Looking through these images, I just want to pack my bags and head south to Jamaica! Jessica & Christiaan are from New York City, and had a destination wedding at Rockhouse in Negril, Jamaica was shared with us by the amazing Steve Koo out of Chicago, Illinois. The photographs are gorgeous and capture not only the beauty of the couple, but of the surroundings as well!
From Steve’s email to me: Jessica and Christiaan have some amazing friends and family – while most destination weddings are relatively small, 86 people made their way down from all over the US to attend their wedding. They had a beautiful ceremony and reception set against the cliffs of Negril on the edge of the island. They wanted their wedding to feel fresh, clean, and fun, and I think they did a fantastic job pulling it off!
Jessica shared with us the story of her & Christiaan’s love, their wedding, and more!
When we first met: We met Junior year of college at Indiana University. We knew each other’s friends but didn’t know each other. We were finally introduced at my best friend’s 21st birthday party and 8 years later she was actually the one who officiated the ceremony!
The Proposal: He actually proposed at the Rockhouse back in Oct 2008- It was our first night there and we just finished dinner. He suggested we go on a walk so we could check out the rest of the property and while standing out on one of the cliffs overlooking the ocean he got down on one knee and proposed. After we had our little moment, he tried to rush me back to the room so we could call our friends and family… there was only one problem – I couldnt move because I was frozen in shock!
Why have a destination wedding? We fell in love with the Rockhouse while we were there the first time. Ironically there was a wedding going on while we were there, so we got to see all the behind the scenes action! When we got back to the states and started looking at different venues, we just couldnt get the Rockhouse out of our heads. We realized that no matter where we looked it would always be compared to the Rockhouse- so we decided just to do it!
Why did you choose your destination? The Rockhouse is such a meaningful place to us and we just thought it
would be so wonderful to share this special place with our closest friends and family.
The most memorable moment of the wedding day: Probably the moment when everyone was lined up to walk down the aisle. The music started playing and we both looked at each other and realized this was actually happening!
Your favorite detail of your wedding day? The beautiful natural backdrop of the sky, cliffs, and ocean- it just looked like a scene out of a movie!
The best part of having a destination wedding: Most weddings last 5-6 hours and its over. This was a weekend (or even a week for some) long event. Being that our families and friends are scattered across the country it was so wonderful to see everyone bonding and having fun together. When else in your life do you get to go on vacation with all your friends and family?!!?
[Ed. note: I think that may be my favorite scene-setting reception photograph ever. Gorgeous!]
The honeymoon afterwards: We “mini-mooned” at a hotel called Moon Dance Cliffs for a few nights to get away from it all before heading back to NYC. We are planning a small Honeymoon in December to have that true “honeymoon experience”
A shout-out to all the awesome vendors that made this wedding happen!
Ceremony & Reception Venue, Cake & Caterer: Rockhouse in Negril, Jamaica
Photography: Steve Koo
Florist: Floral Fantasies Jamaica
Bride’s Dress: Amarildine
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Melissa Sweet
Groom’s Attire: Theory
Groomsmen’s Attire: J. Crew
Stationary: Wiley Valentine
Makeup Artist & Hairstylist: Erin Hunt
Bracelet: Tejani Bridal Jewelry
Shoes: Alexander Mcqueen
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