I want you to close your eyes for a minute (read this first or else you won’t see what I am talking about) and imagine yourself lounging on an isolated beach or floating next to some beautiful rocky slopes of an uninhabited island. Now picture a beverage that seems to refill itself from your stewardess tending to you and delicious treats passing under your nose on a silver platter.
You may be daydreaming all of that at this moment, but it can be real life and exactly how your wedding and honeymoon will play out if you choose to have a yacht wedding.
Brandie and Don recently got married in St Thomas. The couple and their 34 closest friends and family spent a few days soaking in the brand new Ritz Carlton resort. On Saturday, we helped design a stunning dockside ceremony in Yacht Haven Grande that was followed by a night of dancing and cocktails onboard the 106’ Motoryacht Unbridled that they charted for this lavish event.
Sounds too good to be true…just wait. At 10:30pm sharp, the guests filtered out to grab their shoes and head down the dock. At 11:15pm, MY Unbridled dropped lines and set sail for the British Virgin Islands, where Brandie and Don would enjoy a 6-day honeymoon catered to their every need 24/7.
While still a relatively new concept to most, having a yacht wedding is a fairytale in itself. We are so proud to showcase this stunning wedding. It was a blast to plan the international logistics and get to work with amazing new vendors and yacht crew. For those of you who are new to the Blue Orchid Team, we are all ex-yacht stewardesses that have taken our love of exquisite client services to the land, making wedding dreams come true. If you want more information please check out our sister company, Blue Ocean Events, which has opened the doors to this unique wedding and event opportunity.
Alright, enough of the slight sales pitch. Let me delve into the magical weekend that was Brandie and Don’s wedding.
Island Meetings & Incentives awaited guest arrivals at Cyril E. King airport with luxury vans to transport friends and family to the Ritz Carlton Resort on the East end of the island. Nestled away in its own cove, the newly renovated Ritz Carlton created the perfect celebration ambiance for the weekend. With their grand opening after 2 years under construction from Hurricane Irma damage, the Ritz impressed with modern tropical decor, guava rum punch upon arrival, and multiple beaches with deep turquoise water to wash away everyday stresses. Guests had time to unwind and soak up some sun before the welcome dinner Friday night at the Mediterranean restaurant, Alloro, on the resort. With homemade pasta and fresh fish caught that day, the guests were treated to a full-service island dinner. A local cigar aficionado set up to educate and prepare cigars for those interested, making for a festive evening right on the water.
While destination weddings are a splendid experience for the couple and their guests, us vendors get to have a bit of fun as well. While the Blue Orchid Team enjoyed oceanfront views from our room at the Ritz, our photographer, Travis Harris, was in a neighboring unit also taking in the exotic sights and feels. He is an incredible editorial photographer based out of Miami but does international shoots as well. He and his second shooter spent the days capturing stunning photos and video footage of our couple and their guests enjoying each moment. We are so in love with these photos as they showcase perfectly what to expect from a yacht wedding.
It is Wedding Day!
Brandie and her ladies show up to the yacht greeted with cool eucalyptus towels and champagne from the Chief Stewardess and are given a tour around. The crew brings the bags downstairs and unpacks for them making sure that Brandie and Don feel absolutely at home, the boat is technically theirs for the next seven days. The girls shoot off to a local salon, Sugar and Spice, for hair and makeup while Don adorns his swim trunks and heads up top to read and start his wedding vacation.
Hours before guest arrival, the yacht is alive with all hands on deck preparing the heavy hor d'oeuvres, bar set up, and flower decor inside the yacht and along the dock for the ceremony. Furniture is removed to open up a dance floor inside the main salon. The hot tub is lined with florals and filled with petals. The chef is piping little tastes of homemade ice cream into his miniature ice cream sandwiches at the couple’s request. The stews are polishing champagne flutes and rolling hand towels to welcome the guests with as they walk down the dock.
East End Flower Shop built an arch overflowing with roses and hydrangeas positioned at the end of the dock that would overlook the sunset falling behind the mountains. While the decor was simple, it added such an air of romance. DJ Oz set up a small booth inside the salon with speakers on the flybridge and aft deck to really bump some tunes later that night.
Brandie and the ladies came back looking glamorous and headed to the master cabin to get dressed. Don, still in his swim trunks, relaxed a bit longer before showering and getting ready.
Guests began to walk into the marina at 4pm and down the dock to meet MY Unbridled and her crew awaiting their arrival. Each guest was handed a glass of champagne or cold water to cool off before the ceremony started. It was time! Guests stood on a side for short and sweet ceremony. Don beamed as he took his place under the arch.
Brandie emerged from the yacht with her sister holding her train and fought back tears as she linked arms with her father and made her way down the aisle. Her father officiated the ceremony with words of love and gratitude for all of those in attendance. A kiss and a dip later, Mr and Mrs walked up the dock as newlyweds!
The guests then were ushered into the boat for a full cocktail bar and three stewardesses passing the first round of bites. Brandie and Don made their grand entrance and had an intimate first dance surrounded by those most important to them.
Party time! DJ Oz turned up the jams and Don’s sister was the first to kick off hours of fun, rapping, and constant dancing. Both decks were booming with guests enjoying themselves.
Most weddings end slowly with guests saying their goodbyes and having last-minute drinks. This crew knew the deal. “We love you, but now it is time for us to set sail on our honeymoon, so bye!” Right at 10:30, everyone filed out orderly to collect their shoes and said goodbye from the dock. I have never seen such an organized exit.
We put the furniture back on, cleaned up the bar and galley, and said farewell to our happy couple. They were over the moon with how the day planned out and very much ready for a soak in the hot tub and to wake up anchored in a private cove of the BVI’s.
Abby, owner and lead planner for this wedding, worked hard for a year to make this destination wedding come to life. Being part of the team that was there to pull it off was almost unreal. What a way to work. We love what we do! We love being part of all these special moments and being trusted with our expertise to give you a once in a lifetime experience.
Thank you Brandie and Don for trusting us to plan this adventure for you and your guests. You two have hearts of gold and laughs for eternity. All the happiness to you and may your love travel to more exotic places!
