The jury is out... we made the magazine!
The timing could not have been better! The decision had only just been made to subtly change the design direction for Petals and a not so subtle change for our website and blog when I got the invitation: Bermuda Bride had been invited to participate in a design challenge invoking a sense of place. Only six vendors were allowed and the images had to be captured by a professional photographer. Count me in!
All the details located at the bottom of the images - they are too delectable to interrupt with text!
After a couple of late night brain exploding sessions, a concept was born - it was very much the wedding reception we'd want if we were to get married again! With travel schedules and weather, we eventually shot our tableau in the last week of October. The days were still long but as dusk fell, there was a decided nip in the air.
As the stars came out, Amanda shouted "it's a wrap" and we exhaustedly fell into sushi and saki at Lido to celebrate a job well done!
Huge credits go to all those who made it possible:
Lara from Bermuda Bride was borrowed for the day to be our bride (enticed by me saying "how'd you feel like a day chilling on the beach?) and a we borrowed a delicious looking man to be our groom.
Our six vendors who gave willingly and plentifully:
Location:
Elbow Beach Hotel: www.mandarinoriental/com/bermuda.
Special thanks to Sophie Dier who ensure the beach was raked.
Flowers:
Petals: www.petalsbermuda.com.
Concept by Nikki Begg, Creative Director at Petals, Designs created by Sarah
Lighting, lanterns and linens:
Tamisha at Ambiance Designs: www.ambiancebermuda.com
Glass plates, votive holders, stationery:
Pulp and Circumstance e: pulp@northrock.bm
Thank you to Kristy Grayston who never seems to mind when I bombard her store with requests and demands.
Wedding cake, Dark and Stormys, Bermuda Fishcakes, stemware and flatware:
Lido Restaurant: www.lido.bm
Photography:
Amanda Temple Photography - www.amandatemple.com
This shoot would not have been possible without Amanda: not only a photographer extraordinaire but tree hugger supreme - using driftwood to create a table and a large heart was magical.
Styled by Nikki Begg of Bermuda Bride - www.bermudabride.com
On a personal note, thank you to Erika @ Destination Weddings and Honeymoons for allowing us the opportunity to create from our hearts. http://www.bonniercorp.com/brands/Destination-Weddings-Honeymoons.html
As Bermuda is a British
colony, we wanted to celebrate the traditions of Bermuda where British heritage
meets island flavor.
A big part of our lives
are spent on the beach or by the water while in the heat of the day, we enjoy
afternoon tea at 3.00. For the color, we've taken the shades of the ocean, from
the silver grey white caps through to the coral found in our famous pink
sand. These hues were reflected in the flowers, stationery and table accents
while still honoring the age old tradition of English tea, as represented in
the teapots.
Another tradition, for
which we are famous, is the bride's cake. This is a silver leaf wedding cake:
It is a fruit cake wrapped in silver leaf with the silver leaf symbolizing the
bride's purity. The interior, the fruit cake, represents the 'fruitfulness' or
future children, that will come from the union. The top of the wedding cake is
a sprig of cedar. This is planted in the couple's garden and as it grows, so
does the love in their marriage.
We are famous for our
Dark and Stormy drinks. A wicked combination of dark rum and ginger beer.
A staple food in any Bermudian household (and restaurant) is our chunky
fish chowder laced with rum and sherry peppers.
Couples are always
searching for ways to make their wedding day unique. With a little time and
creativity, they can achieve a very similar look (have put in several from
which you can choose):
We used a white linen
bed cover over a basic floor length tablecloth to provide texture – it was
passed down as part of a dowry, from mother to daughter.
Instead of silver
teapots, a personal collection, one could use mason jars or any form jars/vases
that are personal favorites.
We could not find the
exact shade of stationery for the menus but saw a box of envelopes that
was exactly what we wanted. Once the envelope was opened, and the edges torn
off, they were the perfect size for our Bermuda menu.
To identify the food for
the canapés, we walked along a rugged shoreline and found large sized pebbles
which were then marked with a Sharpie to identify the canapés. The bench
too was made from a piece of wood we found and literally 'knocked'
together.
From a collection of
driftwood, Amanda made the heart and side table which held the wedding
cake.
Rather than buy special
lighting, the bride and groom could purchase twinkle lights from a local
hardware store. We found three trees near the shoreline and created a triangle.
Using those trees as our posts, we made an overhead canopy mimicking a ceiling
of stars. Make sure the bridal party are on hand to help and promise them Dark
and Stormy's once done!
~ njb ~
