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The Rogers family had been vacationing in Aruba for years when Mike’s dad asked him if he thought his girlfriend, Diana, might like to join them the next year. The couple had been together since meeting each other at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania during their second year of undergrad. Not only did Diana join them the next year, but she eventually decided that she wanted to get married on the beautiful island that has always been so special to the Rogers, and now her as well. 

It was certainly a process—Diana Morales and Mike Rogers met in person with our team leader, Jordy, back in January 2020 and stayed in contact via email for two years during the height of the pandemic. But their steadfast commitment to having the destination wedding of their dreams paid off, and on August 6, 2022, the couple finally said their “I dos” in Aruba.

Aruba offers a wide variety of venue options for destination weddings, but one of the most unique and unforgettable locations is the exclusive Renaissance Island, a 40-acre tropical paradise situated a short boat ride away from Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort’s Marina Tower in downtown Oranjestad. The island is home to Aruba’s only private beaches and its famous pink flamingos. This gorgeous island is precisely where Diana and Mike chose to hold their wedding.

With the unparalleled guidance of Renaissance’s wedding planner, Zulaika Dijkhoff-Boekhoudt, the couple planned a truly beautiful wedding day, with preparations taking place at the Marina Tower. Our team captured the wide range of emotions that are often experienced by the couple and their closest friends and family during this special time before the wedding. In the guys’ room, Mike handed out gifts of beautiful engraved watches to his groomsmen as they shared Midleton Irish Whiskey in special glasses embossed with the Rogers family shield. We then had the honor of taking beautiful shots of Mike reading a letter from Diana and opening her gift to him, creating a special memento that will last a lifetime. We also captured the beautiful blend of sentiment and excitement in the ladies’ room, where Diana handed out gifts of personalized tropical robes as flutes of champagne were passed around.

After the preparations, the guys headed off to Renaissance Island in their own private boat. Meanwhile, Diana and her dad shared their first look in the gorgeous lobby of the Marina Tower’s light-filled atrium. Diana and the rest of the wedding party were then whisked away to the private island, our team taking gorgeous shots the whole way. Diana’s choice of colors for her flowers—pink, magenta, and fiery orange—set against the bright blue of the water, made for some really striking photos on this boat ride.

The wedding ceremony itself took place under a beautiful arch of fresh flowers at the water’s edge, looking out at the Caribbean Sea. The wedding officiant’s words were perfectly fitting: “We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back nor forward to what it might be, but living in the present. Relationships must be like islands, accepted for what they are, here and now, surrounded by the sea.” Following the ceremony, our team took advantage of the “golden hour” light and the naturally gorgeous backdrops of the exclusive island to take amazing shots of the just-married couple. 

During the reception, our videography team captured the heartfelt speeches of family and friends, many of whom shared how special the couple’s love is. In particular, they pointed out that while Diana is now officially part of the Rogers family, she has actually been part of the family for many years already. We also captured the really impressive choreographed first dance by the couple, as well as a Carnival celebration set to fireworks.

For us, the Rogers wedding was the perfect embodiment of “teamwork makes the dream work.” The couple worked with Jordy in the planning stages; team members Rafael, Kanter, and Joshua during the wedding for photography and videography; and then Joshua again during the island tour. (We have to admit, the island tour photos came out stunning! We capitalized on Aruba’s natural, raw beauty to get some epic shots all over Aruba—incredible sunset shots, a striking cactus shot, shots by the water with perfectly timed spray, and shots featuring all types of light, even night shots.) 

Thank you, Diana and Mike, for choosing our team to make YOUR dream work!