When you think of a Caribbean wedding you probably envision exchanging your vows with yours in the sand. Tommy and Lucy however loved the setting of Lucy’s family garden and choose this stunning wedding venue.
Lucy and Tommy met whilst working together in a nightclub in Cheltenham. They were put on bar and promo shifts together, and later on Lucy found out Tommy had specifically asked the manager (his best man Paul) to put us on the same shifts 🙂
We asked Lucy and Tommy a few questions:
Can you tell us something cute or unique about your wedding?
Our wedding took place in the back garden of Lucy’s family home. The setting was so perfect in the fact that it didn’t have to be overly decorated, as the towering palm trees and the gorgeous view spoke for itself. We decided on minimal colour throughout so the décor was more botanical with accents of gold. Different elements from the garden were incorporated into the wedding scheme, the bright stars which can be seen from the garden were picked out in Lucy’s veil, along with the star shaped confetti thrown when they said their vows. The first dance depicted this too, with the words ‘when the night has come and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we’ll see’. The whole idea was to have everything under moonlight, beneath the stars ‘in our garden by the sea’, with particular areas being highlighted with strings of lights. Lucy’s brother Tom played a significant role in the wedding, he walked Tommy’s mum and Lucy’s mum down the aisle, painted the leaves on the wedding cake and created the playlist of songs which played out during the dinner.
Tell me about your wedding dress?
I knew I wanted a dress which I could somehow make my own, I had tried on a few dresses previously, which were beautiful, but I never felt that they reflected me. So when my friend Mimi sent me a picture of a HDEP dress on Instagram, I knew I would wear one of her dresses. I went with my mum and sister to the studio and tried on 3 or 4 stunning dresses until I found the one, where the embroidery was at a slightly bigger scale than the others. I knew from the moment I tried the sample on that that would be my wedding dress.
How did he pop the question?
We were on holiday in Thailand, on the island of Koh Yao Yai. We had been for dinner in the restaurant and we were strolling down the pier (Lucy has a weird love for piers/jetties in the sea), knowing that I love the pier in our garden in Cayman, Tommy popped the question at the end of the pier whilst we overlooked the fishies.
How did you feel during your vows or just before you walked down the aisle?
(Tommy)- I was stood at the alter. looking around and seeing all of our nearest and dearest there with us in Cayman, it felt surreal. It was incredibly touching to have them all there. I saw my mother being walked down the aisle by Lucy’s brother, and that was the moment I felt our families merging. My mum also had tears in her eyes whcih of course made me start to well up! I then heard the song, the song we had spoken about so much and which I had thought about so much, and I knew that this was finally it, I was marrying Lucy! All the years of planning and all the years we have spent together, it all came down to this moment! (Lucy)- I had been calm all day, and as soon as we were all lined up inside to walk out, arm in arm with my dad, I turned to look at my sister and she was in tears holding my veil, I nearly lost it. It was overwhlemingly joyous, and the whole ceremony was just that.
What was your favourite moments from the wedding?
1. When Tommy noticed the embroidered writing around my waist. 2. At the end of the night when all of our friends circled us on the dance for one last song, they were all soaking wet from jumping in the pool, and Tommy and I danced surrounded by them all. 3. When Miss Annette (our helper and my second mum!) sang during our registry signing 4. When my dad accidently locked us out of the house at the end of the night and we lay on the sofas under the stars.
What advice would you offer other couples planning a destination wedding?
I’d say pick a setting which barely needs decoration, then its an easier co-ordination job and it speaks for itself in the photos.
Were there any unique items in your wedding that you would like to highlight?
It was more about the small details, the ushers were all given gold vintage cufflinks chosen by the groom, and the bridesmaids wore mismatched vintage earrings, chosen by the bride. Tommy’s suit had our initials embroidered on the inside, along with the wedding date, which corresponded with the embroidered initials and date on Lucy’s sleeves.
Dress Boutique and Dress Designer: Hermione De Paula
Cake: The Cake Studio
Officiant: Joy Basdeo ( Simply Weddings)
Hair & Makeup: Jackie Soriano and Trina Biliti
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
DJ Jacko
Groom’s Suit: DKNY
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Maids to Measure
photographer: Rebecca Davidson Photography