Photo: Peep’s Paper Products1/33The save the date is the first taste that people get for a wedding, hence Dave and I put lots of thought into both content and style. Our wedding was going to be small and intimate, but at the same time, tropical and casual. We ultimately decided to use my company, Peep’s Paper Products, to create a whimsical watercolor theme featuring three personalized components: a boat with our yacht club’s burgee (as Dave sailed to Bermuda for the wedding), the National Museum of Bermuda (where our ceremony was held), and the Waterlot Inn (where our reception was held).
Photo: Laura Baker2/33All the wives, girlfriends, and daughters piled onto a gorgeous classic motor yacht to watch Dave and the crew of Carina start the Newport Bermuda Race off Castle Hill in Newport, Rhode Island. It was incredibly exciting and daunting at the same time—especially since 60 of the 220 boats registered for the race did not start on account of the forecast for gale-force winds and heavy seas.
Photo: Laura Baker3/33My husband’s boat—Carina—did incredibly well and was one of the first to arrive to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton. This picture captures that excitement perfectly. What is not captured are the dark ’n’ stormies in the hands of everyone on the dock despite the 8:00 a.m. arrival time!
Photo: Laura Baker4/33After five long days of no communication with my future husband, I was elated to greet my sailor (even though he may have been slightly greasy).
Photo: Laura Baker5/33After the excitement and strain of the race (not to mention lots of sailing parties and even more rum drinks), the beautiful beaches of Bermuda were the perfect place to relax the days away.
Photo: Peep’s Paper Products6/33Our goal for every touch point with our guests—from the save the date to the invitations to the menus at the reception—was to make people smile when they saw it. Fortunately, my in-laws were onboard with this and requested that I watercolor an invitation to the rehearsal dinner, which was a magical beach barbecue on Warwick Long Bay.
Photo: Laura Baker7/33My in-laws hosted a wonderful beach barbecue rehearsal dinner at Warwick Long Bay on Friday evening before the wedding. After my husband’s arrival early Wednesday morning, a party at the yacht club that night, and a crew dinner on Thursday evening, this was the first wedding-related event. Walking down to the beach that evening, my breath was taken away by the beauty of the setting: white tablecloths on a white sand beach set against turquoise water, made all the more special by the fact that it was in celebration of my husband and me.
Photo: Kondwani Williams8/33My husband and I got engaged under a flagpole on our small island summer community on the Chesapeake Bay. Hence, it was only fitting that we also get married under a flagpole. The Commissioner’s House—at what is now the National Museum of Bermuda—sits on a bluff offering incredible views of the Great Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from the western end of the island. We knew immediately it was the right spot for us to tie the knot.
Photo: Kondwani Williams9/33An incredibly talented needlepointer, my mother-in-law made this beautiful needlepoint pillow of Bermuda for my nephew to carry our rings. It captured our wedding so well with the sailboat, anchor, and island, and will forever be a cherished memento of our wedding day.
Photo: Kondwani Williams10/33I got dressed at the Commissioner’s House at the National Museum of Bermuda with my mother, sister, and flower girls. Originally constructed in the 1820s and perched at the western tip of Bermuda, the Commissioner’s House has a sense of timeless tranquility, which was captured well in this photograph in the moments before our ceremony began.
Photo: Kondwani Williams11/33Dave enjoying the view as our guests took their seats.
Photo: Kondwani Williams12/33The excitement started to set in as we took a few pictures in the museum.
Photo: Kondwani Williams13/33I remember looking out and seeing Dave, our guests, and the incredible view and not being able to wipe the smile off of my face as I clutched my father’s arm walking down the aisle.
Photo: Kondwani Williams14/33Dave’s godfather, Willy—who was also the skipper of Carina—married us. The Newport Bermuda Race organizers award a special necktie featuring St. David’s Lighthouse to the skipper and navigator of each boat that finishes the race. Dave and Willy wore these ties, while Dave’s father wore a St. David’s Light tie from the 1974 race, and all of our other male guests wore navy blue ties with our yacht club’s burgee.
Photo: Kondwani Williams15/33Our ceremony was small and intimate. Dave and I had known each of our guests for a minimum of 10 years, and we hope that every one of our attendees will be a prominent presence in our lives for years to come.
Photo: Kondwani Williams16/33I originally wanted to wear my great-grandmother’s wedding dress on the day of our wedding. With an outdoor ceremony, followed by a sunset cruise, we determined that unfortunately the dress wasn’t up to the rigors of the day. My sister is incredibly talented and set to work making an equally meaningful and special dress with lace and adornments that my mother imported from France and England. I could not have been more elated by the end product: a simple, fitted dress featuring beautiful lace that was perfect for an outdoor wedding of 29 people. She did an incredible job!
Photo: Kondwani Williams17/33My 9-year-old nephew, Thornton, was our ring bearer and it was incredibly important to me that he and my nieces were a part of our wedding, as I am very close with them.
Photo: Kondwani Williams18/33I wish I remember what prompted this outbreak of laughter, but I love this picture as it captures my mood and the excitement of the entire week.
Photo: Kondwani Williams19/33I was terrified I would make a mistake as I repeated our vows, but holding Dave’s hand was my security blanket and I got through without choking up.
Photo: Kondwani Williams20/33Our first kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Baker.
Photo: Kondwani Williams21/33I remember hugging Dave as hard as I could while the gravity of the moment set in. It was an incredible feeling.
Photo: Kondwani Williams22/33After being pronounced husband and wife, our “reverend” Willy had an unplanned surprise for us.
Photo: Kondwani Williams23/33Willy gave us a beautiful teak marriage board on which we figuratively tied the knot, locked a lock, and then handed the key to Willy, who turned and threw the key off the bluff into the Atlantic Ocean. This was such a surprise and one of my favorite experiences. The board now sits on a shelf in our living room forever reminding us that our love is safely locked up.
Photo: Kondwani Williams24/33We shared a million kisses that windy day.
Photo: Kondwani Williams25/33My nieces Isla, Genevieve, and Olivia standing with my nephew Thornton overlooking the ocean after the ceremony.
Photo: Kondwani Williams26/33We walked from the National Museum to the Royal Naval Dockyard where we boarded a boat for a sunset cruise to our reception.
Photo: Kondwani Williams27/33Smiles all around—we were surrounded by our closest friends and family.
Photo: Kondwani Williams28/33My sister, Beth, and her husband, Brett. Incredibly talented, Beth made the perfect fitted wedding dress for an outdoor wedding followed by a sunset cruise using lace imported from France and England.
Photo: Kondwani Williams29/33After the ceremony, we boarded a boat for a sunset cruise from near the National Museum of Bermuda to the Waterlot Inn, the venue for our reception. With sun, turquoise waters, rum drinks, and gentle music playing in the background, this was the perfect way to relax and enjoy the bliss of our wedding day.
Photo: Kondwani Williams30/33The sail between the ceremony and the reception was one of those moments you never want to forget—the color of the water, the smell of the air, and the company.
Photo: Kondwani Williams31/33Pink peonies are my favorite flower. We were pushing it a bit on the season so we had to do a mix, but I knew I wanted pink flowers next to the white lace and blue landscape.
Photo: Kondwani Williams32/33Our reception was held in a private dining room at the Waterlot Inn, a nearly 350-year-old gem right on the water in Bermuda’s Southampton Parish. After hours in the sun, it was the perfect place to sit and enjoy an intimate dinner with delicious food and drink. To our surprise and delight, nearly every one of our guests gave a toast—including impromptu speeches by my 7- and 9-year-old niece and nephew—which made the evening all the more special.
Photo: Kondwani Williams33/33Here we are, the happy bride and groom, enjoying one of the most memorable and special evenings of our lives. My husband and I frequently relive the memories of our wedding week in Bermuda. Fortunately, the Newport Bermuda Race takes place every two years, and we will be able to celebrate our two-year anniversary in Bermuda in 2018!
