When John and I photograph destination weddings, we always arrive the day before if not earlier so we can get a lay of the land, scout locations and give some cushion for travel delays.  A benefit of us arriving early is that we are also around to photograph parts of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner if that is something the client wants.  Most destination weddings have a smaller, more intimate group of guests and tend to have multiple days of activities, so the rehearsal becomes more of a get together and chance to hang out before the big day.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Kris and Chrissy are excellent hosts.  They wanted to thank their guests for making this journey with them and made sure that everyone enjoyed this resort that they love so much.  To make things worry free, they thought of everything.  Gretchen from Rocket Science kept everyone updated via email with itineraries and room numbers so we could all get in touch with each other.  Transportation was provided from the airport and a sweet gift of custom towels, Chrissy’s hand made soap and other personalized goodies were delivered to the rooms.

At the rehearsal, family and the wedding party were introduced to each other and then Gretchen got the ball rolling.  Since the resort is pretty large, it was important to make sure everyone knew where to be and when…it was a lot to organize!  I think we had some professional bridesmaids and groomsmen since the rehearsal was short and sweet.  And heck, we all got to be barefoot in powder fine sand so everyone was enjoying themselves.

After the rehearsal, all the guests were invited to a welcome reception in the Great Hall of Waters where they could reunite with friends and family, enjoy a specialty cocktail and gawk at the beautiful sea life.

What a background for a party, eh?

The manta rays were breathtaking!  Chrissy said that sometimes they freak out and jump clear out of the tank and a crane has to be brought in to lift them back into the water.  They were HUGE and beautiful!

After the welcome reception wrapped up, most of the guests went to enjoy the Casino or hang out while the wedding party and close family had the rehearsal dinner in the Bahamian Club.  The group was looking forward to a low key relaxing evening with great food.

Father Wayne (also a beloved uncle) said a prayer and encouraged everyone to shout loud AMENS! on the wedding day…which they totally did =)

Kris and Chrissy were now ready for the big day!