Today we’re recapping the recent Engage!17: Cayman Islands wedding industry event on Grand Cayman. The summit is where the best of the best of our field from all over the globe come to dish about weddings and destination weddings and improve our businesses so we can be better for you.
This “hard work” doesn’t come without a few fabulous parties and oodles of great destination wedding ideas. And we’ve brought back those ideas to share with you today.
So take a look at our top 8 favorite destination wedding ideas from Engage!17: Cayman Islands at the brand new Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa.
Penthouse Parties:
If your hotel has a penthouse or rooftop setting that can be booked for intimate gatherings or for a hotel stay, consider an intimate meet and greet for the maids and men, close families, or even a post-wedding day sendoff. It will give your guests a chance to see the destination from a whole new angle and treat them to something a little extra special on location.
Electric Signs:
Destination wedding or not, electric signs are hot, hot, hot in reception décor. Engage used these creative signs by Name Glo to welcome guests, jazz up the bars, and even say good bye after the festivities were over.
Beer Trucks:
Yep, beer trucks. Food trucks may still be great, but what about a beer truck for your groom and guests on the wedding day?! Let loved ones fill up on their favorites and try a local brew or two too!
Surfboard Stands:
If you’re hosting a beach destination wedding, why not repurpose your boards to serve as tabletops, signage and other party décor. We love how the Engage team used these surfboards as a shoe valet station!
Boozy Snow Cones:
When the weather is hot, nothing delights kids and the kid in all of us like an old-fashioned snow cone. For the grown ups in the group, consider spiking them with your favorite liquors and create a fun twist on old faithful. Serve this at your kick-off welcome party and your friends will know what fun is to come!
Signature Desserts:
Infusing the local culture, cuisine and flavor into a destination wedding is a must and dessert is a great way to do it! Kimpton Seafire created a ‘torched sweets’ station and served fresh-made popsicles at one of the Engage events and it was a crowd favorite for sure!
Adventure Activities:
Traveling is all about new experiences and making memories so why not give your guests something to talk about and plan a bucket list experience for all!? In the Cayman Islands, you have the rare chance to swim in the wild with friendly stingrays after an afternoon at sea on a Red Sail Sports catamaran. Your guests will not forget this wedding weekend activity! See what your destination has to offer that’s something a little bit different than the ordinary.
Celebrity Appearances: Because, why not?
The Engage Summits are known for big surprises and this event was no different. For the finale night gala, we were treated with a surprise performance by one of my old favorites, En Vogue! I can say from personal experience as a guest, budget permitting, this is money well spent to dazzle your friends and family and take the party to an entirely new level. Loved ones will be talking about that night for years to come. And wedding music agency, Elan Artists, can get you groups like this – just as they did for Engage.
And a big thanks to the hosts of this fantastic event, Kathryn Arce and Rebecca Grinnals from Engaging Concepts and the Engage Summits. Without the two of these amazing women, the wedding and destination wedding industry that we get to work in wouldn’t be what it is today and frankly, weddings around the world would be a little less inventive, creative and well-done. So thank you to Rebecca and Kath (pictured below) for always showing us what it means to be an innovator in the world of weddings! …And thanks for a really great time in one of my favorite places, the Cayman Islands too!!
Stay tuned tomorrow for one more favorite destination wedding idea from Engage – this one was too good, it needed its own post! Don’t miss it.
Photos by: Rebecca Davidson Photography, Laura Dee Photography, Love Life Images, John Cain Photography, Paul Morse Photographs, Carla Ten Eyck
