Photo: Alex Bramall1/40We worked with the British illustrator Clym Evernden on our wedding artwork. I have been a big fan of his for years. Our logo was a pineapple with our initials inside it. We wanted something evoking the Caribbean, and we loved it as soon as Clym sent it to us. We tried to incorporate lots of local imagery as well as nods to our varied family backgrounds—hence the Swedish and French flags as Chris is half-half, and the Swiss and American flags for me.
Photo: Alex Bramall2/40Mill Reef is a very traditional, old-fashioned club and I love its timeless charm. It’s my paradise, and where I met my future husband. I wanted to share it with all my closest friends.
Photo: Alex Bramall3/40I am a big water person. When I’m in Antigua, I make sure to swim as much as possible, and the beach at Great Deep Bay is the place I go in the mornings and evenings.
Photo: Alex Bramall4/40If you ask me, the beaches and views from Mill Reef are some of the most beautiful in the world! It sits on the east side of Antigua, so it is fortunate to have lots of wind all year round.
Photo: Alex Bramall5/40Friday afternoon was spent on the beach with our guests enjoying each other’s company. This was a tender moment after our post-lunch swim.
Photo: Alex Bramall6/40One of our aims for the wedding was to work with as many local vendors in Antigua as possible. In lieu of place cards for our Friday evening rehearsal dinner on the beach, we commissioned a local artist to create these palm pods with each of the guests’ name on one side and a beautiful beach scene painted on the back.
Photo: Alex Bramall7/40We were so lucky to have amazing weather all weekend. It was especially important for our second evening of the wedding, which included a dinner on the beach, under the stars.
Photo: Alex Bramall8/40I actually first saw this Valentino dress on Vogue.com’s Runway section and I immediately knew it was the perfect look for our Friday evening beach dinner. The U.S. store was sold out in my size, but fortunately, I found it at Harrods in the U.K. My sister, who lives in London, went there and bought it for me sight unseen—I didn’t even get to try it for sizing!
Photo: Alex Bramall9/40I didn’t have many preconceived wedding dreams, but I have always loved the way a long table looks on the beach. Mill Reef had never organized this type of dinner for 150 people in the past, but with help from our talented planner Michelle Rago, they pulled it off in the most magical way.
Photo: Alex Bramall10/40Our Friday evening dinner dress code was quite casual. I wanted our guests to feel comfortable and enjoy themselves.
Photo: Alex Bramall11/40With most of our guests finally there, this was the toast that really kicked off the weekend.
Photo: Alex Bramall12/40We decided to surprise our guests with kickoff fireworks on Friday night rather than waiting for the main event. It was a fun twist after dinner that got everyone in a festive mood!
Photo: Alex Bramall13/40Our wedding day was very warm and sunny—we couldn’t have been luckier. I felt so calm the whole day, and before the ceremony, I spent time helping others get dressed and relaxing with our small, intimate wedding party. Here I am getting my father ready for the walk down the aisle.
Photo: Alex Bramall14/40While working at Vogue, I absolutely fell in love with flowers. Ranunculus are one of my favorite varieties.
Photo: Alex Bramall15/40I had my longtime hairstylist from New York with me, and we had a lot of fun playing with three different hair looks over the course of the weekend.
Photo: Alex Bramall16/40Putting on my Dolce & Gabbana gown was a surreal and exciting moment. The dress didn’t even need any tailoring, so I knew from the moment I tried it on that it was the one for me! For the after-party, I chose a more risqué dress by Dior, which is hanging in the background ready for a quick change later in the evening.
Photo: Alex Bramall17/40My shoes were by Gianvito Rossi. I needed to wear block heels, as we got married on the grass.
Photo: Alex Bramall18/40Walking to the house with my two bridesmaids: my sister Isabella Stelle and my best friend of 29 years, Ariana Li. I have so many amazing friends from so many different chapters in my life, but I wanted to have a small wedding party. They both wore Johanna Ortiz, with a similar pattern in different colorways and styles. Ortiz’s beautiful fabrics and elegant prints are fresh and fit in well with our location and the black-tie dress code.
Photo: Alex Bramall19/40The final touch of my wedding look was a veil, also by Dolce & Gabbana. Originally, I wanted to have a very modern wedding dress: My vision was a sleek silk number inspired by vintage Calvin Klein. I ended up going in the complete opposite direction and was dressed very traditionally instead.
Photo: Alex Bramall20/40Chris had to be ready a couple of hours earlier than our guests. It was hot in the afternoon sun, and he waited as long as possible before tying his bow tie.
Photo: Alex Bramall21/40Chris getting his bow tie straightened before the ceremony.
Photo: Alex Bramall22/40Walking down the aisle with my father. I think he was more nervous than I was! It was such a special moment to share with him.
Photo: Alex Bramall23/40We were legally married in Switzerland a few months before. However, our ceremony in Antigua, surrounded by so many loved ones, felt like our true wedding, and it is the date we have chosen as our anniversary going forward.
Photo: Alex Bramall24/40My uncle and godfather agreed to be our officiant. He did such an amazing job and the ceremony was serious and graceful but also lighthearted and fun. It perfectly matched our personalities and the spirit of the weekend!
Photo: Alex Bramall25/40It may sound cliché, but I felt so present and in the moment during the ceremony. It was incredible to be surrounded by (almost) everyone we love and in a place that means so much to me.
Photo: Alex Bramall26/40Laughing with my bridesmaids right after the ceremony.
Photo: Alex Bramall27/40Our wedding planner, Michelle Rago, found this stunning location on the club’s golf course for our ceremony, tent, and after-party. It overlooked beautiful turquoise waters and had a stunning view of one of the islands just off the club property.
Photo: Alex Bramall28/40We had guests fly in from many countries and even as far as Singapore and Hong Kong. I was touched that so many people made such an effort to come and celebrate with us.
Photo: Alex Bramall29/40In addition to being the first people to organize a beach dinner, we were also the first to put up a large tent at Mill Reef for our wedding dinner. The club, working hand in hand with a local operator, did such an incredible job. These paper lanterns led people from the cocktails up to the dinner.
Photo: Alex Bramall30/40My inspiration for the reception decor was very simple—lush floral arrangements paired with a lot of candles. Our other two dinners featured more colorful setups, and I wanted the main event to be very understated.
Photo: Alex Bramall31/40Clym designed the most adorable menu for us. We loved every piece of his work from the invitations all the way through to the custom luggage tags our guests received upon arrival.
Photo: Alex Bramall32/40Entering the tent and seeing all my design ideas come to life was an exhilarating and unforgettable moment.
Photo: Alex Bramall33/40Chris and I had so much on our minds throughout the planning process that we forgot to practice the first dance. Luckily, we got through it by inviting our friends to join us midway through “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”
Photo: Alex Bramall34/40The tent featured hanging ball lighting. I spent a lot of time looking for inspiration, and I chose much of the decor, florals, and other design elements of the weekend myself along with my planner. As someone who loves design, it was such fun to be part of the process with the planners! This was during Chris's father's speech.
Photo: Alex Bramall35/40We had a local band play after the wedding dinner and everyone loved their music!
Photo: Alex Bramall36/40During his speech, Chris invited the men to take off their jackets. It was a warm Caribbean evening and everyone was happy to oblige.
Photo: Alex Bramall37/40My beautiful aunt Barbara, who is like an older sister to me, being charmed by our friend Karim.
Photo: Alex Bramall38/40I wanted a more intimate setting for the after-party and settled on a smaller tent with walls made out of hanging lights to make it an outside-inside party.
Photo: Alex Bramall39/40For the after-party, I changed into flats as I knew I wanted to dance all night long! We asked our incredibly talented friend Clark Winter, aka Cole Trickle, to deejay.
Photo: Alex Bramall40/40This picture sums up exactly what we wanted from the weekend: for our guests to experience everything Antigua has to offer while really enjoying themselves!
