Lisa and Tony knew they wanted a tropical beach wedding and loved the warm blue waters of the Bahamas. So they chose to celebrate their micro-wedding at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma! Joined by 5 close friends and family, they celebrated the entire week together on the island. 

Something I really admire about Lisa & Tony is how much of a team they are, from a cross-country move to traveling the word. They planned their engagement together, including picking out their rings. So Lisa knew Tony was going to propose but just wasn’t sure when it was going to happen. Tony had planned to propose on top of one of their favorite mountaintops in Arizona. However, he was so nervous he would lose the ring, he instead proposed in their backyard!

And whether it’s a favorite location or something new, I love when my couples plan a destination wedding. It’s such a fun way to celebrate their lives together! For Lisa & Tony, they said, “the best part of having a destination wedding was that we felt the guests could make this a vacation for themselves, but we also didn’t frame it that way. If it happened to just be the two of us, we would have been fine with that too.” 

Micro-weddings have been an increasingly popular way for couples to celebrate their day. I love that the couples get to celebrate exactly how they imagine it without pressure to create a big production. For example, Lisa & Tony enjoyed a private boat tour with Exuma Water Sports the day before their wedding. This would ‘ve been tricky to do with any bigger of a group! We got to see the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas, wade with stingrays, feed iguanas, snorkel, and more! Stephen and I loved getting to document not just the Exuma beach wedding day but the entire experience of their trip.

On the Exuma beach wedding day itself, Lisa mentioned one of the highlights of their day was spending time getting ready in the salon on site with family and close friends. She said, “Seeing my hair and makeup fall into place and the butterflies I had in my stomach during the minutes leading up to my walk down the aisle are minutes I’ll never forget!” 

They also noted they decided to splurge on photography and videography to ensure their moments were captured forever. The couple said, “The most important aspects we wanted for our wedding were excellent photography & videography. You aren’t going to remember the little details about the big day (cake, food, music), but you’ll always remember your photos and video!” 

 

Vendor Team:

Photography: Xiaoqi Li Photography

Videograph: Stephen James Films

Venue, Catering & Florals: Sandals Emerald Bay

 

 

Explore more weddings here, or check out my favorite Charlottesville wedding venues! 

Already dreaming of a photography experience with me, let’s chat soon!