Real Weddings - Isle of Bonaire

Recently Stephanie, one of my brides, got married in Bonaire. I had never heard of it, so I had to look it up to see where it was located. Turns out it's in the Caribbean and is part of the Netherlands. Uniquely, the currency is the US Dollar, which happily makes shopping there a simpler task. It's a haven for snorkeling and scuba diving...and is beautiful !! No wonder they picked it for a gorgeous wedding and honeymoon destination. It's a lovely place to get away from it all - to de-stress and wake up late and feel sand between your toes :) I loved how romantic the photos turned out !

 

Wispy Cream Wedding Dress - Island Style

Getting married in the tropics or on an island is a little different than your average wedding. I found a site recently where couples go to renew their vows or begin them. On an island in the Caribbean, the ceremony takes place on the beach and is very short. The warm weather, ocean wind and sandy beach combine to make wearing a long dress a bit of a struggle. Many brides give up and wear a sarong or muumuu. Others wear a long dress and change very quickly afterwards.

My hope is for vow renewals to be more of an occasion, and for the pictures and wedding to to not only memorable but romantic and beautiful. I love making short, easy care gowns for brides in a hurry, not comfortable with a long dress or wanting something more casual. Lots of destination or island brides need a dress they can easily pack and take care of themselves by steaming or hanging in the bathroom at their hotel the night before to ease wrinkles. I also try to keep in mind that many brides, especially second wedding or renewal of wedding vows will want to wear the gown later again for a romantic dress. So nothing too over the top, but still one that makes you feel gorgeous and treasured.

 

Real Weddings - Romantic Boho Weddings

I love it when I hear back from a buyer, sometimes many months later, and get to see the gowns I've made at their real weddings. One photo or a handful, I always smile and relive the process of making the gown, all the emails back and forth and the fun of getting to know the bride. Thought I'd make a little mini-series of real wedding shots.

These are from Clint and Amy's wedding last year. The photographer is Bess DuPriest.

Redos - More is More

I don't like to leave things be. Sometimes things hang around in my shops and it's all I can do to not redo them. These are some I've either redone or just done. I can sometimes get by with just a quick picture redo, but like these...sometimes I've gotta give them a little something more.