Taylor and Matthew opted for a destination wedding in Jamaica, at Sandals Montego Bay, where friends and loved ones gathered to celebrate a very personal ceremony and experience. The couple shared with us a bit about their big day.
We knew we wanted to have a destination wedding, but didn’t have a specific location in mind. We ended up choosing Jamaica because of the ease of travel for our guests and we had heard from friends that the culture and the people were really amazing. We loved every bit of it and the Jamaican people were so much fun and so kind and made the event even more special.
We have been to quite a few weddings together over the past 5 years (over 30 in total!) and were so excited to plan our own big day. We wanted a more relaxed setting and we chose a destination wedding so that we would have a little more time to spend with our family and friends who were able to come. The day was so perfect! The weather was beautiful, everything came together as well as we could have hoped, and the Jamaican culture was so unique and special to have as part of our wedding celebration.
For us personally, the first look was one of the most memorable moments of the day and the part of the day that we can actually remember clearly! One of our favorite parts of the evening was definitely the saxophone player who played live during the cocktail hour. It set the tone for the whole night and our guests were up dancing before the cocktail hour was over! Most of them are still talking about that as their favorite part of the weekend.
We wanted the wedding to feel very personal, especially because our friends and family traveled so far to spend the day with us, so we added a lot of details throughout the event to leave our mark on it. We sent our guests cocktail kits and drink vouchers in the mail ahead of time so they could enjoy a drink on the plane, welcomed everyone with a personalized itinerary, and had gifts waiting in the rooms for our bridal party. Some of our favorite elements from the wedding day were our jenga guest book and my “An Ideal Husband” clutch.
We wanted a fun relaxed vibe where everything looked like it belonged together but nothing matched exactly. It was a little nerve racking because we didn’t see everything together until the day of the wedding!
We chose options from a few different packages that the resort offered so that we ended up with a combination that felt like our own. Each bridesmaid was able to choose her own dress so that she felt comfortable and we brought the bouquets and corsages with us so that everyone had an option that matched her dress. We kept the palette pretty neutral so that all the different colors and details stayed cohesive and were thrilled with the end result.
One of the funniest and most memorable moments was trying to cut our wedding cake. The staff was very insistent that we cut the cake a certain way to wanted to make sure we got the exact perfect photo! It took us about 20 minutes to cut the thing and we were laughing the whole time.
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Destination Wedding Photographer: Rebecca Marie Photography & Design
Wedding Vendors: Invitations: Inspirations by Amielee, Place Cards: Calligraphy by Kyla King (friend of bride and groom), Wedding Dress: Katie May, Gown Salon: Alice in Ivory, Engagement Ring and Wedding Rings: Randy’s Jewelry, Men’s clothing: Banana Republic, Hair/Makeup: Spa at Resort (Red Lane Spa), Bouquets, Corsages, Boutonnieres: Pumpkin and Pye, Centerpieces and ceremony flowers, DJ, Saxophonist + Wedding Cake: Sandals, Favors (mailed in advance of travel, cocktail kits for on the plane): W & P Design, Clutch: Kate Spade, Sandals: Badgley Mischka, Pearl Bracelet: BHLDN, Diamond Tennis Bracelent: Vintage – borrowed from Grandmother, Ring: Vintage – gifted by grandmother, Earrings: Randy’s Jewelry (gift from Liz), Crochet Handkerchief: VERY vintage (handmade by my granmother’s cousin circa 1900)
