Sandals Royal Barbados Wedding

Mary Alys and Jesse’s Sandals Royal Barbados wedding is extra special to me, and well… that’s because it’s my own!

I recently traded in my destination wedding travel agent business cards for a bouquet, as I became a bride [again] myself.

To celebrate our *Sweet 16* wedding anniversary, this summer we retied the knot with a beautiful destination wedding.

Sandals Royal Barbados Wedding couple at rooftop pool

Romantic Sandals Royal Barbados Wedding

Ceremony

Our renewal ceremony was a stark contrast to our first ceremony 16 years ago. This time around it was just the two of us. No wedding party, no guests. Just us and our love story.

Although… I did bring one thing from our original nuptials! My unique hot pink silk heels. Now these heels have been sitting in my closet for quite some time, just waiting to have their moment again. So I let them!

Something about wearing a piece of our first ceremony made me feel like every step for the last 16 years had led me to say “yes” again.

Sandals Royal Barbados wedding bride getting ready

Once it came time to walk down the aisle, it suddenly felt so real again. We enjoyed a private ceremony in the newly refurbished pagoda at Sandals Royal Barbados right before sunset. It was simple, but that’s just the way I wanted it. It felt warm (both literally and figuratively) and so special.

During the ceremony, we chose to exchange our own vows this time around. I even created a post about why I think that’s important, feel free to check it out. Jesse’s vows were so heartfelt and I cannot wait to hear them again on our ceremony video. We also had a unique sand ceremony which was included in our wedding package.

After the ceremony, we had a private “second” dance and shared a quick bite to eat– canapés and charcuterie– followed by delicious vanilla cake with strawberry frosting. Then we headed out for pictures!

Photography

When it came time to pose for pictures, I was so excited! We chose sunset hour to make sure we got the best lighting and coolest temperatures of the day. Before the ceremony, we met with our wedding coordinator and head photographer to select locations around Sandals Royal Barbados that we wanted to have pictures made.

We chose the pagoda venue, the rooftop pool, and the beach. Of course, we made a few pitstops along the way! I cherish our pictures, not only because they are gorgeous, but also because they capture the beautiful life that Jesse and I have created over the last 16 years.

One very unexpected thing did happen during our photo session… rain! And when I say rain, I should really say a downpour. We had wrapped up all the photos except for our beach shots. As we got set up for the first beach photograph, it started raining. Not ideal of course, but there was something magical about that shot. I mean, just take a look for yourself below. If it had to rain, at least we got this beauty out of it! And extra good luck!

Sandals Royal Barbados wedding couple on beach

Insider Tips for a Sandals Wedding

Although I was formally trained in Sandals Weddings before our vow renewal, living it out for myself as a bride takes my knowledge to a whole new level.

Not only did I remarry my best friend, I learned firsthand all the ins-and-outs of a Sandals Wedding. I’m sharing all of those tips over on my Instagram account so be sure to follow along!

And if you want to learn more about how I can help plan a Sandals Royal Barbados Wedding– or any other Sandals Wedding– just fill out my quote form to use my complimentary planning services!

Want to see a Sandals Wedding that I assisted with? Take a peek here!