We are Charleston wedding photographers who traveled to Bora Bora for Robert and George’s wedding at the St. Regis. This was our first time photographing a wedding in Bora Bora.
The order of things. It was a subject that came up frequently at Robert and George’s wedding at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort.
For example, there is the order of things at a typical wedding: Rehearsal dinner one night, wedding ceremony and reception the next day. But at Robert and George’s island wedding, an impending thunderstorm set to happen right at their ceremony time switched everything around. In the end, we had their wedding ceremony a day early, then celebrated with what was technically the rehearsal dinner. The wedding reception was the following night. And somewhere in between all of that was a jet ski tour, swimming with sharks, and a couple of portrait sessions. And you know what? It was absolutely perfect.
Then there is the order of things in life: Robert and George married while holding sonogram photos of their two babies, due in September. When you are two men using donated eggs and surrogates, and navigating the challenges that come with IVF pregnancy, it’s more important to start the process as soon as possible rather than wait for formalities like being officially married. Having children someday was the top priority for Robert and George. Knowing their babies were already growing and getting stronger, at the very moment they were saying their vows, only made this day sweeter.
Robert and George’s wedding week in Bora Bora was all about family – biological family, adopted family, chosen family. It was about being strategic to manifest the kind of life you want. But it was also about knowing when to let fate and serendipity alter your perfectly laid plans. I imagine life, for them, will continue to follow that same formula, because Robert and George are two extremely intelligent people who also clearly know how to follow their hearts and trust their guts.
And it will be absolutely perfect, just the way it is, out of order and everything.
** Robert and George’s wedding and family story was also featured in a beautiful write-up in the New York Times, which you can see here: New York Times Vows
** Check out our other LGBTQ weddings!
** One last thing! Before you go, check out Robert’s sister Kay and Thomas’ wedding at Villa Caletas in Costa Rica, which we photographed almost a decade ago! It’s been so wonderful getting to know this family and seeing so much well-deserved happiness come their way. It couldn’t happen to better people.