This is your sign to have a destination wedding, and take me with you to capture it all!!
I have known Staci & Scott for a few years now, after capturing their maternity and family photos. So, when they reached out to me last winter about their destination wedding, I jumped at the amazing opportunity! At the time, they hadn’t even picked a destination yet, just their February 2024 date. February is one of my slowest months of the year here in NE Ohio, so I was so excited to not only capture their big day, but to also get out of cold Ohio.
After reaching out to a destination wedding planning company, they finally decided on Beaches in Ocho Rios Jamaica. It was the perfect resort for a family with small children. It is also an all inclusive resort, and with being a Sandals owned resort, no tipping allowed along with all the drinks you can drink, as well as unlimited food, a water park, and a kids daycare. With three kids under the age of three, a daycare was very important.
Staci knew she wanted a small, intimate wedding. So, she chose the gazebo location rather than the beach. The beach weddings are beautiful, as we watched one while we were there, but you do have everyone in bathing suits off to the side watching the whole thing. The gazebo location was so beautiful and much more private, as it is off to the far end of the resort. The entire wedding, including them, their children, and myself was only 17 people.
Staci get her beautiful wedding dress locally at Formality Bridal in Geneva, Ohio. She also brought down one of her besties from Jennifer & Company, Meghan Sullens, to do her hair and makeup. She chose the free flowers, that were included in her wedding package with Beaches. And then there was myself! She chose to bring me down, rather than use the resorts photographers. With this, she had a more personal experience, and knew she would love my style of photography on her wedding day. With resort photographers, you don’t know which one you are going to get or the experience that you will have. With myself and my husband staying at the resort for a week, she avoided having to pay an outside vendor fee, which most resorts charge for weddings.
Since the guest count was so small, there was an intimate dinner after photos to celebrate the new Mr. & Mrs. Redford. They still had a grand entrance, a cake cutting, and a first dance, along with an amazing meal. It was all beautifully candlelit, with personalized place settings, and even a signature drink.
If you are thinking about doing a destination wedding, DO IT!! You can have a large wedding, or a small intimate one, it’s YOUR day. There are so many family friendly resorts, like Beaches, or there are adult only resorts, like Sandals. You will have so much less stress with the planning, if you are working with a professional wedding planner. You can bring your favorite wedding photographer, hair & makeup artist, etc. The best part, in my opinion, you have your honeymoon built right in!
I am booking through 2026, so if you are having a destination wedding, reach out to me! I have custom packages for destination weddings.
xoxo
Lindsay
Venue: Beaches Ocho Rios https://www.beaches.com/
HMUA: Meghan Sullens of Jennifer & Co. https://www.jenniffer-and-co.com/
Bridal Gown: Formality Bridal https://formalitybridal.com/
Photographer: Lindsay Dawn Photography https://lindsaydawnphotography.com/
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