With everything winding down for Christmas, I was so excited to find that our Caribbean alternative beach photoshoot has made the front and inside cover of Brides Abroad winter edition. Not normally one to blow our own trumpet but it’s so nice to see all our hard work from earlier this year paying off. I’m especially pleased for all those who helped make the shoot a success (see last week for full credit list).
Just look out for the magazine on the stands very soon.
This week we feature part 2 of our Caribbean beach alternative photo shoot, the reception. Using our blush ruched wedding dress as inspiration (see part 1) we asked Selena Wong cakes to create this beautiful cake above and as always the Caribbean background of blue sky and sea helped to really set it off.
To compliment the blush pink and blue theme, we picked pink roses in blue vases with glasses and napkins to set off the navy blue striped table cloth. Other details can be seen below.
I hope this photoshoot has showed you that a beach wedding really doesn’t have to be a casual affair and the possibilities of how your wedding will look are indeed endless regardless of its destination.
Credits: Location: Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Photographer: Mark Anthony Chen Photography, Stylist: Pierre Carr, Wedding & Event Design, Flowers: Grande Garden, Hair: Hair by Chellz, Make Up: Loni Jones Makeup, Stationery: White Knot, Wedding Dress: The Couture Gallery, Jewellery: Luella’s Boudoir, Groom Attire: Room ten, Parasol: Paradise Parasols, Cake: Selena Wong Cakes, Flip Flops: Shatzie Ltd
As so many people think of the beach whenever they think of a destination wedding, I couldn’t do a photo shoot without including it. However I wanted to show that a beach wedding doesn’t have to be a casual affair, and with the photo shoot in question kindly featured on Bride and Chic here I felt it was a good time to share some more images with you.
Inspired by Vera Wang’s blush pink wedding dresses that were part of the trends for 2012. I chose to go completely couture with a beautiful duschesse silk organza dress with ruching by designer Britta Kjerkegaard from the Couture Gallery and the groom in a navy tuxedo instead of the ususal black by Room ten, to compliment the surroundings.
Using flowers not associated with the tropics white roses and hydrangeas I wanted to show that even with a destination wedding you don’t have to settle for local or plastic flowers if that’s not what you want.
With colours of blush pink, blue and cream the stationery incorporated the blue in a nautical way. Whilst the straw palm fans were one of many details added to highlight the beach favours that are possible.
Finally with the formality of the attire I still made sure that our couple enjoyed the benefits a beach wedding would bring by introducing the hammock and enabling them to go bare foot to enjoy the beach.
My thanks to the following suppliers who spared their time to help with this shoot.
Credits: Location: Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Photographer: Mark Anthony Chen Photography, Stylist: Pierre Carr, Wedding & Event Design, Flowers: Grande Garden, Hair: Hair by Chellz, Make Up: Loni Jones Makeup, Stationery: White Knot, Wedding Dress: The Couture Gallery, Jewellery: Luella’s Boudoir, Groom Attire: Room ten, Parasol: Paradise Parasols
If you are still unsure about taking the decision to marry abroad let our mood board below move you. Its not just about the sun and sand (that obviously helps) but its a great opportunity to move the boundaries. If you want sofas outside why not, your options and colours are endless.
I’m not sure if you have watched the romantic, reality show The Bachelor before but I’m currently hooked on the UK version on Channel 5 with Gavin Henson, the Welsh international rugby player whose embarking on his quest to find the woman of his dreams.
As an old romantic I love to watch how he goes about wooing the girls who compete for his affections in order to ultimately become his girlfriend. However I was more excited to find that some of the episodes were shot in the Caribbean on the gorgeous island of St Lucia.
Now as a lover of all things Caribbean I won’t hesitate to tell you that St Lucia as a wedding or honeymoon destination oozes romance with a capital R, thanks to its natural landscape of waterfalls, rainforest and majestic Piton Mountains. But more importantly the tourist industry has only begun to flock there in recent years so it’s not become oversaturated and its become increasingly important to preserve the natural charm of the island and its people, which Gavin definitely appreciated, just listen to what he had to say.
So if you are looking for an unspoilt island – St Lucia is definitely one to consider and with five direct flights a week from London it’s very easy to get to. But don’t take my word for it – just take a look at what you could be enjoying.
In the final part of our tips for a destination wedding – always decide on a wedding destination that you love.
And to make sure your ceremony and reception goes to plan,
Tip 1: Pick a team/wedding planner who knows the destination, which is well worth the cost in saving you time and hassle.
Tip 2: Pick venues that only have one wedding a day – as you want your day to be special
Tip 3: Once you have picked your destination and venue, get your invitations out as early as possible we suggest eight months prior to your wedding which will give guests enough time to budget for your wedding, put it in their schedule and sort out flights.
With this month’s blog devoted to photography we thought we would formally introduce Jemma Watts from Pearl Pictures who kindly gave us ‘A friend with a good digital camera’ earlier this month.
Originally a commercial photographer specialising in Food, Lifestyle and Travel photography, for years Jemma would shoot weddings ‘on the side.’ But early in 2008 Jemma decided to start a second business that purely focused on weddings and events, hence Pearl Pictures was born.
What inspired you to get started?
I have always loved photography from a young age and was given my first camera when I was 15. I wanted to study art as a degree but instead took business. In hindsight this turned out to be a very good idea now that I am running my own businesses, but at the time I wasn’t so sure. I worked in the design industry for a few years before leaving to become a professional photographer, which was inspired by my grandfather. Sadly, towards the end of his life, he talked about having regrets, wishing he had done more with his life. Well, I thought to myself, I don’t want to have any regrets, so I decided to give my photography career a chance. After all, I could always go back to my old profession if I couldn’t make a go of it. That was 10 years ago.
What aspect of your work do you most enjoy?
The thing that I enjoy most about my work is the variety that each job brings, both in style and personalities. No two jobs are the same. This challenges me photographically and also in the way I interact with people. I enjoy working with people very much and find it extremely fulfilling when I walk away at the end of the event, knowing I’ve captured some great characters enjoying themselves on a happy occasion.
Describe your personality?
I would say my personality is friendly, fun and lively but at the same time professional, understanding and able to interact with many different people of all ages, backgrounds and personalities. I’m also conscientious about my work and have a strong sense of integrity.
What is your favourite place to hang out?
My favourite place to hang out is in the mountains of Wengen in Switzerland. My Dad lives out there and we all enjoy spending time there as a family, enjoying the beautiful environment and skiing in the winter. I try to go there as much as I can, especially as most of my summer is spent working weddings so I try to make the most of the quieter winter months.
If you could give one piece of advice to couples getting married what would it be?
My best piece of advice for couples getting married is to not cut back on your photography budget. Your wedding photographs should be high on your list of priorities, after all, these are what last forever. You must also make sure that you get on well with your chosen photographer. The personalities have to mix well as you will spending a lot of time together on one of the most important days of you life.
Also every now and then throughout your wedding day, stand back from your guests and soak up the atmosphere of the day. Take in their faces and the joy people are having sharing your day with the two of you.
Our thanks to Jemma Watts from Pearl Pictures. We look forward to receiving your comments on this month’s topic on photography and remember for all your wedding planning needs at home and abroad head to www.pierrecarr.com.
Sticking with the topic of travelling for this month, as promised this blog focuses on choosing the right type of fabric for your destination wedding dress.
Why? Well because destination brides really have a lot more to think about than just finding a dress that will make them look a million dollars as not all fabrics wear well in hot climates, and the last thing you want to happen is for you to look shiny for your pictures because your body is not coping with the climate.
So here are a few of my tips to help make those dress decisions easier:
1. Light weight fabrics are always ideal in hotter climates. Natural fabrics like silk are great as they breathe in the heat and help you to feel cool.
2. However be aware that pure fabrics can crease more easily. So try to go for mixed fabrics like Duchesse silk or Satin silk. My personal favourites are chiffon, lace and satin.
But giving yourself enough time when you arrive at your chosen location and following my tips on travelling abroad with your dress (see earlier February post) will enable you to eliminate any general travel creases that you may have.
3. If you have a dress with sleeves, its likely that you will sweat so either avoid or look into purchasing some underarm shields which should hinder any staining of your garment.
4. Tight fitting bodices again are prone to sweating so make sure that if you do have one that you dress in a cool place as things become harder to fit into if you are already hot and sticky.
5. And finally if you are opting for a backless, or tight fitting dress there are a number of lingerie options that are available that will help make your dress perfectly seamless. Check out the C-string if you are not having any luck with your normal G-string.
So you are in the throes of planning your wedding and attention has turned from finding that perfect venue to choosing your dress to now finding the right suppliers. But there is one key supplier I would suggest that is too important to overlook and that is your photographer.
Why? Because there are essentially two things that survive your wedding day – your marriage and your photographs and by choosing the right photographer that will capture and document your special day so well that they re-ignite your memories every time you, your kids and your family look at them for years to come is without a doubt priceless.
I would recommend starting your research for a photographer as soon as you set the date as really good photographers are often booked well in advance. But if your knowledge on choosing the right photographer is limited this month’s Butterfly Journal podcast is for you.
How to find the right photographer, what to look for and the various styles on offer are just some questions that will be covered. But in the first part of two episodes covering this topic we talk to destination wedding photographer Steve Cumberbatch, owner of Magical Moments photographic services 
in Barbados, whose 17 year experience of exclusively photographing weddings makes him the ideal person to speak about destination wedding photography.
I can hear you say but aren’t all photographers the same regardless of where they come from. The easy answer has to be no and Steve will quickly point out that the Caribbean though blessed with great weather being close to the equator has a different quality of light compared to say the UK as it tends to be a lot harsher. Therefore one tip from Steve is you need to be careful when you schedule the time of your wedding because in the summer months the light is better at certain times of the day than in the winter months for example and only a seasoned pro who is used to dealing with that kind of light will really understand how to use and manipulate it best to their and your advantage.
To give you an idea of the Steve’s work see a couple of pictures below;
And to hear Steve’s full interview head to the Butterfly Journal podcast at www.pierrecarr.com/podcast.
As always I would love to receive your comments about your experiences on finding a photographer or any of the topics we have covered so far.
Next week we look at tips and questions to ask a photographer?
Until then Happy Planning!
