Wedding Photography

Reprinted from Tripadvisor.com

Almond Morgan Bay Beach Resort: The perfect Wedding Photography

A party of eight of us ranging in age from 6 to 66 went out to St Lucia for our Wedding. The hotel really had something for everyone- quiet adults only pools, a kids pool with slides, pool table , table tennis and kids club, and great entertainment in the evening, that impressed us all by its high quality. Not to mention a good range of watersports that are part of the package.

A page from the Porter’s wedding album

In our second week we got married. The day was really relaxed and everything ran smoothly. We should mention our fantastic Wedding Photography Bill Mortley who is a resident of the island- he took so much time and care to capture every moment of our day. He is both a perfectionist and real professional- we are absolutely delighted with our photos. Anyone considering a wedding in St Lucia should visit his website. He was substantially cheaper than the hotel Wedding Photography, and having met a disappointed bride who had taken up the hotel photographer, we were so pleased that someone had recommended him to us before we went.

Multiple wedding images for the Porter wedding album

All in all our two weeks were pretty much perfect- just a bit more rain than we had expected. Our top tips for getting married at this hotel would be 1. The gazebo is a much more private location to get hitched than the beach- its quite public. 2. Pay the extra to have a steel band play – it was well worth it for the great ambience it created. 3. Check out the St Lucia wedding photographer we recommended above, rather than just going with the hotel one.

A fairytale wedding is hardly complete without the perfect wedding photographer. One who not only goes by the books, capturing every precious moment of the occasion but who’s enthusiasm to the job transcends though professionalism, creating a blissful atmosphere that is most of all, conducive to just about the best wedding memoirs one could wish for.

Couple posing for photographer Bill Mortley

Bill Mortley is one of those photographers that set subjects at ease. John Walsh and Holly Walsh, who worked in the Corporate Asset Finance banker found that out when they set off to St Lucia for their tropical destination wedding.
John was a manager a CPA London and Holly worked in the Corporate Asset Finance banker division for Lloyds TSB, a Major Bank in the London. They’d met at a bar randomly through mutual friends. Conversations progressed rapidly from that initial meeting and one year later, they moved to London from their hometown Jersey, together.
“I chose to share my life with John because he is perfect in every way,” said Holly.

Multiple images for wedding album page

“Holly “is an absolutely stunning, beautiful woman”, John says.
Once they’d moved in together, the couple engaged within 10 weeks. They settled on a destination wedding, and later, on the lush isle of St Lucia.
“Our flight from London while fine, was a bit stressful. As soon as we arrived at the Resort we just chilled out and relaxed for the whole week before the wedding. We wanted the day to be really special and we brought along a wedding party of family and friends to ensure it would be.”

Holly and John agreed that the outstanding beauty of the island had drawn them in. They’d never been to St Lucia before but heard reviews that the island was “simply stunning.”
“St Lucia is beautiful, we’ve been able to verify that for ourselves. We looked at so many venues and St Lucia is the one that really stuck out. We chose Almond Morgan Bay after seeing the photos of the property and reading reviews on Trip Advisor. We decided that was the ideal place for our “perfect day,”

Holly & John pose in the garden

The soon to be newlyweds tied the knot on May 9th at Almond Morgan Bay. John looked absolutely thrilled as he watched daughter Courtney Ember Walsh, 12-years-old and one of the bride’s maids, walk down the aisle. After the wedding he said he’d been excited, as his daughter Courtney just loved the island.
Twenty-four family members and friends were present for the nuptials, including John’s parents Margaret and John, Holly’s brother Dean who represented her father who passed away recently, and also gave her away. Other attendees included Holly’s cousin Lindsey, John’s Mother Marian and her best friend Pauline, John’s Best man Dean, and groomsman Ross and friends.

The facilities at Almond Morgan Bay far exceeded John and Holly’s expectations. They particularly loved the location and view of the wedding gazebo where they were married, and were “absolutely delighted” with the cuisine at their dinner that evening.

For Ben and Jo of London, flying to the Caribbean for their wedding was the ultimate private get-away. But the couple, who value their privacy above all else, were surprised to find their resort of choice offered the seclusion they so desired while still presenting a lavish wedding.

The venue – East Wind’s Inn in La Brelotte Bay; a cosy resort with only thirty rooms, located on one of the more pristine bays on the island of Saint Lucia; The setting – exquisite; with 12 acres of lush tropical gardens bordered by the golden beach. This traditional resort boasts an exclusive experience to those who value simple luxury, exactly what Ben and Jo required.

The two, both 25, chose a destination wedding for that momentous walk down the aisle, because as Ben says, “We just wanted something a bit different.” And, Jo explains, “We wanted somewhere quite exclusive, quite secluded and we just decided you’ve got everything here.”

The couple got everything and much more for their wedding. “It’s more than we expected. This place is really good for that kind of thing…its top notch. It was perfect really. We didn’t have anything in mind so we just went along with it.”

To Ben and Jo’s pleasure, the special arrangements went beyond the ceremony. “In the evening when we had our meal there were really pretty flowers in the table and they made us a special dessert. It was really very nice. We were very, very pleased with it. It’s all been a nice surprise,” declares Jo.

The services of photographer Bill Mortley, and the quality of his work, also added to the couple’s satisfaction with their choice. Bill also comes highly recommended by Trip Advisor for his creative and superior work on weddings at various resorts, which creates lasting memories for his clients.

Ben and Jo’s memories will also include the very pleasant and friendly staff of East Winds, which was recommended by one of Ben’s friends. The all-inclusive resort also had the plus of being the winner of Trip Advisor’s 2008 Traveller’s Choice award, which Ben says, “Makes a lot of difference, with hundreds of reviews.”

The newlywed’s who say, “St Lucia looked so nice we didn’t have to look anywhere else,” also took the time to sail around the island on the Brig Unicorn and trek through its rainforest.