Clocks will spring ahead in just 33 days which means beautiful New England weather is right around the corner. I’ve been reflecting on the past 7 years married to Eric and how fun it would be to renew our vows on some fabulous, far-away island but in the meantime I decided to look back through all of the pictures and letters I’ve received from excited brides and grooms over the past few years. I love hearing about first kisses, proposals and exotic destination weddings and I came across one of my absolute favorite stories. I hope you enjoy it.
The Proposal
My husband and I first met about 6 years ago on a group ski trip at Sunday River. After one chair lift ride together we instantly clicked and from that point on we were inseparable! In October of 2011 we decided to take a long weekend trip up to Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a beautiful fall weekend and we were lucky enough to bring our two lab mixes along for a weekend full of hiking and exploring the beautiful Maine coast. The first morning we were there we took a short hike to a beautiful secluded beach (which reminds me – I’m totally grabbing sand from that spot next time I’m up there so I can get a necklace!) in Acadia National Park. The dogs were swimming in the ocean and we were taking in the beauty of the surroundings! I went up to the woods to grab a stick for the dogs to fetch in the water and after throwing it in he came up behind me and put his arms around me and that’s when he pulled out the ring box! I couldn’t have thought of a better place – and I love how I had my dogs there for the special moment!
The Destination
We chose a destination wedding because we thought it would make for a smaller and more laid back wedding experience! We also liked the idea of having a wedding “week” with all of our friends and family, as opposed to just one day! We chose St. John because it is our favorite place on earth and we try to travel there every year. It also has some of the most beautiful beaches and it is such a friendly island – so it was definitely an easy decision!
The Wedding
Well, we did not get the small wedding had anticipated! We invited 130 people to our destination wedding and we had 105 confirmed guests that traveled all the way to St John to be there for our wedding. We didn’t expect nearly that many people so in turn that made the long distance planning a bit stressful. After getting the help from a wedding planner (Island Bliss Weddings) my stress went away and everything came together. Most of our guests were down there for a week and it was non-stop fun! We had a welcome party at a beach restaurant the night before the wedding, and the morning after the wedding we chartered two catamaran boats and went island hopping
through the British Virgin Islands.
The day of the wedding was absolutely perfect. We had a sunset wedding on Trunk Bay – which was voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world – and we were lucky enough to show up and the whole beach was empty. After the reception we all headed back to town and ate delicious island inspired cuisine and danced the night away at Ocean Grill. Everything was more than I could ever hope for and we are so lucky that so many of our loved ones were there to celebrate with us. It was truly the trip of a lifetime!
Bridal Party Gifts
I was really stuck on what to get my bridesmaids as gifts. I knew I wanted jewelry but I wanted to make it something special and memorable. My mother had met Holly Christensen at a fair in York, Maine and she was showcasing Dune Jewelry. As soon as she left she called me and said I have the perfect gift! I went on to the website and saw all the beautiful jewelry and my decision was made – the only trouble I had was picking a necklace. I decided to go with 8 Sandrop Necklaces filled with Trunk Bay sand (I lucked out and it was already a beach in the sand bank!). I also ordered the Sand Bead Necklace for myself! The white sand in the necklaces looked so beautiful with the girls’ pale aqua dresses. They still wear them all the time and it’s the perfect reminder of such an amazing day in a breathtaking location.
