Valery and Chauncey's uber-stylish Jamaican wedding makes me wish I had been there! Either that or hop on the next plane to the Caribbean. I saw a few pics from their wedding in
New York Weddings awhile back, and wanted to know more.
Cappy Hotchkiss was kind enough to indulge me with a ton of beautiful photos, and Valery shared some fun details about the swanky destination wedding:
Our wedding was a celebration of everything we love: family and friends, music, and pampering our guests! Jamaica is a place that Chauncey and I have visited countless times over the course of our relationship and we have truly grown to love it's unique spirit. When it came time to plan our wedding we knew we wanted to share the island's magic with our guests. For the amount of money we would have spent for one night in Manhattan, we did four days of festivities in Jamaica over Memorial Day weekend - a Thursday-night cocktail party, a Friday beach barbecue, the wedding, an after-party that went until sunrise, and a Sunday lunch.
We were weren't afraid to mix up the expected flow of the day. Our wedding started with the cocktail hour! This allowed us to mingle with our guests and relax before our ceremony. We took all of our formals prior to the cocktail hour, so we could relax and focus on enjoying the rest of the day. After the cocktail hour, our guests were all seated at their respective dinner tables and we had a "dinner theater" style ceremony where we stood in the center, surrounded by our guests. It was intimate and offbeat, and was perfect for us as we didn't want the usual processional down the aisle.
Welcome bags were woven by a local Jamaican artisan.
For portraits and the cocktail hour, Valery wore a short dress by
Alice by Temperley, shoes by Pierre Hardy, and a fabulous bridal hat by Gina Foster Milliner. Chauncey looked dapper in an island-appropriate seersucker suit by
Etro and wingtip shoes by
Tom Ford.
{click image to enlarge}
{click image to enlarge}
Round Hill Hotel was originally a private refuge for style icons like Cole Porter, Grace Kelly, and Jackie Kennedy. "It has very old-school glamour," says Valery.
Rum punch was our unofficial signature cocktail; we like the numb, happy Carib buzz it gives you. When planning food and beverage, it’s key to know your crowd: Do they drink a lot? Ours drank us out of house and home!
These shell chandeliers cast a sexy glow over the festivities, and the best part? They were dirt cheap!
Valery's little brother was the ring bearer.
{click image to enlarge}
As Chauncey and I are both jazz musicians (he plays the sax and flute; I sing), we opted to provide the cocktail hour entertainment ourselves. With the help of some of our talented musician friends (who also happened to be guests) we put together a six-piece jazz combo and dedicated meaningful songs to each other: Chauncey performed Art Blakey’s 'When Love Is New' and I did Cole Porter’s 'You’re the Top' and the Etta James version of 'Nature Boy.' It was a great way to include our passion for music in the wedding and share it with our guests.
For the ceremony, Valery changed into a dress by
Catherine Walker and Co. and green sandal flats by Christian Louboutin.
I wanted native ginger flowers. They have a thick stem so I thought I’d just hold one, but the florist surprised me with a bouquet.
We opted not to have a wedding party; rather, the morning of the wedding, we each hosted the meaningful men and women in our lives for separate thank you brunches. I treated my friends to pedicures and Chauncey treated his to massages. It was a great way to show our appreciation for them.
Since Round Hill has a clubby old school atmosphere, we opted for a retro supper club menu: iceberg wedge salad, Oysters Rockefeller, lobster tails, filet mignon, and Baked Alaska.
Music was especially important to us, so we placed most of our budget in securing our phenomenal band, the incredible Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, as well as our two amazing DJ's. If I had to choose a favorite moment, aside from the ceremony, it would have to be our after party. We rented a gorgeous mountainside villa not far from the resort and hosted an all night throw down. Our DJ, Quantic, kept our friends on the dance floor until 6am - it was completely wild, and ended with a sunrise swim in the pool. I will never, ever forget it. Venue:
Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Save-the-date:
Ceci New York
Wood veneer invitation:
Oslo PressPaper invitation inserts / menus:
Albertine PressBride's cocktail dress / shoes / hat:
Alice by Temperley /
Pierre Hardy /
Gina Foster MillinerBride's wedding dress / shoes:
Catherine Walker & Co. /
Christian LouboutinGroom's suit / shoes:
Etro /
Tom FordBand:
Sharon Jones and the Dap KingsDJ's:
Quantic /
Queen MajestyPlanning: JoAnn Gregoli,
Elegant OccasionsValery's advice to brides is exactly what I needed to hear this week:
Also, be true to who you are and don't get sucked in by pressure from others. It is so easy to go into "please everyone" mode, but you'll learn quickly that this is an impossible feat. It is entirely possible to be both a gracious host and also remain on track to creating a day that truly reflects who you are as a couple. Also - enjoy yourself! It really is a remarkable occasion. Rarely will you get to see all your loved ones gathered in one place. I tried to look around and soak in that moment as much as possible.
Happy Anniversary this month, Valery and Chauncey! Thank you so much for sharing all of these incredible details with us - it sounds like an absolutely amazing time! And thank you again to the talented Cappy Hotchkiss for sharing all of these fabulous photos with us - it was impossible to choose just a few!
Labels: beach, destination, modern, Real Weddings, retro
