My fiance and I debated for quite a while as to where we should get married. After much discussion, we decided to get married on Pigeon Island in St Lucia. We went with Awesome Caribbean Weddings, and they were wonderful!
Having fun at Pigeon Point
Our Wedding Photography, Bill Mortley, did an incredible job making sure we had a vivid, unique record of our amazing day. We have a set of wedding images that we will always treasure for a lifetime. He made sure our special day was portrayed in a manner that conveyed its fun, careful
Posing at the edge of the abandoned well
nature and our relaxed happy manner. Every picture is natural as can be. We are sooooo happy and glad we chose to get more images than just the ceremony itself. You cannot ask for a better Wedding Photography.
St. Lucia Wedding Photographer – We found the Sandals Grande simply amazing! Our arrival was simply effortless because we checked in online. We found a chilled bottle of champagne and a tray of food was waiting for us in our room. We also got a special invitation to “Gordons” which was pretty expensive. Our concierge patiently sat and chatted with us to ensure she knew exactly what we wanted and made all our reservations for us.
Every employee of this resort, including the general manager, seemed concerned if they were meeting your needs more than simply doing their jobs. They constantly paused to ask if everything was okay and if there was anything they could do for us.
We tried all the restaurants. We also took the shuttle and visited Sandals Regency for dinner once. We really enjoyed our meal there. We loved our lunches on the beach. I could live on the chips and guacamole. The swim up suite was very relaxing and very romantic.
St Lucia Wedding Photographer
Our wedding was very romantic, too. It was everything we’d hoped for. We had a beautiful ceremony. We were treated like royalty. However, the Wedding Photography were very expensive, and the quality was very poor. We were almost forced to book them to take our pictures, but managed to meet some people around the pool who volunteered to take them for us.
We had already booked Bill Mortley to take some for us after the ceremony, so this worked out well. Another couple we met there got married before us and purchased 30 pictures from them and paid $800 for 30 (5×7) pics and a CD with the 30 digital images.
We paid Bill Mortley $450.00 for 50 of the finest images we have ever seen. We met him after the ceremony, and he took us off the property for a fantastic tour and photo shoot.
All in all, this made our wedding day really special. You owe it to yourself to stay at a Sandals at least once in your life, but by all means…avoid their Wedding Photography!
All we can say is that St Lucia was a wonderful island with great people. The Sandals resort made it a fun week. We will definitely be back again and again.
While we were there, the annual Jazz Festival was going on. We did not attend any of the shows on Pigeon Island, but it was loud enough for us to hear and enjoy everything that went on there. St Lucia Wedding Photographer.
It’s a match made in cyber heaven; an online dating hook-up that went beyond the endless criteria, to the fulfillment of a very basic desire for unconditional “>love and support. Greg, president and CEO of a software company, and Iva, a criminal defense attorney, have both been through the dating wheel. With few illusions about relationships, they both still held out hope and enlisted on the dating site eHarmony.
The technicalities of the computer match-up aside, it came down to a twinkle and a smile
Eva & Gregg take multiple pictures after wedding.
“The first thing that caught my eye was how beautiful she was,” said Greg. “The twinkle in her eyes, her expression, the excitement when she talked.” “All I could see was a huge smile,” says Iva, “A very encouraging, friendly and open smile.”
Greg’s grin was on full beam as they recited wedding vows under a tropical sun that could not outshine the sparkle in Iva’s eyes. Greg, who spent hours ensuring his vows were absolutely perfect, was nervous but says when Iva walked down the beach, “All those fears and concerns completely went away.” Iva in contrast was the calm bride, in an ivory strapless bridal gown. “There was one moment, when I paused for Melanie my maid of honor to make her way up to the altar.
I knew that this is a moment I want to cherish forever as the moment I became Greg’s wife. I started getting butterflies in my stomach out of excitement and hope of all the great things to come.” Tears were never far from the surface as they sealed their lives together and Greg barely heard the vows that Iva eked out.
The pledge to go over those vows was just one more added to the promising day when they became Mr. and Mrs. Clarke. The ceremony was about celebrating the two of them and the Clarke’s say their only wish was that Iva’s children could have been there. But they are confident they will be able to share the most important thing; how much they love and are committed to each other. “For kids going through divorce, I’ve been through it myself, you want to be secure in the fact that this person is gonna be in your life and the marriage is gonna last,” says Greg.
Iva has been married twice before but, “Never with a man like Greg. Never with the perfect ceremony we had on the beach.
Wedding images for album spread.
Third time is really a charm for me. I’m glad I never gave up finding a soul mate.” Growing up with divorce in his family, Greg promised that his first marriage will be his last and they took time to ensure there was not just physical attraction but something to build a relationship around. He says, “In prior relationships it would get to where the euphoria and excitement start to dwindle.
Things with Iva continue to grow and get stronger.” While Iva felt early that Greg was the one for her, she heeded her best friend’s advice, “To just let it be. Don’t rush, don’t over-analyze – which is an occupational hazard for me.” The delightful match-up was accepted early on by both sides of the family. It only took one look for Iva’s Chinese father. “He tells me all the time how happy he is that I’ve finally found somebody who not only knows and values our culture but respects my parents. That makes my parents extremely happy knowing that it carries forward in everything and everyone he interacts with, especially with me.”
Greg acknowledges, “She’s had a lot of hurdles from early on, moving to the United States. A lot of people would fold under the pressure; Iva’s just become stronger and stronger. It’s because of that I think her kids are so well grounded and her family can depend on her. I feel the same way.” “The thing I love most about Iva is the passion she has for her family, her friends, for me, for what she does.”
While Greg’s father was guarded on meeting Iva, his mother’s advice was immediate and simple, “Don’t screw it up.” Iva fell in love with Greg’s sensitivity and intuitiveness.”He’s very much in tune with people’s feelings and emotions.
Posing by the beach at sunset in St Lucia.
It’s provided a lot of support and encouragement for me because of his ability to know what I’m thinking or feeling before I even know it sometimes.” With a honeymoon smile lighting up her face, Iva reveals, “I kept thinking it can’t get any better than this and you kept surprising me.”
The surprise included the proposal, which she thought was a done deal after they purchased a ring on Valentine’s Day. Weeks later a special dinner complete with a bottle of Dom Perignon, ended without the expected presentation. “We’re on our last sips of champagne and I’m looking at him like has he changed his mind?”
The moment came at the waterfront, following a romantic walk. “He counted nine and ¾ planks commemorating the amount of time we had in our relationship; got down on one knee and said the most beautiful proposal.It made me cry.”
Greg admitted he surprised himself. “I did end up winging it because I wanted to propose at the Space Needle.” Still he says, “It turned out perfectly.” The effort put into the romance was almost rivaled by the wedding dress selection, which involved parents, every wedding dress shop in Seattle and neighboring suburbs and even wedding shows. Seriously. “It was a long process but it didn’t start of that way,” says Iva.
It finally came down to the future groom. “I tried on this dress and Greg saw the expression on my face and he told me, that is the dress for you.” A few customizations later and the perfect, matchlessness wedding dress emerged.
The beauty and individuality of their day lives on flawlessly in photos by Bill Mortley Photography. “The pictures couldn’t share more about how much we love each other and how committed we are to each other.”
The Clarke’s feel their emotional connection was highlighted by the backgrounds. “We’re going to be happy ten years, twenty years later when we look back on the pictures and see how much was captured in that moment.”
Anxiety about the quality of photography available on island was soon overcome by Bill. Iva tells Bill “It was a huge blessing that you were able to step in and take over. (The photos) are true reflection of your professionalism and your abilities. You just are that good.” It has all added up to a wonderful tropical experience. “We’ve never had a vacation quite like this. I’ve never encountered a culture where the model is no pressure, no problem, and is fully embraced whether on or off resort.”
The Clarke’s are committed to returning to Saint Lucia to renew their vows, saying “It was a great experience coming here.”
Fishing is a longstanding tradition in the scenic town of Soufriere, at the southern tip of Saint Lucia. Fishing is also a big deal for Daryl Solomon and Carmen Sultana, and the town, which shares that passion, was an appropriate spot for them to be finally joined in marriage. Saint Lucia’s second town hosted what was the second wedding for both 49-year-old Carmen, and 51-year-old Daryl. They observed the formalities at Villa Colibri a lovely cottage in Soufriere. Bill Wedding Photography captured all their special images with their loved-ones, including Carmen’s three children Veronica, Matthew and Miranda. Being wed in Saint Lucia was an easy choice for the couple. “We knew we wanted someplace special” says Daryl, an environmental engineer from New Jersey, who shares a love of the sea and adventure with Carmen, an OB/GYN Physician from Philadelphia.
The two met online on www.plentyoffish.com. Carmen says, “I was looking for someone who owns a bog boat and Daryl was advertising online that he had a boat and he also liked to go skiing and fishing and running and everything that I like to do.” Daryl agrees, “We both had the same activity list, same things about each other we both liked.” “Plus I liked his picture he was very handsome,” says Carmen but Daryl hints that she was fishing for a little more, adding “In my pictures I didn’t have any shirts on.” The two have had two years of getting to know each other although Carmen says she knew Daryl was IT “By the first real date”.
The Sultanas exchange nuptial vows in St Lucia.
There was a mutual attraction initially but they say it took a couple of dates before they actually kissed. Not because of the shirt but extra caution over the flu. Daryl put his best foot forward at their first meeting, he says, “So she wouldn’t run screaming, I wore my best shirt,” but she says, ‘It was old flannel shirt… When I decided that he wasn’t crazy I gave him my phone numbers.” “I told him I had three kids and he didn’t run away,” says Carmen but the deal was sealed on a trip to a family wedding. Daryl says, “We pretty much knew that we worked well together through stressful times and non-stressful times. And we helped each other. Also at the same time I knew there was a possibility of learning from each other and growing not just staying complacent.” There was definitely no sitting around on the one week island Wedding vacation. Carmen and Daryl explored the Soufriere waterfalls, volcano and hot Sulphur Springs. The two lovers of Wedding Photography also enjoyed being surrounded by the ocean.
