Photo: Olivia Rae James1/34We wanted our invitations to set the tone for the week ahead and reflect the colorful spirit of Harbour Island. My cousin and her husband created our beautiful watercolor crest, and from that, came a series of paintings which we incorporated in all of our printed materials throughout the weekend.
Photo: Olivia Rae James2/34Thursday night, Ben’s family hosted our rehearsal dinner at Rock House, which is one of our most favorite spots in town. We served rosé and Goombay Smashes (the island drink of choice), conch fritters, and lots of fresh, local seafood.
Photo: Olivia Rae James3/34Ben had initially thought about wearing white for our ceremony, but after much debate we decided to make it his look for our rehearsal dinner.
Photo: Olivia Rae James4/34The Ocean View Club was the perfect setting for getting ready. We spent most of the day in the ocean and on the beach and then all met at my room, nestled in the palm trees, to get dressed. I did my own makeup and one of my bridesmaids pinned my hair back with tiny Chanel pearls.
Photo: Olivia Rae James5/34I wore a pair of Brock Collection earrings for the wedding, from our friends Laura and Kris.
Photo: Olivia Rae James6/34I wanted the women in our wedding party to wear their own individual dresses in an array of colors. The palette and green crowns connected them all.
Photo: Olivia Rae James7/34I finished dressing at my parents’ hotel so we could have a quiet moment together before walking across the street to the church.
Photo: Olivia Rae James8/34My sister-in-law giving her daughter a pre-ceremony pep talk.
Photo: Olivia Rae James9/34Aligning a single seamed dress is harder than it looks. Thankfully, I had two members of our wedding party, Cynthia Smith and Laura Vassar, on hand to help!
Photo: Olivia Rae James10/34Going to the chapel!
Photo: Olivia Rae James11/34My bouquet was wrapped in my grandmother’s handkerchief and a vintage lace handkerchief that was a shower gift. I wore a single diamond bracelet of my mother’s, an aquamarine Marie-Hélène de Taillac ring for my something blue, and Brock Collection earrings from our friends Kris and Laura.
Photo: Olivia Rae James12/34Ben finalizing the speech he gave during dinner at the reception.
Photo: Olivia Rae James13/34Ben wore a custom Rag & Bone suit, which was a wedding gift from Marcus and David; a bespoke white shirt from House of Etre; and classic Gucci loafers. The groomsmen all wore navy J.Crew suits and brown suede loafers our friend Patrick picked up in Ravello, Italy.
Photo: Olivia Rae James14/34Golf carts are the best way to get around the tiny island. Here are a few of our groomsmen on their way to the church.
Photo: Olivia Rae James15/34The littlest members of our wedding party, our ring bearers and flower girls, were also in white. The girls carried green bouquets and wore white bougainvillea in their hair.
Photo: Olivia Rae James16/34St. Johns Anglican Church is a landmark of Harbour Island and the oldest church in the Bahamas.
Photo: Olivia Rae James17/34My nieces and nephews, ready to make their entrance.
Photo: Olivia Rae James18/34Moments before entering the church with my dad. For the ceremony, I wore a custom re-embroidered silk net jacket, made by Bill Bull, over my dress.
Photo: Olivia Rae James19/34Ben and I feeling so much love as we walked out of the church as a married couple.
Photo: Olivia Rae James20/34The women in our wedding party wore their own, individual dresses in an array of pale, island inspired colors, which many people remarked looked like seaglass!
Photo: Olivia Rae James21/34My ring was created by a friend of ours, Montana Coady. The stone is an old miner cut from the 1920’s.
Photo: Olivia Rae James22/34Being surrounded by my nieces and nephews was a highlight of the day!
Photo: Olivia Rae James23/34The colors on the island provided such a spectacular and joyful backdrop for the entire weekend.
Photo: Olivia Rae James24/34Ben and I taking a few minutes to soak it all in before joining our family and friends.
Photo: Olivia Rae James25/34Heading into our wedding reception!
Photo: Olivia Rae James26/34I decide to forgo traditional hair and makeup but luckily my girlfriends are incredibly talented in that arena.
Photo: Olivia Rae James27/34Following cocktails and live music up on the Ocean View terrace, we made our way down to the beach for dinner and dancing. Dusk is such a magical time of day in the Bahamas, when the sky becomes the same shade of pink as the sand.
Photo: Olivia Rae James28/34My mom in particular was pivotal in making the entire weekend happen, and we worked closely together to plan the reception. We wanted to embrace the beauty and vibrancy of the island, and chose local greenery, large palms and a large bougainvillea centerpiece above the dancefloor to compliment the space.
Photo: Olivia Rae James29/34The team at the Ocean View Club created the most beautiful soft, glowing light around our wedding tent including a candle lit path to our bonfire, tiny twinkle lights and lots and lots of candles for a party that felt both in and under the stars.
Photo: Olivia Rae James30/34We wanted our wedding dinner to feel incredibly intimate, so we opted for three long tables which flanked the dance floor. In addition to local greenery, each table was covered in lots of candles with bamboo lanterns hanging above.
Photo: Olivia Rae James31/34Throughout all of our events, we opted for natural tones with greenery authentic to the island.
Photo: Olivia Rae James32/34For dessert, we traded in a traditional cake for Key Lime Pie (a personal favorite) and coconut sorbet.
Photo: Olivia Rae James33/34The speeches at our wedding were a true highlight of the weekend.
Photo: Olivia Rae James34/34Following dinner, the rest of our evening was spent dancing under the stars to music by DJ Sam French, and lounging around the bonfire.
