Alyssa + Chris

How did you meet?

The island we live on is really small- and everyone knows everyone! So naturally, we just became friends! We really bonded though over our love for sailing, and once we were friends, Chris asked me to help teach sailing at his volunteer sailing school. The rest is history 🙂

When did you know they were the one?

We spent a lot of time sailing and kiteboarding together. I always knew that Chris has a crush on me, and then suddenly one day I just found myself thinking about him- like a lot!- and I realized oh my gosh I think I have a crush on him too! A week later he made the first move and kissed me! I’m so happy he did, but it had taken him over six months to get the courage to go for it!

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner? 

He is always smiling, always ready for an adventure, and always.. I mean ALWAYS… going out of his way to see me smile. He is hands down the nicest human I have ever met (and my mom will say the same thing!) He’s my best friend!

Who proposed and how? 

Chris proposed to me at the same place he asked me to be his girlfriend! Fun fact- I actually said no when he asked me to be his girlfriend! But I changed my mind a few hours later haha. The spot he chose was a beautiful remote spot on a boat out in the shallow water of the Caribbean. But this spot was special not only because of the crystal clear turquoise water, but because it was surrounded by conch mounds, which were islands made from conch shells discarded from fishermen. So imagine the most perfect blue waters, but with gorgeous pink and red shells piled high all around you!

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why? 

With a Caribbean wedding in mind, I knew I needed something that fit my “scene” and location. But I just didn’t know exactly what that was. I went dress shopping while visiting my parents in Massachusetts, and I tried on maybe 70 dresses! With none of them being “the one”! I had a dress favorited on Pinterest that was Made with Love, so I drove an hour to a store that carried the line. The dress I thought I wanted was gorgeous, but didn’t feel perfect. BUT when I tried on the Elsie Flowy, I just couldn’t help but smile! When I tried it on for a second time, after tried on another ten dresses in between, it felt even more right. I asked the sales clerk the name of the dress and when she said Elsie- I started crying. Elsie, just so happened to be the name Chris and I had chosen for if, and when, we ever had a baby girl. That right there/ made me know it was fate!

What was the best moment for you at your wedding? 

Well, our wedding was anything but what I had imagined. I had everything planned to a T!! And we made most of the decor ourselves. Everything was going to be perfect. We had an entire 7 days of activities planned for all destination guests (my family and friends from the USA). Chris is born and raised in the British Virgin Islands, so his side and our local friends already lived there! It was 1/2 destination, 1/2 local wedding. Anyways- our beautiful Caribbean week was perfect, until the wedding day. Never in our lives living on Virgin Gorda have we seen so much rain in one day. We were soaked head to toe almost the entire ceremony and reception! When I say rain- I mean POURING RAIN. Like places were flooding!! It was insane. The next day once the storm had passed it actually turned into a classified hurricane!! But despite this weather, and the fact that every detail we planned was changed, it was all perfect. We didn’t stop smiling once. You couldn’t even tell my dress some completely soaking wet! All that mattered was I married my best friend and we got to dance in the rain! Not a single person was phased by the rain, and that just goes to show how amazing our friends and family are.

What were your favourite details?

We made a lot ourselves- and those were my favorite parts. Our surfboard alter, our hand painted signs, the seaglass cufflinks I had made for Chris, the cookie cakes we had instead of classic cakes for our guests, our sparkler first dance, and of course ~ my dress. It fit the occasion perfectly, along with my personality. If that even makes sense?! It does to me!

What advice would you tell other brides?

You can plan your perfect day as much as you want, and as far in advance as you want, but when the time comes, just enjoy it. It won’t go exactly like you imagine, but that’s ok! Because the ONLY person that knows that, will be you. At the end of the day, your attitude is all that will matter. If you are happy, and enjoying it, that’s what’s important. And you should be able to do that no matter what happens, because you’re marrying your person!! So the rest won’t matter.

MWL DESIGN:

Elsie Flowy

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Summer Rae

RETAILER:

Vows Bridal