What do you call the moment when a Caymanian guy meets a woman from California? It’s called destiny.

What do you call a destination wedding with both modern and traditional ceremonies? We call it a beautiful thing.

Darren and Nellie are both doctors who are currently doing their medical internship in New York. Both with hectic schedules, they knew that the perfect wedding would have to be in  place where they can  kick back, relax, spend some quality time with their family and friends and say their I Do’s in complete and utter bliss! Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman was exactly what they wanted for their destination wedding.

We just love the bridesmaid’s dresses in rich shade of Sangria!

The guys enjoying a few libations before the ceremony at the beach.

Nellie is of Persian descent and  asked us to incorporate a Persian Ceremony after the traditional wedding ceremony on the beach. There are two stages to a Persian marriage. Most often both take place on the same day, but occasionally there could be some time between the two. The first is called “Aghd”, the legal process of getting married, when both the bride and bridegroom and their guardians sign a marriage contract.

The pristine white canopy, one of Nellie’s most important elements for the wedding was set right at the world famous Seven Mile Beach.

The second stage is “Jashn-e Aroosi”, the wedding reception – the actual feasts and the celebrations, which traditionally lasts  from 3 to 7 days.  The Ritz Carlton ballroom was chosen as the locale for this lavish reception.

The  Persian ceremony takes place in a specially decorated room with flowers and a beautiful and elaborately decorated spread on the floor called “Sofreh-ye Aghd”. Traditionally Sofreh-ye Aghd is set on the floor facing east, the direction of sunrise (light). Consequently when bride and groom are seated at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd they will be facing “The Light”.

On Sofreh-ye Aghd, the following items are placed:

• Mirror (of fate) “Aayeneh-ye Bakht” and two Candelabras (representing the bride and groom and brightness in their future) one on either side of the mirror. The mirror and two candelabras are symbols of light and fire, two very important elements in the Zoroastrian culture. When the bride enters the room she has her veil covering her face. Once the bride sits beside the groom she removes her veil and the first thing that the bridegroom sees in the mirror should be the reflection of his wife-to-be.

• A tray of seven multi-colored herbs and spices ”Sini-ye Aatel-O-Baatel” to guard the couple and their lives together against the evil eye, witchcraft and to drive away evil spirits.

A few other things essentials included in the Sofreh-yeh Aghd are : a specially baked and decorated flatbread, baskets of decorated eggs, almonds, walmuts, hazelnuts in the shell to symbolize fertility, a  basket of apples and pomegranates for joyous future, a cup of rose water from special Persian roses, a brazier holding burning coals, bowl of gold coins, two sugar cones, a scarf or shawl made of silk or any fine fabric, a cup of honey, a needle and seven strands of threads and a copy of the couple’s Holy Book. All of these items symbolize something significant.

After the traditional Persian ceremony, the guests were treated to a scrumptious meal prepared by the world class chefs of Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Dancing ensued right after dinner. The groom doesn’t like to dance but he promised Nellie he will dance all night and that he did! What a group of fun loving people!

What do you call a wedding between such a lovely couple, we call it a dream fulfilled.

Congratulations Darren and Nellie!

Spring – an exciting time full of fresh new ideas! Celebrations has gone green with the launch of the first edition of our Mother’s Day and Spring Floral Collection e-magazine, showcasing inspiring new floral designs that are full of life.

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 13th and we are all about Mom! We’ve created new floral arrangements and chosen special picks just for Mom this year throughout the e-magazine. So many ways to say thank you for all that your Mom does for you this holiday.

Feel inspired as you decorate home or treat your mom to the perfect gift this Spring!

Not only an inspiring color, GREEN means more to Celebrations this spring. Rentals has long been an important part of the Celebrations operation, and we’re proud to offer this service as part of our ongoing commitment to environment. Focusing on removing plastic and Styrofoam from our offerings, as well as providing eco-friendly recycled stationary options to our clients, Celebrations is committed.

We’re taking even bigger steps to reduce our carbon footprint and it starts with our seasonal brochure. In the past, we have printed over 45,000 colored copies of our brochures annually, and for the first time we are sharing our awe-inspiring floral collections through the power of an e-brochure. The new spring collection will be available on celebrationsgifts.com in the next few days, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

In an effort to stay green, we’re growing our email database, and we’d love to you be a part! Send an email with the word GREEN to win@celebrationsltd.com by May 31st, and you will be entered for your chance to win $100.

This  year Administrative Professionals Week is celebrating  its 60th anniversary! In honor of this day, here is just a little bit of history on a special time to recognize those who work SO VERY hard and how to show your appreciation!

Click here to view the perfect Administrative Professionals Week gifts!

Take this day or week to honor that important person who keeps you informed, up to date, and in the know! Say thank you and send a gift basket or floral arrangement that will brighten their day and their desk!

The idea of honoring the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals began with Mary Barrett, president of the National Secretaries Association 60 years ago – thank you Mary!

To keep pace with the changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce, in the year 2000 the name of this celebration of dedication and hard work changed to the now known Administrative Professionals Week and Day!

We love how the décor of this wedding matches the beach and ocean’s brilliant color palette! Who says you can’t do formal dining on the sand! Seven Mile Beach is the place to celebrate – complete with dance floor and surrounding tables. Tents make this just like an indoor wedding hall…but with a much better view  tout de suite!

Photography by Aaron Rebarchek

Photography by Aaron Rebarchek

Easter is the best season to celebrate colours and introduce them into your home for your family get-together! Spring colours in all shades of pinks, yellows, greens, blues, and purples come out to play. One wonderful thing about color is that it can easily change the mood, whether you go for the soft pastel tones, or if bright and cheerful ones are more your palette. They all work well at this time of year! It really comes down to what suits your style and your home best. Here are some easy ways to brighten your home for Easter and bring the delight of your personal style into each part!

The best way to create the perfect vision of Easter décor is the use of flowers! As Easter falls in Spring, you have at your disposal lovely spring flowers like, tulips, Easter lilies, hyacinths, lisianthus, daffodils, irises, and so much more. If your are ordering your fresh floral from your local floral shop, it is best to tell the floral designer what the area your floral will sit in looks like, the colour scheme and style of your space are important for the type of container and overall look. Or if you are a DIY person, you can use just about anything as a vase for your creation that will suit your style including baskets, jars, tin cans, drinking goblets, egg cups, bowls, and of course vases of all shapes and sizes. The floral in your decorative piece in either case can be a bountiful mixed bouquet – perfect for Spring time – or a collection of one type of Spring flower, like an array of colourful tulips.

The next best way to infuse Easter’s lovely palette is into the dinner table is through the use of vibrant linens. With simple items like tablecloths, table runners, and napkins – linens have a way of creating a different ambiance for your celebration. Don’t shy away from prints! Just as long as they are in the Spring shades, it will work! Don’t be afraid to mix and match plains and prints or you could incorporate patterns too! Ribbons, tissue paper and gift wrapping paper can be your best friend in making your tablescape more interesting. Bunched tissue in the shape of flowers really adds the pop of Spring festivities and you can even use paper and ribbon to accent your vases! Be playful, be creative!

Chocolates, candies and all the sweet treats we associate with Easter can also be used as part of your décor. You can store them in transparent vases or containers and have them out for display! They are indeed edible décor that everyone will enjoy!

Your choice of drinks can also be used too! Juices, sodas and even alcoholic beverages like Mimosas, Martinis can be used to bring out more of this holiday’s colours and ambiance!

Sabrina & Woody, a local Caymanian couple said their “I Do’s” one fine day in November of last year. The location? Nowhere else but right at one of our favorite locations, Caribbean Club.

Sabrina wore a beautiful blush pink gown by Vera Wang. Very unconventional but oooh so gorgeous! She was practically luminescent in all her wedding finery!

As Sabrina stepped on the aisle way flanked by floral pomander balls on hooks, you could actually hear an audible gasp from all the guests. Woody? Let’s just say that his eyes grew larger every step that Sabrina took towards him. With a huge grin on his face, Woody waited on Sabrina by the custom wooden gazebo accented by verdant greens and classic white Phaelanopsis Orchids.

Colossal floral art pieces dotted the wedding ceremony site, adding more elegance to the wedding.

After a short yet sweet wedding ceremony, the guests were ushered in to the cocktail reception, just a few steps away. The cocktail lounge of sleek white furniture and sheer draping fabric created an inviting and cozy ambiance for the guests to relax and mingle with fellow guests and of course, the newlyweds.

For the dinner reception at LUCA Restaurant, you would know right away that  a good amount of time was spent with Luca’s sommelier and Executive Chef.  A delectable eleven course dinner paired with wines and delightful desserts was laid out for everyone to enjoy.

The couple also  assigned seating at each dinner table where they shared each course with different guests.

This was truly a one of a kind wedding! Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Woody Foster!

Sabrina & Woody Foster [Highlights] – Flipside Productions – Cayman Wedding Video from Flipside Productions on Vimeo.

In celebration of International Women’s Day ( March 8th), we’d like to take this chance to give you a  deeper look at  the woman who has steered Celebrations to where it is now.

Photography by David Wolfe

Born into a large Caribbean family with multicultural roots, Jo Anne was the only daughter to a Jamaican Father and Caymanian mother who from a very young age introduced her to the wonderful life of celebrating and entertaining! Her family regularly entertained royalty, well known movie stars and celebrities of the time, including HRH Prince Phillip, HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Margaret.

Entertaining, hosting and making people happy was just a way of life for Jo Anne, and she loved every minute of it!

Jo Anne: “I became part and parcel of this incredible world, growing up to bring the hospitality, decoration, gorgeous flowers, special touches and décor elements that made every event a unique celebration. With the tremendous support of my entrepreneur husband Mike, it didn’t take long to figure out that our next step from constant entertaining was to take it to the next level, and in 1994 my first store was launched.”

She further quips: “The business took off and grew rapidly from strength to strength, and eighteen years later, Celebrations is now the largest and most successful Wedding & Event Design, Planning and Production Company in the Caribbean. Our reputation is built on offering clients the peace of mind that comes from our long experience of creating amazing events, and from the sincere care and attention that goes into everything we do, exceeding our clients’ expectations every time.”

During a recent TV appearance as a member of a panel of successful women entrepreneurs to local talk show, Let’s Talk To The Experts, Jo Anne spoke of the challenges women face in getting ahead in business.

Jo Anne: “Women are inherently ambitious, however it is their lack of faith in their capabilities hinder them from realizing their full potential in the highly competitive field of business. You have to be really strong inside. You have to stand up for yourself. Not everybody has that within them but more and more  women nowadays are making huge strides.”

When it comes to balancing personal, family,  work and community commitments, women entrepreneurs are more flexible and more sympathetic as they themselves do their best to balance all these.  Women are more willing to give and take. The bottom line is that work gets done.

When asked what is the legacy of women & business in Cayman, Jo Anne spoke of how Caymanian women had to look after their families as most of the Caymanian men were out on sea. These same women out of their need to provide better lives have also gotten involved in business. Subconsciously, current Caymanian business women are building on this legacy that was left to them by their ancestors. It may not be as simple as the business endeavours led by their ancestors, but it is a progression of that.

Jo Anne also applauds the fact that the Gender Equality Law has been passed in Cayman. She believes that women should be empowered and that they be given all the opportunities to succeed.

Jo Anne and the rest of the panel also spoke on so many other issues that beset women in the work place. To hear more of Jo Anne’s views on Women and Business, watch it here.

It’s time to announce the winners of the Celebrations Valentine’s Giveaway!

Our lucky winners for the draw are William Bodden – Winner of the diamond necklace from Diamonds International, and Alee Fa’Amoe – Winner of the flight with Cayman Airways! Congratulations to you both! We hope you had an excellent Valentine’s and thank you for choosing Celebrations as your place for gorgeous flowers and perfect memories!

Lucky winner, Alee Fa'amoe with Cayman Airways' Marketing and Public Relations Manager Olivia Scott-Ramirez and Celebrations' Marketing and Public Relations Ashley Vodarek

Congratulations William Bodden for winning the diamond necklace from Diamonds International and to his lovely recipient Laura Powell!

Location! Location! Location!

You’ve often heard that phrase and in the spectrum of destination weddings, it takes on an extremely important level. Once you’ve decided on having a destination wedding, the altogether daunting task of choosing where it would be is one of the hardest decisions you will encounter during your wedding planning. With so much to choose from, your heads will spin from all the fabulous locations available to you.

Here’s a few reasons why Cayman Islands, our home, is the perfect venue for your dream destination wedding.

1. Proximity and accessibility – just an hour away from Miami and with international flights coming in from all over the world, Cayman Islands is your paradise close to home.

Photography by David Wolfe

Photography by Courtney Platt

It is also a major port of call to some of the worlds’s biggest cruise liners.

2. Cosmopolitan yet simple – Cayman Islands is home to a few world-class hotels and restaurants. It is also a place where simple pleasures can be indulged in, like enjoying a breath taking sunset or just taking in the sand and the sea in peace and quiet.

Photography by David Wolfe

Photography by Aaron Rebarchek

3. Diversity and beauty – Whether you choose to marry at a private villa, smaller resort or a five-star hotel, Cayman Islands has the resources to cater to every couple’s personal style, guest list size, and whim.  Not to mention the backdrop is absolutely gorgeous. Think tranquil turquoise waters, and sugary white sandy beaches dotted with palm and sea grape trees.

Photography by David Wolfe

Photography by David Wolfe

Photography by David Wolfe

Photography by David Wolfe

4. Convenience – Destination weddings can be hairy especially if you have quite a few expectations. Luckily, Cayman Islands is home to some of the world’s reputable wedding service providers, such as Wedding Planners and Designers, florists, caterers, photographers, musicians and many other services that are essential to a wedding thereby making it easier for your to take the leap and choose Cayman.

5. Hospitality and warmth – We take pride in our island paradise and welcome the world to enjoy all its beauty. Cayman is practically the safest destination in the Caribbean, which makes it a great destination for multigenerational families.

Photography by Courtney Platt

Cayman Islands is truly the perfect choice for discerning couples who want the total experience of what a dream destination wedding can and should be!