Tell us about your wedding day and surrounding events! Where did it all go down? Did you have any particular inspiration or musts when choosing the location?

We got married across two properties in Harbour Island and Eleuthera in the Bahamas. My family has been vacationing there for years, so the islands have always held a special place in my heart. I had dreamed about getting married in Harbour Island since I was young, so getting to actually do it and bring all of our favorite people there with us felt pretty surreal.

We kicked off the weekend at The Ocean View Club, where Edward’s family hosted the most amazing rehearsal dinner. Hearing speeches from our closest friends and family was incredibly special and, of course, there were lots of (happy) tears.

"We somehow had the most perfect weather, which I fully credit to the Etsy witch we hired."

After dinner, the rest of our wedding guests joined us on Harbour Island’s famous pink sand beach for a bonfire with drinks, dessert, and live music from our favorite local band, The High Rock Band. We danced barefoot on the beach all night, and a few guests even ended up going for a midnight swim- a good indication of how the rest of the weekend was going to go! 

I wore a two-piece Rosie Assoulin set with Jacquemus shoes. Edward wore a custom green jacket from Maxwell’s with SuitSupply trousers and his favorite Saba shoes.

The wedding was on Friday, across the bay at The Other Side. We somehow had the most perfect weather, which I fully credit to the Etsy witch we hired. I started the morning with a swim in the bay and hosted lunch with the girls, while Edward organized a pickleball tournament with his “BGOB,” a term our friend Sarah coined, for his Big Group of Boys.

I worked with Mary Kendall on glam and got ready with my sister, my mom, and my friends who popped in and out from the beach.

Our ceremony overlooked the beach, and I wanted to keep everything simple because the setting didn’t need much help. We used lots of greenery and let the water and landscape do the rest.

Two of our best friends, Connor and Ian, officiated the ceremony, and Edward and I wrote our own vows. Afterward, everyone headed to cocktail hour overlooking the water with music from the 123 Band.

I always pictured the reception feeling more like a really great dinner party than a traditional wedding dinner.

"...instead of hiring someone for the after-party, we asked our friends to put together DJ sets."

Everything was served family-style, and the tent was completely covered in greenery. We kept the tables simple and filled them with candlelight, which became the focal point as the sun went down.

After dinner, everyone headed straight to the dance floor and basically never left.

We’re very lucky to have a musically inclined group of friends, so instead of hiring someone for the after-party, we asked our friends to put together DJ sets. It made the whole thing feel even more personal and gave everyone an excuse to stay up far too late.

The next day, we hosted a Bahamian beach barbecue and pool party with a DJ and saxophonist. We swam, danced, ate, and did very little else all afternoon. Edward and I love beach clubs and have planned plenty of trips around them, so I’d always wanted to create our own version for the wedding weekend. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire weekend.

How did you and your partner meet? What was the proposal like?

I’ve always felt like us meeting was meant to happen. We both went to Tulane University in New Orleans, but somehow we actually met over spring break in Delray Beach, Florida.

"Almost immediately after, the rain came back, but at that point we couldn’t have cared less."

Edward’s grandmother lived next door to my parents on the beach, and we ended up meeting at Rocco’s Tacos, a very spring break setting, complete with margaritas practically the size of my head. The next night, he invited me out with his entire family (which could have gone a number of ways!), and the rest was history.

Edward planned the most amazing proposal. We were in Florida celebrating the holidays with my family when he proposed on a beautiful boat in Palm Beach.

The weather had been pretty terrible all day, but somehow the sun came out for about ten minutes. Just long enough for him to propose.

Almost immediately after, the rain came back, but at that point we couldn’t have cared less. We stayed on the boat, popped champagne, and celebrated in the rain. I thought it was just the two of us, but meanwhile our friends and his family had flown in from Boston and were waiting at Bice for dinner, followed by a cocktail party at The Brazilian Court.

Knowing I had always dreamed of getting married in Harbour Island, Edward surprised me again the next day with a trip there. During that trip, we fell in love with The Other Side and The Ocean View Club. So somehow, within the week, we were engaged and had basically found our wedding venues.

Describe your Happy Isles dress and/or dresses! When did you know it was the one?

I had always envisioned myself walking down the aisle in a vintage gown. I started my career at The RealReal and became completely obsessed with the thrill of finding one-of-a-kind pieces—whether I was scouring the website or going through clients’ closets.

So pretty much immediately after getting engaged, the hunt began.

"I loved the floral embellishments, the low back, and the fact that it looked completely different from everything else I had tried"

I flew to Los Angeles to visit a few vintage curators and discovered Happy Isles along the way. A couple of weeks later, I went to their SoHo showroom.

Funny enough, my friend Shelby had DM’d me a photo of the exact dress I ended up choosing the night before my appointment.

I went with my friend Natalie, who has become known in our friend group as something of a wedding-dress good-luck charm, and I chose the first dress I tried on that day.

It was an incredible Ralph Lauren runway gown. I loved the floral embellishments, the low back, and the fact that it looked completely different from everything else I had tried. I immediately felt like myself in it, which was really the deciding factor.

A few months later, I went back to Happy Isles looking for a second look and found an amazing semi-sheer beaded dress. I worked with Tati Kova to completely transform it into a mini, which made it feel like its own piece while still keeping everything I loved about the original.

Where did you shop for accessories and how did you style your look/s? Give us the deets! 

For the ceremony, I wore Jimmy Choo platforms. I’m 5'2", and Edward is about a foot taller than me, so this was partly a fashion decision and partly a logistical one—I did not want to be on my tiptoes for our first kiss.

For beauty, Mary Kendall and I went for timeless, glowy, and very natural.

What did your partner wear down the aisle, and did you share outfit pics before the big day?

Edward worked with Andrew at Maxwell & Co to style his wedding looks. He wanted everything to feel elevated but still relaxed enough for an island wedding.

For the ceremony, he wore a light cream double-breasted blazer from Boglioli paired with the perfect pale blue shirt, and custom trousers with loafers from Officine Creative.  

How did your guests respond to your outfit/s? Were there any standout reactions?

Everyone was so sweet about my looks, but the reactions I’ll always remember are my parents’.

Seeing their faces when they saw me in my wedding dress for the first time was one of those moments I wish I could bottle up forever.

What was the most memorable aspect of your dress shopping experience? Is there anything you would like to highlight or share with other brides considering an appointment at Happy Isles?

I loved how comfortable the team at Happy Isles made the entire experience. Wedding-dress shopping can be surprisingly emotional and, at times, a little stressful, and they immediately put me at ease.

With vintage especially, alterations can feel intimidating because you’re working with something that already has a history, and you don’t necessarily want to lose what made it special in the first place. The team was incredibly knowledgeable and showed me how many possibilities there were to make each piece feel completely personal while still respecting the original design.

They were also such a resource throughout the process, not just during the appointment. I stayed in touch with them leading up to the wedding, and the entire experience felt very seamless and personal.

Did you ever feel like you were breaking the mold or challenging expectations while wedding planning? What were some ways you stayed true to yourself during what can be an emotionally complex experience?

I’ve worked in hospitality, so I cared a lot about how the weekend actually felt for our guests—not just how it looked. I wanted there to be thoughtful details throughout but nothing that felt too formal or fussy.

We worked with C.Kahler Creative to create bar menus that you’d find in a restaurant, had shell-shaped dinner menus that doubled as fans, and served dinner family-style as a nod to the laid-back atmosphere of Harbour Island and the Bahamas.

Music was also a huge priority. Edward and I love a good party, and we really love to dance, so we wanted music woven into the entire weekend rather than just the reception. We had live music on the beach, the 123 Band at the wedding, and then our very talented friends took over the DJ booth for the after-party. We stayed up dancing with everyone until very, very late, which was exactly what we wanted. 

They say every wedding has a “wild card” moment. Did anything unexpected happen or surprise you during planning or day-of?

The biggest surprise was honestly the energy our guests brought all weekend. Every night somehow ended with everyone dancing at the hotel bar at The Other Side,  and no one seemed particularly interested in going to bed.

But there was one moment on the wedding night that really took it to another level. The 123 Band had started a dance circle and competition, and our friend Chris came into the middle and casually dropped into a full split. The crowd completely lost it. Then he looked over at his boyfriend, Trace, and suddenly he was flipping Trace into the air. Seconds later, he saw Edward cheering him on and decided Edward was next. Before I knew it, my new husband was also airborne. Chris very deservedly took home the unofficial award for best dancer for the entire weekend. 

Do you have any wedding planning or dress shopping advice? Please pay it forward to our future brides!

Try on anything and everything. It’s so easy to decide what you think you want before you actually start trying things on, and then end up loving something completely different.

Wear what makes you feel great and comfortable, and don’t be afraid to take a risk or wear color. I wore probably the most colorful dress I could find for my rehearsal dinner and loved every second of it.

And find a tailor you really trust! Especially with vintage, a great alteration can completely transform a piece.

If you had to choose your single best wedding day memory, what would it be?

I had a tiny bit of stage fright during our ceremony. I was so overwhelmed with adrenaline and excitement that after Edward finished reading the most thoughtful, moving vows, I apparently decided the ceremony was over and leaned in to kiss him.

Edward pulled back and said, “I don’t think you’re supposed to kiss me yet.” Everyone burst out laughing, including us. It immediately broke all of the nerves, and eventually, I did get my kiss.

Now that the wedding chapter has come to a close, what are some dreams you have for your future, both personally and as a couple?

Nothing too complicated! We want to stay happy and healthy, keep building our life together in New York, travel as much as we can, laugh a lot, and spend as much time as possible with our family and friends. 

And finally - shout out your vendors! 

Photography: @cocomocollective

Planning: @kyiennamoss_ @little.island.design

Venue: @theothersidehotel

Catering: @theothersidehotel

Floral: @boymeetsgirlweddings

Hair: @marykendallll

Makeup: @marykendallll

Music: @highrockbandeleuthera , @123plusweddingband

Stationary: @ckahlercreative, @carolineskahler