Anna & Shelly
April 25th 2014
When Anna and Shelly aren’t working hard in their creative professional endeavors, they like to let loose, especially on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, where the two have made many lasting memories in the sun & sand.
So when it came time to plan their nuptials, a destination wedding was the perfect choice. Shelly and Anna invited friends and family to join them for an unforgettable tropical vacation.
“We decided to make the affair a four day event as a kind of thank you to everyone for coming all the way to Vieques (it’s not easy to get to – you have to fly in to San Juan and then take a prop plane or ferry to the island). Wednesday we held a rehearsal dinner at the villa, Thursday we catered a beach party (complete with a steel drum band – Shelly’s request), Friday was the wedding, and Saturday was a sunset cocktail farewell party at our favorite local bar overlooking the ocean. We chose a Friday wedding so that everyone could have one more day to relax afterward before having to travel back to the states.”
On the day of the wedding both brides were escorted, barefoot, down the aisle by their fathers, while their guests, all in white, looked on from the lawn.
Brides’ Favorite Wedding Memory: “We loved that we were able to spend an entire week on a tropical vacation with our closest family and friends. We really can’t think of anything better than having everyone we love together on an epic vacation. We were really honored and actually shocked that so many people were so willing to travel extremely far to celebrate our love. We had people come from Norway, Germany, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, DC, North Carolina – it was amazing.”
Wedding Song: The brides can’t quite decide on this one … Anna’s sisters performed Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Sealed Delivered” just after the ladies were pronounced married, so to Anna, that’s their song. Shelly says it’s The Cure’s “Love Song,” which was performed as they walked down the aisle. Shelly’s sister, Kaye, would probably say it’s Lil’ John’s “Turn Down For What.” According to Anna: “No one is wrong.”
Anna recalls a funny wedding moment: “For some reason we couldn’t find the glass I was supposed to stomp on during the ceremony. In a scramble, my sister’s boyfriend innocently handed me a glass champagne flute with nothing covering it. Just a bare glass. I stared at it and laughed because there was no way I was stomping on it without shoes on my feet. We finally found the real one after a few moments, but I actually wouldn’t change what happened, because it was so ridiculous. Moments like that are what get remembered!”
Shelly insists she wouldn’t change a thing: “Everything happens for a reason. And we hired a wedding planner so we wouldn’t lose our minds. The day of our wedding we were relaxing with close friends and family. How many brides can say that?”
The brides reflect on the photos they’ve shared:
Anna: “Tyler and Christina Hoff did an amazing job capturing the spirit and vibe of the week. I’ll let the pictures do the talking – especially the ones of everyone in the pool after one too many rum punches.”
Shelly: “I feel beyond loved when I look at these photos! The amount of humility and gratitude we have for each person that made the trip is seriously priceless.”
The brides kicked back with their guests at a pre-wedding beach party.
Villa Vista Linda
Anna’s custom Pret A Marier dress.
The sunlight catches the magic of the ceremony.
Shelly’s Godfather officiates.
The brides share a kiss.
Officially Wife & Wife!
A quiet moment together.
The natural beauty of the brides and their surrounding.
Some of the day’s details: Guests received tote bags with a Hunter S. Thompson quote. The brides wore flowers in their hair and sent neon postcard invitations.
Bare feet and perfect accessories let Shelly & Anna feel like themselves.
The ladies look on as a bonfire blazes toward the end of the night.
Many of their guests were in the pool by the celebration’s end.