The sky was the prettiest blue, the breeze just right, and the day couldn't have been more perfect for our eventful WEDDING DAY! The Lord works in mysterious ways, considering the unexpected rain & lightening we endured the day before during our Trash the Dress session! He also tested us when there was a power outage on the whole island! Yes, that's right, the power went out as my bridesmaids & I are waiting for the elevator to meet everyone beachside. I was almost tempted to take 15 flights of stairs to meet my hubby to be because nothing was going to stop me that day! Luckily, the Westin's generator kicked into high gear. And with all the excitement, the power outage didn't phase any of us, not even me, and for a bride to not be stressed about that, says a lot, maybe it's the whole Aruba mentality of "One Happy Island!" Well lets just say, that motto worked for me the whole time we were there.
Now down to business, we had our ceremony on the Westin's beach property, keep in mind, this is a public beach and there were a couple on-lookers, but we didn't mind the attention! I have to say, I love that the Westin is the first hotel on the high rise side because the beach is usually less crowded (partly due to not having a neighbor hotel), which was an advantage for our ceremony. I noticed with the other hotels on the high rise side, their beach properties seemed cramped and busy.
For those brides that hear its windier at the Westin, don't believe it. I'm sure it depends on the season (it was really windy in August during our site visit), but it was perfect for our wedding day! I wore a veil and had my hair down during the ceremony and the wind wasn't an issue for me at all.
Here are some pictures of the ceremony setup as well as cocktail hour setup. The bar was located where the palapas are and the steel pan player we had for the ceremony was under the tree!
Now down to business, we had our ceremony on the Westin's beach property, keep in mind, this is a public beach and there were a couple on-lookers, but we didn't mind the attention! I have to say, I love that the Westin is the first hotel on the high rise side because the beach is usually less crowded (partly due to not having a neighbor hotel), which was an advantage for our ceremony. I noticed with the other hotels on the high rise side, their beach properties seemed cramped and busy.
For those brides that hear its windier at the Westin, don't believe it. I'm sure it depends on the season (it was really windy in August during our site visit), but it was perfect for our wedding day! I wore a veil and had my hair down during the ceremony and the wind wasn't an issue for me at all.
Here are some pictures of the ceremony setup as well as cocktail hour setup. The bar was located where the palapas are and the steel pan player we had for the ceremony was under the tree!
Because our ceremony was on the beach, I thought it would be cute if I added a simple DIY project just to let our guests know how relaxed our ceremony is, so sit back, kick your shoes off and enjoy!
All our guests met in the lower lobby of the hotel and were escorted to the ceremony by Patrick. The steel pan player kept the guests entertained while they patiently wait for my arrival!
Though we arrived fashionably late (only like 10 minutes...it's the elevators fault), I made it down the white sandy aisle to meet my Mr. Right! You might see a smile in this picture, but I was trying to hold back my tears as I saw my groom waiting for me, him already in tears!
Our officiant, Greg Leyder, did an outstanding job! He was so nice and his humor and sincerity was just our style! Afterwards, several guests commented on how lovely our ceremony was because of his beautiful words and prayers.
We're married....You may now kiss the BRIDE!
To make it all "official" (not really, just for keepsake purposes) we signed our marriage certificate along with our witnesses (our Matron of Honor & Best Man).
TIME TO CELEBRATE!! Cocktail hour and ceremony to follow...stay tuned!
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