Westin Dawn Beach Resort Wedding – St Maarten

Genesis and Lester’s wedding at Westin Dawn Beach Resort was a dream come true. She was such a sweet bride and I loved working with her and Lester. It was so nice to be back on St Maarten, shooting with the sand between my toes, the smell of the ocean and an ‘off the walls’ reception. I love how unique and different every destination wedding is, and it must be because everyone is on vacation, but I feel the day is so relaxing and fun and it’s awesome shooting everything at one location.

How They Met

Genesis & Lester met in 2006 during their freshman year at the Florida State University. Lester was pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering and Genesis was pursuing a degree in Political Science and Criminology. Introduced by Lester’s roommate (a friend to Genesis as well), their friendship slowly blossomed into the love.

Following a visit back at their Alma Mater (Florida State University) Genesis and Lester took a morning stroll to the iconic Westcott Fountain. They decided to sit on the bench, where they would often meet in between classes. All of a sudden, the sound of the fountain waterfall was accompanied by a violin and cello playing John Legend’s “You & I. Genesis looked over at Lester, shocked, who was now down on one knee holding a ring box . Genesis broke into tears….and eventually she was able to say YES!!!

The Wedding

Genesis and her girls got ready in a suite at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort. There was a ton of people getting their hair and makeup done and coming in an out of the room, but instead of being stressed, Genesis was laid back and happy that so many of her friends and family members could take part in the morning activities. Her mom ironed her dress, her besties kept her entertained and she opened gifts from her groom to be. With mimosas, a wedding planner and resort coordinator, the morning went by quickly and smoothly. The sky was overcast for the wedding ceremony, creating soft dreamy colours and perfect sunsets for the formal portraits. I love shooting around sunset, something that doesn’t happen too often with Canadian summer weddings, where the sun does set until after 9pm in the summer.

The groom looked stunning in a custom Tuxedo and Genesis had the perfect combination of classy and princess with her sparkle bodice and mermaid tulle skirt from Allure Bridals. The theme for the day was sparkles, blush and white and the overcast day added to the colours and romance.

The Reception

One of the things I miss most about St Maarten is the nightlife. I haven’t found a great bar in Vancouver to dance at and miss Soca and the caribbean beats! Genesis and Lester’s wedding embodied this amazing scene so well I felt like I was at a nightclub. They had one of the island’s top DJ’s (The Cut Creator Dj Outkast ), Genesis to start the party off and an awesome performance by a modern violinist (Sarina Suno “The Violin Diva).