When romance, travel, and unforgettable memories come together, you get a wedding straight out of a fairytale—and that’s exactly what happened for Marlena and David, thanks to expert coordination by 2 Travel Anywhere. Set against the stunning backdrop of St. Lucia’s turquoise waters and lush mountains, their destination wedding was a perfect blend of tropical elegance and heartfelt celebration. From a surprise meeting on a birthday night to saying “I do” in an overwater chapel with glass aisle floors, this love story is packed with inspiration for couples dreaming of a picture-perfect island wedding.
Marlena + David
Sandals Grande St. Lucian
Guests ~ 8
Budget ~ $10,000 – $20,000
How did you guys meet?
Marlena: Through mutual friends.. Our friends invited me over for dinner to celebrate my birthday. To my surprise they had invited David (aka Joel) as well. I guess you would say he was the gift that just kept giving. We hit it off & danced the night away.
What was the vision for your wedding?
Marlena: I wanted the wedding to be simple, elegant & heart felt . I also wanted it to be fun & something everyone would not only enjoy but would also remember.
What was your theme and what inspired it?
Marlena: Tropical, Simple elegance
What details were used to create your theme?
Marlena: We had our wedding in the over water wedding chapel. It alone with the glass aisle floors & the backdrop of the mountains & ocean were spectacular in itself. We didn’t want to take away from the view. We kept it simple by adding sheer panels to the front doors & to the back of the chapel as well. It was picture perfect. To add a pop of color our guest all wore pink.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
Marlena: We splurged on the location of the wedding along with photography, videography, and rented a luxury private catamaran as a continuation of the reception. We saved money on flowers. The property and St Lucia itself is so pretty that there was no need to purchase flowers that were particularly expensive being on the island and were not able to bring them home. I did a simple white rose and orchid bridal bouquet and fuchsia dendrobium orchids as the boutonnière and on the cake.
What words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Marlena: If you’re planning a destination wedding I advise getting a travel agent such as Carlie Finch. They will help plan the wedding and coordinate the travel arrangements with the guest. Ensuring that all goes smoothly from start to finish. Also I advise to just relax, take it all in , enjoy the moment and trust your wedding planner to take care of all the details.
Can you share any special moments or highlights from your wedding day?
Marlena: Our wedding was a Hallmark movie come to life. All of it was true magic. Our closest friends and family spent a week with us in Paradise. The actual day of the wedding was filled with activities & celebrations.. We had an early afternoon wedding followed by a reception at the over the water gazebo with a DJ, signature drinks, food & dancing. There we did a choreographed first dance to Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley. After the reception we took a small break to change clothes & met back up for a private sunset cruise on a catamaran followed by dinner at Barefoot By the Sea where guest could dine with their toes in the sand.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
Marlena: There is so much that we loved about the day. I think the thing I loved the most is that we did our own thing . We did things exactly the way we wanted to do it & we’re carefree throughout the day. On our final photos we got in the water and swung on the swings. We couldn’t resist. That’s who we are, we like to have fun. & create memories.
Whether it’s dancing barefoot in the sand or swinging over the sea in your wedding attire, memories like these are what dream weddings are made of! Huge thanks to this beautiful couple and Carlie of 2 Travel Anywhere for sharing.
