Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Molly + Patrick : Cayman Islands Destination Wedding Fairy Tale

Molly Bergeson and Patrick O'Bryant, an American professional basketball player who used to play for Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors,  met during their freshmen year at Bradley University in 2004. Soon after, they started dating.  In 2009, Patrick got down on his knee and proposed to Molly while they were inside a jewelry store owned by an acquaintance.


The couple currently lives in Las Vegas and has family and friends from all over.  When they started planning their wedding, they knew the wedding had  to be somewhere where all their family and friends can come together and have a blast. The couple had been to the Cayman Islands 6 times already on holidays and both fell in love with how peaceful and stunning  the Cayman Islands is and how wonderfully warm the people are. So Cayman was a natural choice for their destination wedding.
  From Molly:
        "Our wedding would be the first time, and probably last time, that we would be able have all of our family and friends in the same place at the same time. On top of that, most of them had never even met one another before. Most importantly, we really wanted everyone to have time to meet, mingle, and chat, but we also wanted it to seem like the huge celebration/party that it turned out to be. We knew the money people were spending to come down to Grand Cayman so we wanted it to be the best event that they have been to and one that they would remember for years to come. Mary Ann knew exactly how to achieve that. Her ideas were right on point and when we came down in May to meet with her, I could tell that she had already put a lot of time into planning our wedding. I felt comfortable with her right away. She was completely personable and relatable. She knew how to make our expectations come to life and did it in a way that was so professional. Everyone had a great experience and it was the best party I've ever been to!"
When asked what were the most memorable parts of the wedding, Molly candidly answered: "There were so many different parts of the wedding and reception that were so unique and special. The whole event in my eyes was beautiful and wonderful in every aspect of those words, but if I had to pick out a few outstanding moments (because I can't just pick one) I would have to say the first would be seeing the ceremony site for the first time. The decor, the setting, and the view were outstanding. Nothing could beat looking down the beach to all our guests and the ocean as we were walking down the aisle to meet my new husband. It was breathtaking. The chairs, canopy, tiki torches, ocean, our guests, and the wedding party were absolutely more perfect than I had ever imagined. "
 
        "Next, would be when I finally heard the steel drummer playing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. The goose bumps popped up on my arms as I knew it was time to become a Mrs. It was all just so perfect that at first it didn't seem to be real."
        "The best part of the reception would definitely be everyone dancing all night long and the lounge area. Everyone used the lounge couches! It was such a great idea to have them there for everyone to sit on and still be near the dance floor to be a part of the fun. The draped walls and the colored lighting were so posh! They transformed the entire room into something spectacular and over the top. It was definitely the finishing touch to a beautiful room. Mary Ann went above and beyond making everything standout for us."
        "Our event was so wonderful because of several ingredients. Our family and friends came so far to share in these memories with us. We are forever grateful to them for making this the most outstanding wedding that we could have ever imagined. We felt more than loved these past two weeks with everyone. Celebrations and Mary Ann transformed Seven Mile Beach into a beach from a fairy tale. I felt like a true princess on our wedding day due to the beauty of our event, the help that we were provided, and all the attention we were given. It was breathtaking. I loved the ease of the day as well. Mary Ann had everything taken care of before I even wondered about them. All I had to do was sit back and count the hours, minutes, and then, finally, seconds until I was Mrs. O'Bryant. Thank you all so much for everything!
To Patrick and Molly: Congratulations and we all wish you a lifetime of love and happiness ....from all of us at Celebrations!!!!

 
     Photography by: Spectrum Media

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Engage 11 Wedding Summit San Diego - Day 3 "The Finale"

Day 3 started with a yummy breakfast buffet of of crepes, exotic fruits and all kinds of heavenly pastries! What a great way to start the day!

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

We have been terribly spoilt for the choices in the number of informational and inspirational sessions that have been arranged for us on the last day of Engage11 San Diego.

Our first session is a Media Panel hosted by my friend and very inspiring Michelle Rago, who did an outstanding and job and gave such insight into understanding all the aspects of how to get the best media for your business.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
The panel consisted of Jill Meister of Meister Innovative Consulting; Christy Weber of Junebug Weddings, Marilyn Oliveria of Inside Weddings;  Susan Moynihan of Destination Weddings and Honeymoons, Angela Desveaux of WedLuxe and Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty!  There was nothing missing... the best magazines, television and blog media all on one stage giving incredible insight, and the sentence of the day was "for sure, you won't get published, if you don't submit".

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.


Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Sean Low, always so powerful with keeping us be true to ourselves as artists in the business we are in.  Not always an easy feat, but his message is always so clear.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

A delight for me personally was attending the session with Jasmine Star, Harmony Walton and Lara Casey. I learned so much and these ladies know about media, and what it takes to get your message out in the wedding world.  I was very enlightened by their presentations and handouts.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

I got to see the effervescent Diane Valentine -- what energy and charisma. She told it like it is! Just check out her outfit, she is a trail blazer!

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

A stunning gala, seated with fantastic people, had to be the perfect ending to this incredible summit!  The photos will speak for themselves, the setting fantabulous...the energy levels and joy permeating.... A great time was had by all. The photos speak for themselves… Mindy Weiss (the ultimate planner), Lehr & Black (the paper extraordinaire), Revelry Design (all the design details), Mark’s Garden (the floral genius), and West Coast Music (a band like no others) created an evening to remember! All the pretty details…

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.


Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.

Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Some photos of the After Party!
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
Photo by: Mel Barlow and Co.
with the fantabulous Diann Valentine





Engage 11: Grand Del Mar // Wrap Film from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.



Now, its time to plan Engage11 Cayman, November 14 to 17....

All Photos except last three are by: Mel Barlow and Co.