Growing up vacationing on Windermere Island in the Bahamas, the bride knew from a young age what her dream nuptials would look like – sandy toes, lots of sunshine, and surrounded by crystal clear Caribbean waters. The beautiful Squires Estate was the perfect location to make her island-style soirée a reality! With the help of Boy Meets Girl Weddings, the couple incorporated plenty of lush island greenery into their wedding decor, mixed in with subtle touches of cream and white blooms. Guests danced the night away to island jams from a local Bahamian band and toasted to the adorable couple with delicious tropical cocktails! Immerse yourself in the paradise that is the full gallery, all captured by Alex Thornton!
What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
From the Bride… I always dreamt of an island-style wedding since I was a little girl. Growing up with our family home on Windermere Island, I knew that a destination wedding in the Bahamas would be our location – I just hoped that everyone we invited would love the remote island life as much as we do! Due to COVID-19, we had to downsize our already small wedding to a much more intimate event. We went from 100 guests to right under 30 and it was absolutely perfect. I couldn’t imagine our special day being anything other than what it was.
What was your color palette and your style vision?
Why not use the resources already on hand in such a beautiful tropical place?! I was very detailed with wanting to incorporate as much island greenery into our rehearsal, ceremony and reception as possible. The lush greenery on the island is so beautiful. Island greenery mixed with lots of cream + white and blush flowers was my vision. I wanted all ghost chairs for the seating and flowers overflowing on the tables with lots of candles. We already had the most beautiful backdrop for our ceremony … the deck overlooking the Governor’s Harbour and the sun setting turned the sky the most beautiful colors of pink, orange and purple. Mother nature was definitely on our side during our wedding! I wanted everything to feel laid back and “island style” but still put together and carefully curated down to every detail. Since this was the first trip for most people in over a year (due to covid!), I wanted it to be a tropical oasis. Amazing island jams from our local Bahamian band, island cocktails (hello Goombay Smashes & rum punches all night!) local island fish or the choice of chicken for dinner and the most amazing atmosphere filled with friends and family. It was a night full of laughter, happy tears, drinking and dancing under the stars. A mix of fun, romantic, intimate and classic filled with all the natural beauty of the Bahamas.
What unique elements or DIY details did you include?
My planner wrapped our ceremony structure and tent entrance with flowers from the island – a mix of natural greenery and white roses cascading with a fun beaded boho chandelier. With the harbour right behind us, the cascading roses would blow in the breeze as we said our vows – it was truly magical. The inside of the tent had cascading roses and our bar + tables were covered in white hydrangeas, blush roses and natural island greenery. I had the place cards be little laser cut pieces of wood, painted gold for everyone. One of my favorite unique moments incorporated into our wedding were the handmade flower crowns I had made for myself and my bridesmaids. It was the perfect tropical addition and they looked so cute!
What was your favorite moment? Your favorite crafted detail?
How can I pick a favorite moment?! There were so many. I have three specifically that stand out. The first if I have to pick would be the decision we made to have a sweetheart table. We had cocktail hour over at one of the other properties on the estate after the ceremony while my wedding planner flipped the ceremony deck for our reception. Since we had such a small group, this was fairly easy. We put our sweetheart table under the flower covered ceremony structure and we both sat in two vintage rattan peacock back chairs. It was really special to have our moment up there looking at everyone as well as our own intimate time as we listened to the toasts over dinner. The second would be the moment I walked down the aisle. My dad unexpectedly passed away almost 3 years ago now and I didn’t know who would walk me down. My little sister stepped up and offered to carry my dress train + veil behind me as I walked (a true Diana moment!) and my husband Erik surprised me and met me half way so I wouldn’t have to walk fully alone. I don’t think there was a dry eye at the ceremony. The third was the decision for Erik and I and the photographer to hop in our island car after the ceremony and head to the pink sand beach during “golden hour” for photos … just us. And when i say just us… we were the ONLY people on French Leave Beach. The sun was setting and the sand had the most magical pink glow to it. Yes, the sand is really pink! It looked like we stepped into heaven and it was just us. The most beautiful photos and night of my life. It also gave Erik and I a chance to just breathe, take our shoes off, run around in the sand and dip our toes in the water… officially as husband and wife. Lots of kisses and hugs and thankfully our amazing photographer captured all of it! Pure bliss.
Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.
I wanted my bouquet to only be white/cream and island greenery. We did a mix of white roses, babies breath and natural island greenery pieces throughout to make a cascading effect. My dress was a dreamy strapless a-line Ines di Santo gown with boned corset bodice and embellished beaded and three dimensional floral embroidery throughout. The second layer of the dress was all lace. We had one signature cocktail, the island Goombay Smash! Our cake was an amazing coconut cream cake. Funny story, we kept the leftover wedding cake in the fridge at one of the homes on the estate where family was staying because the cooks were using that kitchen for the reception. The day after our wedding, most of our guests stayed to do a fun beach day, that night everyone wanted to eat our wedding cake again for dessert because they loved it so much! So, we brought it out and all had our wedding cake…again! Other details…we had late night gourmet pesto grilled cheeses and pepperoni pizzas for everyone and it was such a hit! Really soaked up all the Goombay Smashes consumed while dancing under the stars!
What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?
When planning a wedding, especially destination, things will often not always go as planned. Try to keep an open mind, trust your wedding planner (make sure *if you can* to meet them in person at your destination to get a feel for their planning process) and always keep the big picture in mind as to what your wedding represents – true love, a beautiful marriage to your soul mate and your happily ever after!
Photography: Alex Thornton | Event Planning: Boy Meets Girl Weddings | Floral Design: Boy Meets Girl Weddings | Wedding Dress: Ines Di Santo | Invitations: MESH by Alex | Ceremony Venue: Squires Estate | Reception Venue: Squires Estate | Jewelry: Hops & Bun | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Catering: Boy Meets Girl Weddings | Men's Attire: The Black Tux | Film Lab: Indie Film Lab
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