Lastly, the announcements were made by me. Keeping with the theme of our wedding, I found red embossed paper called Vintage Vines. I played around with a few ideas, but this is what I liked the most. I’m still not sure if I liked the flower on the ribbon. I made half with and half without. Overall, I couldn’t be prouder of the end product.
I found an artist in Australia who hand makes vintage-style jewelry. She let me design my own bracelet and earrings. Each is truly unique. A great shot of my engagement ring in a beautiful rose. My favorite piece is the bracelet the red just pops.
During the whole process both St. Thomas and St. John lost power. The salon had a generator and that kicked on for a while... but that also blew out. The girls were determined to make sure everyone looked amazing.
Some people know from a young age what they want for their wedding. I on the other hand, had not spent much time thinking about it. The wedding world is overwhelming. At the beginning, I could never have imagined the end.
My Wedding Dress
The Little Things
I love my Dress!!! When it came time to pick a dress, I had no idea what I wanted. I new I didn’t want a pouffy ball gown and I wasn’t fond of “lots of stuff”. I was contemplating a splash of color. It would be different. I went to only one dress shop. The sales woman had the patience of a saint. She could see I was like a deer in headlights.
She pulled four or five dresses. I tried them on one by one. It was very easy to eliminate most of them. One kind of got my attention, but it was just alright. It looked like a typical floor length dress. If it was another color I could wear it to any other party. The sales person picked right up on this. She said she had an idea and returned with a lace vintage gown. I would not have pictured this dress in a million years. It fit none of my criteria, but I loved it. I put it on and I felt like a bride. As I danced in front of the mirror, the sales woman wrapped a eggplant sash around the waist. From that moment on... I knew I wanted color.
Red Rose Bouquet
Roses are romantic and classic. It is a bonus that they are a tropical flower. When I searched for images, I found a woman who makes flowers out of clay. It is popular with destination weddings. This way the couple doesn’t have to arrange for flowers and they last for years. When we get home, we can put them in a vase for a centerpiece. They look so real.
Red Velvet Cake
What is a wedding without a cake? He saw Red Velvet on the list of flavor choices. I had never had it, so I was nervous about selecting it. Connor went out and bought a small red velvet cake to convince me. It worked. YUMMY!!! The baker put live red roses on the cake to match my bouquet. They were a bit big, but still looked good.
The Jewelry
Welcome Page Why We Eloped Our Wedding Honeymoon Photos Trash the Dress Our Story About the Bride About the Groom Guest Information Engagement PicturesWelcome.htmlElopement.htmlCeremony.htmlHoneymoon.htmlPhotos.htmlTrash_the_Dress.htmlOur_Story.htmlAbout_the_Bride.htmlAbout_the_Groom.htmlGuest_Information.htmlGuest_Information.htmlEngagment_Pictures.htmlshapeimage_34_link_0shapeimage_34_link_1shapeimage_34_link_2shapeimage_34_link_3shapeimage_34_link_4shapeimage_34_link_5shapeimage_34_link_6shapeimage_34_link_7shapeimage_34_link_8shapeimage_34_link_9shapeimage_34_link_10shapeimage_34_link_11
My veil is also handmade. I wasn’t able to find anything that appealed to me that was reasonable priced. I got lucky and found a woman that makes them, ironically much cheaper than you can buy one. The lace is Alencon lace from France. At the last minute, the artist realized that she ran out of the lace we agreed upon. She had it but without the beading. She wanted me to have the veil I picked out, and hand-beaded it. The veil turned out so well. I felt like a bride.
My Veil
Our Announcement
Later, as we were working on other details. I decided that I wanted to go with red. The store didn’t have a red sash that I liked. So, I did what Chris always does...I found a way to have it made. The seamstress hand sewed all the bead on. I loved how it turned out!
Nails, Hair and Makeup
Connor went with me to get my hair done.. It was special for both of us to get ready together. Before I left, I got a pedicure and French manicure. A day of traveling, sunscreen, bug spray, swimming in salt water caused lint to stick to my nails. They were turning black! The salon was nice and squeezed me in...so I didn’t have black nails. I will forever be thankful. Next was my hair. I had no idea what I wanted. Connor, the stylist and I worked together to find something that worked. Connor wasn’t shy about adding input. We aimed for a modern twist of a vintage look.
Somehow we lucked out. Much of the island still was out of power, but the salon’s power came back on. The entire time, the people asked about the wedding and seemed generally interested. They shared their wedding stories with Connor and me. The islanders are very genuine. I also had no idea what I wanted for makeup. I just trusted the artist. When I turned around and looked in the mirror. I was shocked. I have never felt more beautiful. It a soft and natural look. At the end, the salon, realized I hadn’t eat yet. They sent me out for lunch and told me to come back. The touched up my make-up to make sure it was perfect.