Andreas and Michelle’s intimate Aruba destination wedding was complete with flamingos and their closest friends and family on a private island.

With most of Andreas’ family living in Sweden, a destination wedding was always on the table for this couple. Michelle had always dreamed of a beach wedding, and when she found out it could be a reality she started searching for the perfect location.

The initial thought was to tie the knot in Hawaii, but that would have been a 22-hour flight for those coming from Sweden. Michelle continued the search for her perfect destination and when it came down to cost and resort options, Aruba won out.

While Michelle wanted a beach wedding, she knew that with any outdoor wedding there was a chance of bystanders, and she preferred a more private place to say “I do.” After checking out the resort options, the couple discovered the Renaissance offered a private island for the wedding.

A private island gave Michelle the best of both worlds: the beach wedding of her dreams, and the intimacy of being surrounded by the couple’s closest friends and family without the chance of bystanders walking by.

The couple found the perfect place and the perfect venue, from there the planning really began. One of the challenges the couple faced was dealing with the responses on “island time.” In some cases, the couple would have to wait nearly two weeks for an answer. Their solution? They hired a wedding planner!

Michelle says planning a wedding is a full-time job and she already had a full time job and coached on the side. She was having trouble juggling two jobs and planning the destination wedding, and says the wedding planner was beyond helpful.

The hotel coordinated everything with the wedding planner. While some things were up in the air, such as choosing the food and hoping it would be good, the couple also got to bring their vision to life in other ways. For example, they sent in photos for how they wanted their cake. Everything came together perfectly, the hotel provided the DJ and a family band did the cocktail hour. Florals ended up being the most difficult part to plan, since Aruba didn’t have any local florals. So, the couple had to ship flowers in and didn’t have a large variety to choose from.

In the end, the flowers still turned out beautifully – just like the rest of the wedding day. Michelle says if the wedding had been in their hometown it would have been different in every way. She knows she would have felt pressured to invite more people and she loved the intimacy of the destination wedding. Also, the couple values the time they were able to spend with each guest who came to the wedding.

“If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose destination,” Michelle says.

The couple says the destination wedding was the best choice for them and every guest loved it. They are thankful for the support they had from friends and family.

Michelle says not to sweat the small things, because the guests probably won’t even notice if anything is off. She tells destination couples to enjoy it, because W-day comes up quickly and goes by fast!

 Vendors: Photographer: Tracy Enoch, Stylist: Meggie Francisco at Meggie Francisco Destination Weddings, Wedding Planner: Emily Scott at Luxe Destination Weddings, Ceremony/Reception Site: Renaissance Island, Florist: Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas, Cake: Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino, Hair & Makeup JenniVe, Gown Designer: Martina Liana, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Men’s Wearhouse, Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Men’s Wearhouse