Caribbean Wedding in Aruba

Last April just after a week from shooting a wedding in Phuket, I had the chance to travel to the Caribbean for Shirley and Chris' destination wedding in Aruba, one happy island indeed as written on every car license plate on the road! Situated in the crystal-clear waters of Southern Caribbean, Aruba is a picture-perfect tropical oasis making a wedding in Aruba an ideal wedding destination choice.

I met Shirley and Chris when they visited Santorini after contacting me to do their pre wedding session. Shirley told me that she always wanted to come to Santorini because she loved the white and blue and the fresh and clean and classy appeal Santorini gave. I immediately felt a strong connection with both of them and when they asked me if I would travel to Aruba for their wedding next year, there was only one answer for me. Of course!

The couple chose to do their wedding in Aruba out of many possible wedding locations. They knew they wanted a very small, intimate wedding in a beach destination setting. After debating between Bali and Thailand, they ultimately opted for an island in the Caribbean since it was easier for them and their friends to travel to from the United States that they live. In particular, they chose to have their wedding in Aruba because it was outside of the hurricane belt, and guaranteed sunshine all year round! They have never actually been to Aruba prior to the wedding and they organized everything through e-mail communication.

The Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino was the place that the couple prepared for the wedding, while the ceremony, reception and dinner party took place on Renaissance Private Island. There were water taxis departing every 20 minutes from the hotel in Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, and after a short 10-minute boat ride the couple and all their guests reached a private island heaven. The ceremony took place at sunset on the beach with flamingos around making this postcard scene come to life. A truly unique backdrop with a wondeful pop of color to the wedding venue!

After the ceremony, Shirley and Chris celebrated a barefoot wedding party on the white sand beach of the island surrounded by their closest family and friends. The hotel did a fantastic job in handling the reception and dinner and made this wedding a very memorable event.

Two days before the wedding we visited the best locations around the island for our portrait session. From the typical Divi-divi trees leaning on one side due to the strong Atlantic ocean trade winds to the Guadirikiri Caves at Arikok National Park. I was so excited with this new destination that the first thing I did after arriving 4 days before the wedding day was to scout the island for the best spots for photos in relation to sunrise and sunset so as to ensure the perfect outcome.

Shirley and Chris' wedding in Aruba was a wonderful opportunity for me to create a long-lasting friendship and live an unforgettable experience. I want to thank the couple for having me with them on their special day and for making feel more than their wedding photographer. They treated me as part of the wedding party and I'm really looking forward to the next time we meet again!

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