Bora Bora Elopement
Bora Bora Elopement.
Q: Tell us about your destination wedding! A: My husband Tim and I knew pretty early on that we did not want to have a typical big wedding. Our plan had been to sail around French Polynesia for our honeymoon and shortly after our wedding planning began we realized all the fussing over a big, uber-expensive celebration just wasn’t for us. So we decided to elope during our Polynesian cruise, and felt the first overnight in Bora Bora was the perfect place and time! With it being just the two of us, we were able to keep things very simple and special.
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Bonobos//Dress Store: a&be Bridal//Floral Designer: Flintwood Floral//Accomodations: Conrad Bora Bora Nui//Photographer: Marc Gérard Photography - Bora Bora
Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: Because we had to travel half way around the world with any decor we wanted, we kept things minimal. We didn’t need decoration when we had the out-of-this-world beautiful backdrop of The Conrad and Bora Bora itself.We did bring two easy-to-build gold geometric flower stands to hold two of the cascading floral arrangements for our vow exchange.
Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: I traveled with three large faux floral bouquets made with the most gorgeous assortment of white, nude and gold flowers set amongst big jungle greenery. I wanted to keep them simple and elegant with a muted color palette so that our surroundings would be the real feature.
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: We had a table set just beyond where we exchanged our vows that had our tropical cocktails of choice waiting for us (a Mai Tai for Tim and a Classic Daiquiri for myself). After saying our vows, we ventured around the stunning resort with our photographers Marc and Billie to capture the beauty of our special day together. We finished our evening with a candlelit dinner and champagne on the deck of our overwater bungalow, our custom elopement playlist playing softly in the background. It’s hard to pinpoint just one favorite part of the day, but the bungalow dinner was a spectacular way to finish an unbelievable day.
Q: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A: I fell in love with the designer Rue de Seine very early on. With their boho chic, intricate and airy designs, I felt it was the perfect choice for an atypical beach wedding. Tim wanted a fun, semi-casual look for the big day and paired a light weight linen-blend jacket with contrasting navy pants.
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: We met in spring 2015 through Tinder. We quickly realized we both enjoyed an adventurous, active and travel-filled lifestyle and began embarking on many excursions together. In September 2018, at the 13,000 foot peak of a trail running race outside of Telluride, Colorado that Tim and I have participated in for many years, Tim proposed. After catching my breath from the difficult ascent and the thin mountain air, I said yes!
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: There were so many things we were eager to experience on our wedding day, but when we look back, we both agree that we really enjoyed being able to exist in the moment with one another. Because it was just the two of us (and our wonderful photographers!) we weren’t distracted by other people or big event expectations we found we were free to focus on one another and immerse ourselves in the meaning of the day.
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: If you’re questioning whether the typical wedding day experience is right for you, be open to exploring other possibilities. There’s no one right way to have a wedding, and at the end of the day, the important part is the experience you two have in starting your lives together.