Ambre + John
(February 15, 2020 in Cabrera, Dominican Republic)
Weddings are often a time for couples to share their love and commitment with family and friends while celebrating their unique styles and personalities. In this blog post, the author shares their vision for a wedding that blended Island Country Chic with Earthy elements, featuring lots of greens, wood, and candles. The wedding took place in a quaint little town called Cabrera, on the eastern end of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, which was a destination for most of their guests. The author also shares some tips for future brides, encouraging them to relax, let things happen, and enjoy every moment, as weddings can often fly by in a blur. The day-of festivities were a highlight for the author and their husband, who celebrated with family and friends over the course of five days, with lots of music, entertainment, and relaxation time.
Ambre looked absolutely stunning in our Alexa gown by Willowby. This gown is a gorgeous A-line fit with a stunning titanium-colored liner with soft layers of tulle over the top of it. The skirt has gorgeous dahlia motifs with sequin details scattered throughout for a little bit of sparkle. The bodice is a gorgeous deep-v plunge with a stunning double waistband made of delicate velvet ribbon. The ribbon ties into a dainty bow in the back and the baby train completes this boho, whimsical gown.
By our real bride, Ambre:
What was the vision for your wedding?
Island Country Chic (Earthy: Greens, Wood, Candles) // Thankfully, I had the most wonderful Wedding Planner who made it even more beautiful than I could have even imagined. I had an idea and she perfected it. We had a destination wedding so our vendors were selected by our planner.
How did it go the day-of?
In the words of my husband (before we climbed out of the pool in our full wedding attire) "This was THE best day ever!" Because of my husband's career in the military and my travels, we have lived all over the country/world which meant no matter where we selected to have our wedding it would be a destination for a lot of people. So...we decided to have our wedding in the most beautiful place in the world and one that I hold dear to my heart...Cabrera, Dominican Republic (a quaint little town on the eastern end of the northern coast of the island). All of our guests stayed in the six private villas we reserved, each with their own staff, chef, pool, and entertainment spaces along the beach. Having our own private spaces allowed our guests from all walks of life (youth, college, work, neighbors, family) to meet and create their own friendships and memories together. It was awesome! During the 5 days our guests were on the island, we only had two planned events for all 107 guests (Rehearsal Dinner Pig Roast & Wedding) but everything else was their time to relax, have an impromptu rager, or go on an excursion to explore the island.
Before our guests arrived our immediate family was able to spend 5 days together, exploring and volunteering at a local school and delivering school supplies that were collected at my bridal shower.
The music and entertainment were a highlight of the events...we had a bonfire, roasted pig, island merengue band, electric violinist, DJ, and Band and one of the biggest hits was the cigar roller.
My husband and I have spent time on the island but being able to share this beautiful place and culture with our families was special.
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
The piece of advice I heard over and over again was "Enjoy every minute because it will fly by" and every single person was correct. The entire day was a blur and before we could blink my new husband and I were standing over our late-night taco bar, and couldn't believe it was all over. Thankfully, we had another day to relax by the pool and say our goodbyes before our friends and family left the island. My piece of advice is to "let things happen" Some of the best memories we have from our wedding were those that were unplanned (18 bottles of tequila on Night 1, jumping in the pool, chair dancing, the man standing in a Speedo on the beach watching the ceremony, our nephew running down the aisle and jumping into my husband's arms, unexpected dance moves, pizza deliveries and so much more)...just let it happen and it will be amazing!
