Friday, July 15, 2011

Destination Wedding Aruba: This Couple Combined Their Wedding & Honeymoon

Words by Courtney Kellar

Words by Courtney Cox
Photos courtesy of Poly Mendes Photography

Shauna and Tim knew they wanted to honeymoon in Aruba and also wanted a small, unique wedding. In the end, they decided to combine the two by holding a destination wedding in Aruba. Not only did they get the wedding of their dreams, but they didn’t have to head to the airport for their honeymoon following the wedding – they were already in paradise!

The only setback of choosing to do a destination wedding was a few missing guests. Unfortunately, Tim’s grandparents weren’t able to attend because of health reasons. However, it forced his parents to take a vacation because they rarely travel. Being able to celebrate being newlyweds on a beautiful beach with their closest friends and family is something Shauna and Tim will never forget.

The couple says that one of the best decisions they made was flying in Poly of Poly Mendes Photography to photograph their wedding. They had originally booked a local Aruba photographer, but ended up canceling and going with their instincts. “We knew Poly made the trip to photograph us,” says Tim. “She wasn’t photographing another wedding before or after ours and was totally focused on us. Plus, she had professional photography equipment, something a lot of the photographers we saw on the island didn’t have.”

The couple has some final words of advice for other couples considering having a destination wedding: “Do it! Honestly, if both of you are thinking about it and think it sounds like a fun idea, then I would quit thinking about it and go for it. We wouldn’t have done it any other way. Once you pick a spot, find a good wedding planner…and don’t be afraid to switch planners if one isn’t meeting your expectations. We had to switch and we’re really glad we did!”