A little over a year ago, a very tenacious New York City bride began writing us off and on, popping back in every few months. Her name was Yelena, and having great photos was clearly crucial to her. After several location and date changes, she finally settled on the paradise that is Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. I had always wanted to shoot a wedding there, having visions of colorful sunsets, aqua-blue water, and all the adventure and excitement that comes with a multi-day destination wedding.
There was only one problem. Ben couldn’t go.
He was already booked to teach a photography workshop and speak at two seminars in Brazil, at the very same time as Yelena’s wedding.
Since Yelena had been writing us so persistently for about eight months, and because I so wanted to shoot a Turks and Caicos wedding, I came up with a solution. I would go without Ben, and bring someone else to shoot with me. The stars aligned, and one of my best friends, the incredibly talented Morgan Lynn Razi (who was just named one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo magazine) was available. So we pitched the idea to Yelena, and she loved it.
Two months later, Morgan and I were barefoot on the beach, meeting Yelena, Steve, and their wonderful families and friends at the bonfire welcome dinner. They held their ceremony on the beach in front of the Alexandra Resort, with a reception at The Somerset at Grace Bay Beach.
Yelena and Steve meticulously planned every detail of their Caribbean wedding, including choosing the time of year when it was least likely to rain. So, naturally, it rained on their wedding day. In fact it rained for their entire ceremony, drenching all the guests (and us). But it felt magical, and exciting, and the island heat dried us out in time for the reception. Yelena planned everything to be very photogenic, so she and Steve entered the reception under a shower of green and white confetti; their first dance was confetti’d as well, with guests holding sparklers; and after the reception everyone set out Chinese floating lanterns AND lit sparklers.
Morgan and I were so grateful to have the opportunity to shoot a Turks and Caicos wedding together, and ever since that weekend we have reminisced many times over about how amazing the experience was. We are now back to shooting with our respective husbands, but we’ll never forget having that rare opportunity to partner up for Yelena and Steve’s beautiful island wedding!