In April, on a beautiful property on Grand Cayman overlooking the North Sound and surrounded by their closest friends and family, Cayman locals Harriet & Simon tied the knot!
Planner: Cassie South of Celebrations
Design, florals, decor & production: Celebrations
Dress: Alon Livne
Suits: Black Lapel
Bridesmaid Dresses: Reformation
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Hair & Makeup: Jackie Soriano & Trina Biliti
Venue: Private Home
Music: Bona Fide
How did your love story begin? Tell us how you met and when you knew you were the one for each other!
Simon and I both grew up in Cayman; we were actually in kindergarten at Cayman Prep School together. However, our relationship started in Christmas 2007, at an epic New Year’s Eve party held by a great friend of ours – where we kissed at the stroke of midnight. A week later Simon turned up on my doorstep in London (where I was at university) and, pretty much, he never left!
Tell us about the proposal! Where, when and how did this special moment happen?
On Christmas Eve 2016, we drove with our dogs, Penny and Lola, to Beach Bay, where Simon’s parents live, under the pretense of moving furniture for Christmas dinner the following day. Simon suggested we stop and take the dogs for a walk along Beach Bay public beach first, and it was on the far point of the beach that he proposed. That evening, our best family friends held their annual Christmas Eve party on the beach in South Sound, so we were able to celebrate with all our family and friends in person. While Penny and Lola couldn’t be at the wedding, we instead created two pre-ceremony refreshment stations in their honour – Lola’s Lemonade Stand, a tropical vintage cocktail cart, and Penny’s Pimms Bar.
What inspired the style and design of your wedding? Tell us about the flowers, dress, etc…
Etherial and elegant, with a touch of botanical bohemian.
How was your wedding planning experience with Celebrations? Was there something special or unique we did that stands out for you?
Cassie was incredibly helpful throughout the entire wedding planning process, providing guidance on local vendors and pulling everyone together the weeks leading up to the wedding to ensure the day flowed seamlessly! While the Celebrations team expertly handled the main decor and flowers, I prioritised looking for unique soft decor items to add to the mix and create something truly unique – like a vintage cocktail cart covered in silver thatch palm, colourful bougainvillea and fresh coconuts and custom-labelled English sparkling wine made with grapes from our family vineyard in Devon, UK, to napkins sourced from India tied with individual palm fronds and handmade tassel name cards from our great friend Gemma Critchley (and the designer of our rings – Cabinet Jewellery).
What’s your favorite memory from your wedding day? (You can share more than one!)
1) Location: I really wanted to create something unique that stood apart from the ‘typical’ Cayman beach wedding. We started by searching for a one-of-a-kind venue; one that many of the guests wouldn’t have been to, ideally hadn’t played host to a wedding before, but that could cater to approx. 200 people. We were incredibly fortunate to be offered the opportunity to have our wedding at a private home, which made for an incredibly special setting with lush tropical gardens and a white sandy beachfront with perfectly placed palm trees.
2) Decor: I’m a creative (and perfectionist!) so I loved the early planning stages, working closely with Cassie to cover every detail throughout each part of the day – from the boho-inspired ceremony to the beachfront cocktail reception to the sit-down dinner under the stars for 175 people. Our wedding party was also made up of an interior designer, a jewellery designer, two art curators and more, so even though everyone was scattered across the globe (from New York to London to Sydney) we had so much fun over the months leading up to the wedding discussing every design detail and sourcing (or making!) the final finishings.
3) Entertainment: Most of all we wanted all our guests to have the best time! We had fantastic food and drinks from Mise en Place, and plenty of dancing thanks to BonaFide band.
Congratulations Harriet & Simon! Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness!
