Celebrities Marry on Necker Island

Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo recently married on Necker Island. Necker Island is the private vacation island of Virgin founder Richard Branson. It is a perfect paradise and encompasses everything I love about the Caribbean. This is the place we dream about... someday, I hope to visit! 

Nick & Vanessa allowed cameras to follow their planning & all the big day celebrations. The feature was shown on TLC. "Nick & Vanessa's Dream Wedding". Check it out for some great Destination Wedding ideas. I love when they released their wedding wishes and illuminated the sky with a paper lantern.

Vanessa recently shared some of her own personal Destination Wedding planning tips on her twitter page: 

Tip 1: Try on different styles of dresses. Even if u know what u want, it may surprise u. Go for it all & be girly! Most importantly, HAVE FUN


Tip 2: I Love a "little" splash of color! I had a beautiful bouquet of gloriosa's, BUT I didn't put my matron of honor in a fuchsia dress


Tip 3: Listen to your groom & have elements of what "he" wants in the Wedding. After all, it's both of your day. Nick had great suggestions.


{read all 10 tips here}



Cheers,

Origami Balloon Lanterns

Oh so pretty! 

 

Perfect little addition to add to the festivities of a Destination Wedding! Sweet little origami balloon lanterns first spotted here, on {frolic}.

Folded flat, these would travel well... don't you think?

Caneel Bay, St. John Real Wedding by Amanda Julca

I adore this wedding! Amanda Julca did a fantastic job capturing this couples amazing wedding at Caneel Bay in St. John, USVI.

The simple details shine... do you see the sweet little basket of parasols below?

What an amazing little courtyard to relax post-ceremony... and paper lanterns are always a plus.

This photo below sums up why I love the Caribbean - the colors and the quaintness...

A new union in a very old setting...

Congratulations to the bride & groom... and to their amazing wedding photographer for doing such a great job! 

If you'd like to see more of Amanda's work, visit her website or her blog. 

To get started planning your own Destination Wedding, please contact me - laura @ caribbeanjourney.com or 866-236-1924!

Simple + Elegant

I love Brothers & Sisters on ABC. Sally Field had me at hello and it doesn't hurt that she reminds me very much of my mother so this show is comfort food in my house. I swoon over the opening shot of the large tree strung with lights in the Walker family backyard. (I couldn't find the exact image - but this one from Martha Stewart is close enough.) Every week when that image appears on the screen, I think of weddings and then my business... and so on. What I am always left with is why do most Caribbean Weddings seem to go a bit overboard on the beach theme? There is no written rule that you too have to fall into this trap. It is perfectly ok to say no to the hot glue gun and miniature sea shells and go unique. Collect baby food jars from your friends, carry down some fishing wire and white votives, and hire the hotel groundskeeper to help with the set-up. Order a stash of paper garlands and hang them between a few palm trees and watch as they dance in the sea breeze. What I am trying to say, is it is perfectly ok to let nature be the theme and YOU create your own design. Enjoy!

UPDATE: The very day after I wrote this post, I received a fantastic portfolio of a Jamaican Wedding featuring the exact look I've been dreaming about... stay tuned for more on lovely little hanging lanterns!

Paper Lanterns for Sale

Sometimes in life... you just need a pretty picture to make you smile...

If you want to go find Paper Lanterns at their source, jump on a scooter and zoom the hills and valleys of tropical Asia and maybe you'll find a shop just like this: Photo from here.

Star Paper Lantern Idea

Pretty enough all by itself...

But gorgeous strung together vertically in small groupings...

Lanterns from PartyLights.com

Paper Lanterns

First it was {garlands} and now... I'm really loving {paper lanters} and this photo sums up why... wouldn't you agree?