board as inspiration. Her vision and ours came together flawlessly.

The design included many natural and rustic elements like wood and glass vases for the floral arrangements, drift wood and clementines which added a special magical touch. For the floral design we used white roses, eucalyptus, wax flowers, succulents and freesias. When you walked into the Salón Martorell you felt an air of sophistication, the color scheme and design meshed wonderfully.

Intimate Puerto Rico Destination Elopement

You know how I feel about intimate weddings (disclaimer: they’re my absolute favorite), so it’s really no surprise that Samantha and Stuart’s celebration has stolen my heart completely. With the talented Elisa Bricker behind the lens, these two jet set off to their favorite vacation spot to say ‘I Do’, and you can see it all firsthand in The Vault!

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Nighttime Wedding With a Candlelit Ceremony = Total Romance

From Elisa Bricker…This intimate wedding by a New York couple took place in Old Town San Juan, Puerto Rico. Samantha and Stuart chose this spot because it was a favorite vacation destination and had very personal memories for the two of them. They wanted their wedding to be very intimate and meaningful.

Their private ceremony overlooked the sea, in the shadow of the historic Castillo San Felipe del Morro (also known as Fuerte San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle) – a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Their classic style included a fitted-with-flare gown by Carol Hannah and a classic tux by J. Crew for the groom. Post ceremony, The couple celebrated with a few friends and family at the Condado Vanderbilt.

With an incredible event designer like Maria A Lugo by their side, it’s easy to see why Laura and David’s San Juan wedding turned out amazing. That, paired with the fact that they chose a nighttime candlelit ceremony that sent romantic vibes soaring. Our girl Kayla Barker came along to photograph and you can see every bit in The Vault plus the clip from NDF Films below!

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Destination Hotels + Resorts Weddings Weddings in Historical Venues

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Glamorous

From Kayla Barker Fine Art Photography…I was so delighted when Laura and David asked me to be a part of their elegant wedding in the historic San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their wedding ceremony took place after dark at the historic fort, Castillo San Cristobal. It was a romantic ceremony by candlelight with guitar playing by Pancho Irizarry. Their reception took place at Hotel El Convento, which was built in 1646 as a Carmelite convent and is now a popular venue in Old San Juan. The elegant black and white wedding design by Maria Lugo with floral design by Arquetipo mimicked the beautiful black and white checkered floor. Huge gold candelabras drew your eye up to the arched ceiling and large chandeliers. Laura and David celebrated with their family and friends that had journeyed from all over the United States to historic San Juan. It was a beautiful and romantic night and wedding weekend!

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Vera Wang

Spring 2015

Fall 2014

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The Ultimate Destination Wedding Set in Puerto Rico

If you consider yourself a serious floral lover – and let’s be honest, who doesn’t? – this wedding is for you. Starting with a cascading bouquet followed by one incredible ceremony arch, and ending with tabletop florals fit for a tropical reception, this entire day is a Bows + Arrows masterpiece. They styled a destination celebration set in Vieques, Puerto Rico infused with a mid-century vibe, and sourced their blooms straight from the island locals and land. NBarrett Photography captured the gallery, with lots more to see in The Vault.

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Romantic Caribbean Wedding at a Forgotten Chapel by the Beach

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Outdoor Weddings

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Al Fresco Whimsical

From NBarrett Photography…Willie and Maria’s destination wedding weekend was filled with memorable experiences for friends and family set in the un-touched tropical island of Vieques, Puerto Rico with pristine beaches, wild horses, and the incredible bioluminescent bay!

The wedding was designed with a Tropicana vibe, think mid century tropical glamour. The bride and groom wanted to convey a low key/high end vibe. Inspiration was gathered from 1960 Caribe Hilton and Palm Springs as well as the sleek modern lines of mid century interior design.

The Punta Mulas Lighthouse was the beautiful sight of the ceremony and reception. It’s quaintly nestled off the Vieques main port, North if Isabel Segunda. “Faro Punta Mulas was built by Don Juan Puig Cerber in 1895, and it was restored in 1992. As you walk up you will enjoy a beautiful vista of Isabel II, and the colorful boats of fisherman along the beautiful blue waters. You can watch ferry arrive, and in the distance enjoy the views of the main island of Puerto Rico and the sister island of Culebra. El Faro Punta Mulas is now a small museum, which exhibits a collection of artifacts and photos of the island’s history, the natural history of the coast, and marine time history.”

For the flowers, Bows + Arrows wanted everything to feel fresh and “of the land”. They sourced much of the flora from the land, foraging and working with the locals to buy straight from their gardens! Native floral included bougainvillea and queens wreath.

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WILLIE’S VOWS TO MARIA…

Maria Teresa Rodriguez,
I, William Burton Binnie,
offer you my blood and my bones,
my flesh and my collection of souvenir pens,
the one’s with the parts that move when you tilt them.

I stand before you today,
surrounded by our absolute dearest friends and family,
to offer you my heart and my soul,
and the other guts no one ever talks about, like the gall bladder,
as well as my perpetual and infinite love.

What I’m trying to say is: I give you everything I am,
not just the one or two organs people usually mention.
My hope is that our respective minds, bodies, and souls will continue to join together, becoming one, not in a literal way, forming some mutant hybrid creature,
but in the figurative way, forming a sacred bond of eternal and everlasting love.

I promise to always care for you when you are unwell,
to carry you when you are weary,
celebrate you, cherish you,
and try to offer critical analysis of your writings,
even when I do not fully understand all of the concepts, the big words,
or the small words that mean other things in a theoretical context.

I take you as my wife, to love you and hold you as long as I shall live,
despite being an left-handed person,
who, statistically, die earlier than the right-handed majority.

I shall always be your sidekick in adventure,
your consoler in despair, and backup vocals when the stereo is playing Puerto Rican music I only yet know mostly phonetically.

You are the salsa to my chip and the bean to my rice,
my best friend, my greatest critic, and the love of my life.
I was lost until I met you. I owe you my life, today and always.
Además, voy a mejorar mi español. Te amo, ahora y siempre.

I offer myself to you as your husband.

Me ofrezco a ti como tu esposo.

MARIA’S VOWS TO WILLIE…

William,
I stand here today to affirm my deepest love for you,
to cherish and commit myself to you forever.
I treasure you now and always as my companion,
and vow to love and care for you,
to be a true and loyal friend,
to actually refill the Brita pitcher after I’ve served myself a glass of water,
and to encourage, cherish, and honor you,
in sickness and in health,
through sorrow and success,
for all the days of my life.

I take you as you are, loving who you are now and who you are yet to become.
I love you infinitely and unconditionally,
and I promise to listen to you and to learn from you,
to support you and stand by you through all that life may bring us.

You like to say I’m ever the optimist
But it is that with you, the world is full of wonder and promise
of finding beauty and humor everywhere.
Life is wonderfully intriguing with you.
It is a constant adventure,
one that I will happily share with you as long as we both shall live.

I promise to always care for you,
to be your loyal proofreader and ad hoc studio assistant,
and your steadfast sous chef
to respect you and celebrate you forever.

You are the warmest soul, my greatest friend, my favorite conversation.
You are everything.
Me ofrezco a ti como tu esposa.
I offer myself to you as your wife.

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Bows and Arrows

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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!

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Garden-Inspired Puerto Rico Destination Wedding

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.

When a wedding is set in a location as gorgeous as the St. Regis Bahia Beach, it rises in ranks pretty quickly. But add in Maria Lugo’s magic touch and a dress this stunning and well, we’re happy wedding campers. Our Labor Of Love captured the whole celebration, from fun first looks to dancing the night away thanks to The Flash Dance – see it all in our VAULT right this way!

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Fall Weddings

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Al Fresco

From the Bride… Even though this was technically a destination wedding planned from NY, marrying each other in Puerto Rico really felt like home. Both John-Michael’s mother and father call Puerto Rico home, so it’s always had a special place in his heart and had real significance to his family. Ironically, my family had vacationed in Puerto Rico for several years, even before we had met. We spent New Years 2012 in San Juan, and joked that when we get married one day, we would bring all of our family and closest friends back to our favorite place. Once we got engaged in August 2014, it was a no brainer choosing where our wedding would take place, so we flew out to San Juan and toured a few venue options. When we drove into the gates of the St. Regis Bahia Beach in Rio Grande, we knew we would be so lucky to be married there. We hired Maria Lugo, an incredible wedding planner based in San Juan, and she helped bring our entire weekend vision to life.

We brought in the incredibly talented Yeah! Weddings from LA for our photographer, videographer and DJ. We knew they would capture our day perfectly and we wouldn’t settle for anyone else. We worked closely with Arquetipo for flowers and decor – they completely blew our mind and brought our garden-inspired, rustic-elegant vision to life. When we first saw the table presentation about a month before the wedding, it actually made me cry! Throughout planning the wedding, we really focused on the details – from the steel band and cigar roller at our Friday Night Welcome Dinner, to the incredibly fun Rumelier, authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, personalized sunglasses, and cocktail napkins featuring our English Bulldog Norman, we really wanted to make the wedding feel intimate and put our “stamp” on it. We had hand painted menus, laser-cut gold calligraphed names for every guest which we set on their place setting, and even found a late-night grilled cheese truck which served hot grilled cheeses inside brown paper lunch bags with a sticker caricature of our faces on the front. The 16-piece band (locally-based Cuenta Regresiva) was absolutely incredible and kept everyone dancing all night (they were the band that actually played on New Years 2012 when we first promised each other we would return to PR to get married!). It felt like Spring Break all over again with our best friends; it was wild! Everyone was in vacation-mode; our childhood friends from near and far were swimming and eating and dancing and drinking with our aunts and uncles and grandparents and college friends – we just felt so much love all day, every day of the entire weekend. Our favorite part of the weekend was just that – the fact that we had an entire weekend to celebrate with our family and best friends, each day was better than the one prior. I think we both kept waiting for it to pour or for there to be some minor disaster, but the weekend was flawless from start to finish. We felt calm, excited, not one bit of anxiety and kept thinking to ourselves… “We’re just SO lucky.” It really was a dream and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.

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Peruse more Puerto Rico weddings here!

Elegant Puerto Rico Wedding at Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve

I’m kind of a super fan of Abby Jiu. It never fails. the second she steps foot behind a camera magic ensues. Timelessly beautiful yet fresh all at the same time, her images tell the stunning story of this couples’ gorgeous destination wedding. Complete with an envy-worthy Oscar De La Renta gown, a first look in a pineapple field and too many perfect details to count, this gallery should not be missed.

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Destination Wedding in Puerto Rico at El Conquistador

From The Bride…How did you decide on Puerto Rico? We visited Puerto Rico together for a close friend’s wedding in 2013 and fell in love with the island. We really enjoyed exploring San Juan and the beaches, and found everyone we met to be incredibly warm and friendly. Our guests were also traveling from all corners of the country (and world!) so we wanted to find a location that would be an easy trip and a fun little getaway for everyone.

How did you decide on the Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve? As soon as we stepped on to the property we absolutely fell in love with the venue. It felt secluded and private and had such a romantic vibe – we loved the drama of seeing the waves crashing on rocks from virtually every angle. The property is also a nature preserve, so the lush vegetation also made the otherwise modern resort feel rustic. As history nerds, we also loved that the property has such a rich history. It was bought my Laurence Rockefeller who preserved its lushness and enhanced the property. He opened it up to celebrities such as John F Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Amelia Earhart.

What was the inspiration for your wedding decor? I was mostly inspired by the venue itself. The architecture is completely harmonious with its natural surroundings – the ocean, the beach and the plant life. I wanted the decor to feel similarly integrated and organic. Arquetipo helped us with our decor and blew us away, using lots of white orchids, willow vine and green dianthus, which almost looks like a sea creature itself! The lanterns and mercury glass helped to give everything a shimmery glow.

What is your favorite memory from the wedding day. My favorite moment from our wedding day (other than marrying Matt) was looking around the room at our reception and seeing the faces of so many people I love (who also happen to be fantastic dancers!). It was so special to have so many of our family and friends in one room having a blast together.

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Bridesmaid Dresses

Dessy

Bridesmaid 2014

Women's Tuxedo

Tuxedo

Fall 2014

Spring 2015

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When a weddings as gorgeous as this one from Lindsay Madden lands in our lap, I kind of want to cry with happiness. Because it’s not everyday we get to bask in this kind of beauty. Planned to perfection by Rosalina Torres with gorgeous florals from Blanco By Mara and stunning stationery from Julie Song Ink (I’m pinning every piece the moment this goes live), this gallery is pure bliss.

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Fall Weddings

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Rustic Spring Wedding in Puerto Rico

From Lindsay Madden Photography…Oh how I love shooting weddings in the Caribbean! I’m a beach girl at heart and love nothing more than soft sand and clear blue water. So when Adlin reached out to me about photographing her destination wedding in Puerto Rico, I was beyond excited. Adlin and Matt were married on a lovely October day on top of a cliff which provided the most breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea and Palomino Island. Adlin and Matt envisioned their wedding day to be intimate, unique and centered around their family and friends. Adlin knew exactly what she wanted design wise and she teamed up with Rosalina Torres to bring her vision to life. Adlin and Matt chose the colors blush and gold for almost everything. This pastel pallet complimented the light blue and green hues of the Caribbean Sea. Adlin asked her three sisters to be her bridesmaids and they all looked gorgeous in their blush pink Twobirds bridesmaids dresses. Their look was pulled together with a simple bouquet of white roses created by Blanco by Mara. Adlin’s lace Monique Lhullier wedding dress was perfection and I loved her Twigs & Honey headpiece. Adlin and Matt’s cocktail hour and reception were held outside and guests enjoyed a lovely seated dinner first and then danced the night away. I had a wonderful time capturing Adlin and Matt’s destination wedding in Puerto Rico and I hope to return soon!

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Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier Bridal Fall 2015

Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids Fall 2015

Spring 2016

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With Mother Nature making it clear to us New Englanders that it’s time to bundle up, I’m desperately dreaming of sunshine and warmth. This colorful spring wedding at Puerto Rico’s Hacienda Siesta Alegre provides the perfect mental escape and with Amanda K‘s gorgeous photos, I’ll be soaking up this sunny celebration for the foreseeable future.

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Rustic

From The Bride… We met when I was 12 and he was 14 at church camp. Not sure why he ever thought a skinny girl in oversized culottes was cute, but he swears he did. We officially began dating when I was 15, a few months shy of my 16th birthday. We dated for 7 years all through high school, college, the Marine Corps, and an Iraq deployment.

As I only had six months to plan the wedding, the dress was one of the first things I tried to find. After trying on different dresses, I decided to order a custom dress online. Unfortunately, the dress did not come in as it was described. So with only three months to spare, it was truly crunch time. I knew I could no longer order a dress from a shop, so I went to oncewed.com and found the exact dress I had fallen in love with for a fraction of the price. And bonus, the owner was local and my exact same size! She was so sweet, and we have even kept in touch. As she said perfectly, “the dress has had a very special existence.”

Our vision was romantic and soft with a touch of simplicity & elegance, but we still wanted it to feel relaxed. With it taking place in Puerto Rico, we also wanted to make sure we didn’t lose the feel of the culture. We go to lots of weddings, so we decided to do away with all traditions that are just that, traditions. We kept it simple and did not have a bridal party other than the flower girls. We had a first look, didn’t smash cake in each others faces, kept our first dance at 30 seconds, and did away with Daniel going up my dress to take off my garter, along with other traditions. We’ve always wanted a destination wedding, and since my family is from Puerto Rico, that was our first pick. As soon as I laid my eyes on the Hacienda, it was love at first sight. It was everything I wanted to evoke on our day. The scenery was perfect; the cozy bed and breakfast had an old Spanish feel, and it was located in the mountains in the rainforest. Also, having a venue that could host both the ceremony and reception was important to us as many of our family members were traveling from abroad.

My head piece, party favors, wedding invitations, and linens were all handmade by my grandma, with a little help from us. She is crafty by nature, so she was thrilled to help in every avenue possible. The invitations were a daunting task, and the wedding would have never been the same without her. My favorite detail was by far my jewelry. Daniel bought me the jewelry while in Iraq in 2009, and I have been saving it for this day since. I’ve been telling him it’s too pretty to wear with just anything, so it was a surprise when he finally saw me wear it on our wedding day. It was special and unique to us.

My most memorable moment was our first look. There are very few moments throughout the day that you get to spend alone with your groom, and those are the moments I treasure most. We exchanged heartfelt notes, and he bought me a bouquet of flowers. We soaked in the last few hours before saying “I do,” and I’m glad our photographer, Amanda, was there to capture that. In keeping the Hispanic culture alive, we had a live band (a Batucada) during the reception unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. They played traditional music with drums and trumpets and got the guests involved by teaching them typical dances. It was the highlight to our evening. We also incorporated traditional food, and piraguas (traditional shaved ice desert) were served by a piragüero, in a small colorful pushcart.

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Saturdays are pretty amazing, but when you throw in a meet and greet with RebeccaMarie Photography, it takes it to an entirely new level of awesome. I’m talking an entire day devoted to gorgeous imagery that just so happens to be overflowing with love, emotion and, of course, pretty. Spend some time getting to know her, lovelies… and don’t forget to check out her sweet discount below.

From RebeccaMarie Photography… RebeccaMarie started learning about photography at the age of fifteen and excelled from there working alongside some of the best in the business, since 2004. Destination travel is a deep passion of hers and so is love. RebeccaMarie believes in combining the two, to capture your love story and has had the opportunity to travel internationally throughout her career.

RebeccaMarie Photography has been published numerous times together with her international friend Isabelle Kline Design, producing beauty through each image. Her style has been known to be organic, vintage, ethereal and romantic. A lover of travel and meeting new people.

Check out RebeccaMarie on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Discount! RebeccaMarie Photography is offering a $500 print credit to all couples that book in the month of June and July and reference this SMP welcome post.

Old San Juan Love Shoot

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good engagement session as much as the next girl. But, I’m also a big believer in needing no excuse to snap some photos with the one you adore. *Enter* this Old San Juan love sesh from IYQ Photography. They’re the “just because” captures every couple so deserves, and you can see moment after moment in the gallery right here.

From IYQ Photography… Kristen, Cainneach and I well all drawn to the sleepy town of Old San Juan as the backdrop to this fun, flirty, dreamy love shoot. Both Cannaich and Kristen live in NYC and were in PR for a mini-vacay. We all met by chance at a private inn we all were staying at just outside the city. I was immediately drawn to their kind spirits and romantic hearts. Theirs is somewhat of a modern day love story- they share the kind of love that we all read in fairy tale books growing up. We spend sunrise in the city- wandering the empty streets and getting lost inbetween the cracked sides of pastel buildings. Afterwards, we headed over to a palm tree heaven to wrap up this dreamy shoot.

Photography: Kimie James Of IYQ Photography | Old San Juan: Puerto Rico

Intimate Old San Juan Wedding

I’ve never been to Old San Juan, but after spending some sweet time with this destination soiree, it’s now nearing towards the tippy top of my must-see list. It’s the colors, the culture and the rich, rich history that have my heart, and won’t let go. Momentus Special Events planned the whole destination day to perfection with Vanessa Velez was there to capture, and you’ll find much more right over here!

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Destination Hotels + Resorts Weddings

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From the Bride… We decided to get married in Puerto Rico because we have a passion for traveling. We have always talked about having a destination wedding and we wanted a location that was close to the U.S, but would not require our guests to get a passport. We have friends who spoke very highly of Puerto Rico. They raved about the food, the beaches, the people, the activities, etc. So, we decided to give it a shot. After further research, we fell in love with the hotels and quest reviews of other brides and couples. Seeing pictures of Old San Juan, sealed the deal. You cannot create that setting any where and we knew we wanted to have Old San Juan as a background for our pictures.

Our inspiration for the day was focused around intimacy. We wanted to have a small intimate ceremony/wedding that focused on nothing but us, our vows, our close family, and friends. We wanted everyone who was there to actually feel our love. You can tell we accomplished this by the sounds of people sniffling because there was not 1 dry eye in the crowd.

Having a Spring wedding, I fell in love with the coral/aqua color palette. To me, these colors screamed “destination” and went so well with Old San Juan. They reminded me of the colors of the buildings. The color theme was all about a romantic, vintage/rustic look. I wanted to have colors that were not your traditional wedding colors. Having the girls in 2 different colors and different dresses inspired them to be themselves and to be comfortable.

The groomsman’s suits played off the color of the girls dresses. I wanted to the dresses to stand out against the khaki color. Also, our taste is very “vintage”. Our home is decorated the same way. There is something about it, that screams intimacy and love. For our ceremony, we went very simple because once again we wanted to have that Old San Juan background. It wasn’t about flowers or decorations, but more about our moment and wedding. Simple is sometimes better!

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here

Wedding Dresses

Badgley Mischka

Spring 2014 Bridal

2014 Bridesmaids

Spring 2014 Accessories

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Wedding Dresses

Enzoani

2014 Beautiful

2014 Blue

2014

2014 Love

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Puerto Rico Wedding from 13:13 Photography

I’ve decided that I need a vacation. I mean, don’t get me wrong… I love this crazy gorgeous fall weather we’ve been having, and all of the hot cocoa sipping that goes right along with it. But doesn’t a trip to the lovely land also known as Puerto Rico sound just soooo awesome? Especially if that trip was anything like this drop.dead.gorgeous wedding captured by 13:13 Photography, a literal non-stop day of pretty with one totally fun party. See it all right here in the full gallery.

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