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Reviews

Category: Wedding

Erica & Matt

Posted on by Sigmar Sommer

Erica & Matt

Erica & Matt

Erica and Matt’s ‘how we met’ story will renew your faith in the persistence of love. Matt first laid eyes on Erica when he visited a bar in New York she worked at years ago. After convincing his friends to return to the bar with him several times so he could see her, Matt finally worked up the courage to get her number. Matt’s high hopes were dashed when his texts to Erica were being ignored. Matt decided to visit Erica one last time at the bar to explain that he would stop messaging her, which is when they both discovered that something had gone amiss — Erica had not been receiving the text messages at all! Apparently, Matt had accidentally been sending the messages to another Erica on his phone! On that unexpected note, the couple started dating. Eventually, they moved in together. Eight years later they tied the knot … in Aruba!

A destination wedding is incredibly special, but Erica and Matt took it to the next level by saying their ‘I dos’ at Renaissance Island. A destination within a destination. The lush, 40-acre retreat is just a few hundred yards off of Aruba’s harbor — reachable by boat shuttle from the water launch at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. These few hundred yards away can feel like miles away from civilization, with secluded coves and tropical garden retreats dotting this private island. Wedding ceremonies take place on a private beach, closed off to other island guests. When it is time for the reception and all other guests have left the island, the couple and all their friends and family have the entire island all to themselves (except for the resident flamingos of course). It’s the perfect location for a truly magical wedding!

Weddings on the private island do come with some challenges from time to time. The boat ride to the island makes photography a bit trickier. On top of that, couples that get married on Renaissance Island are usually also guests of the Renaissance Hotel. For Erica and Matt this was not the case, they stayed at the RIU Palace, which posed an interesting logistical challenge. However, it wasn’t anything our team couldn’t handle with sound planning and timely execution.

Of course, nighttime receptions can be challenging due to the lack of light which makes it difficult for cameras to focus. However, Renaissance Island offers ample, cozy lighting after the sun goes down. Not to mention that our team is experienced in taking professional photos in a variety of light situations. It’s this seasoned experience that enabled us to beautifully capture the radiating smiles of both Erica and Matt as they danced their wedding night away under the stars. We feel truly honored to have captured the wedding of their dreams.

Angie & Billy

Posted on by Sigmar Sommer

Angie & Billy

Angie & Billy

The reason to say get married in Aruba is different for each individual person. Sentimental value, the weather, picture perfect scenery etc. But, at the end of the day, what ever makes you decide to have your Destination Wedding in Aruba, You sure want to enjoy it right ? This goes for every part of the wedding, and let me tell you, Your Wedding Photographer is an important part of this ^_^

We totally understand that the bride and groom can often be quite stressed during the course of their wedding. Is the Wedding Photographer here yet? Is the food any good? Did we order enough liquor? Did the band arrive yet? Has one of the bridesmaids already run off with a groomsman? But Angie and Billy? Cool the Aruban trade winds.

On may 5th, 2017 it was time for them to say their “I do’s” and they could not think of a better place than the Barcelo Aruba Resort.

In the Pre-meetings to discuss the ins&outs of their Wedding Photography we did thoroughly discuss with them how the timeline influences the vibe of the day, They really wanted to have great wedding photographs without sacrificing too much time they’s otherwise spend with the friends & family. And that is what they got.

Angie & Billy where introduced to each other by friends. For Billy, it was love at first sight. He asked her out for a cup of coffee, and there was never any turning back from there. After only 4 months, he bought the ring—he’s a man who knows what he wants! But the Universe butted in and declared, “Not so fast!” Billy’s position as a Navy logistics officer required him to pick up and move from the West Coast to the East Coast, and the two lovebirds spent a while doing the whole long-distance relationship thing. Finally, Angie got a job on the East Coast, bringing an end to the long distance….and making it real. After sitting on that ring for 20 months, Billy finally proposed on a hot summer night. Billy started telling Angie about how much he loved her, but accustomed to the emotional outpourings of her sensitive Navy man, Angie didn’t expect a thing…that is, until he popped the question! Two long-awaited years later, they made their union official at the destination wedding of their dreams on the beautiful island of Aruba.

During the preparations of the bride&groom, it was clear… These people are here to enjoy their time with friends and family. No hussle and bussle, just smooth sailing and having fun. It helps when you look naturally beautiful or handsome ^_^
Everyone was smiling, making jokes having fun…non as much as Billy though. His personality really gets a crowd going. There is just no way you can’t have fun with this guy around.

Angie’s personality matches billy. I do have the feeling though that she balances things out with her organisation and slightly calmer demeanour. When we arrived in the room to capture the wedding photography of her preparations, everything and everyone was prepared and ready to shoot. No wonder everything went of without a hits !!

This is something that reflects in the wedding photographs too. You can see the happy faces, crazy poses, love and picture perfect backdrop that makes people dream of a destination wedding in Aruba.

Dustin & Jenna

Posted on by Sigmar Sommer

Dustin & Jenna

Dustin & Jenna

On September 4th, 2021, after many delays, We were finally able to be part of Dustin Smylek and Jenna Tureson’s big day. And what a day it was!!

The Marriott Stellaris Casino and Resort – here in Aruba has some of the most professional wedding coordinators. Jenna & Dustin knew what they wanted, and together they came up with quite a list of little moments to make their Aruba Destination Wedding Extra special. We, of course, we were there to take their Wedding Photography and Wedding Videography.

Perfect little moments like the first look with Jenna and her father, a special gift from Dustin for Jenna with a handwritten card, or the first touch with Dustin and Jenna. And what an emotional rollercoaster it was.

Please take a look at that moment when Dustin gets to hold Jenna’s hand without seeing her….You can clearly see his heart racing. The emotions were unmistakable. He was able to hold some of the tears back, although one escaped him. This did build up the tension for when he first got to see her walking down the aisle. Then and There, the emotions got the better of him.

There was a lot more going on that day, though. So let’s drop a little truth bomb here, though. I know Aruba is generally well known for the sunny days and a sure bet for dry weather during your wedding. And it still is. But, we did get a little scare during the preparations. Look, the Aruban flora and fauna also need some water to survive…and yes. However unlikely, there is always a chance it rains on your wedding day. This was such a day. And as you can imagine, Jenna was visibly under pressure. Luckily she was about the say her “I Do” to Dustin.

For the most part, this was the case. Up until the meeting right before the wedding. Look, we have seen many brides, and we know that this” getting married” thing is a lot. We have seen many grooms “just being part of it.” But not Dustin. Once Dustin knew what would happen on the big day. he was on top of things. In the last days leading up to the big day, he carried the torch, making sure we knew changes.

During the preparations, Dustin made sure everything was taken care of, elevating some of the pressure. And when the rain poured down on the big day at about 3 pm, Dusting made sure to express Jenna’s wish to continue as planned and have a ceremony on the beach. (If you plan your ceremony at a resort, they generally have a bad weather option)

Now, I assume you are still reading this, right? And you will be like, “OMG, what if that happens to me ?!?! Let me tell you the following. As a wedding photographer with more than seven years of photographing Destination weddings in Aruba, adding to that the experience of my colleagues here at Aruba Wedding, we have, in all that time, only once had a little spritz of rain, right before the ceremony. Once. Never during a ceremony, and never during the reception. That is not to say this will not happen to your destination wedding. That guarantee we can’t give you. We can say, though, that it is highly unlikely.

And guess what happened on September 4th?? at 5 pm, the weather cleared, and the sun peaked through the clouds right as Jenna walked down the aisle. From that moment on, the only drops falling were tears of joy from Dustin’s face and drinks spilling from glasses during a wild and crazy Wedding Reception !!

Christina & Aaron

Posted on by Sigmar Sommer

Christina & Aaron

Christina & Aaron

“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”

Paul Caponigro

I, personally love this quote. It is true, Not every one is as comfortable in-front of a camera. Their personality gets hidden from the camera by their shy appearance, awkward looks etc. Luckily we have a large toolbox of tricks to get that personality to the surface and shine bright in all our clients Wedding Photographs. A Destination wedding in Aruba is something to remember, after all, and nothing helps you remember like wedding photographs & Video.

Sometimes though…just sometimes, we meet people for their wedding photography and we instantly know, that there is now hiding that personality. That personality will shine bright!!

After walking into a barbershop, Aaron sat down in Christina’s chair for a haircut, and, well, basically, he never left. If love at first sight exists, this was definitely it, and from what we saw, it was a love ever so true. While Christina is working her magic with scissors day in and day out, Aaron has a demanding job as a lawyer. “No one calls a lawyer just to talk about the weather,” Aaron points out, “but whenever my mind is clouded with stress, it’s the ever-smiling Christina who brightens up my day.” And wow, how she brightens up places! On April 22, 2017, Christina and Aaron finally tied the knot during their breathtaking destination wedding on Aruba, and Christina was absolutely radiant. Her personality shined so bright Aaron couldn’t take his eyes of her. It couldn’t be more clear that these two are perfectly made for each other. And from all the things they have in common, we would say their shared love of dancing and having fun is high up there on the list…what a party!

There are many things that influence the flow of a wedding-day and unlike in many places like the US, it is customary in Aruba to have your ceremony around 5:30pm, 6pm and do Formal’s or Family Photographs after that, and of-course Bridal Portraits after that.

This is partly because of the fact that it is just too darn hot to do those shots prior to the ceremony, but also due to the fact that most people want their Bridal Portraits to be shot with at sunset on the Aruban Beaches.

When doing “formal’s” or family combinations, it’s important to have someone to help gather all the people together. We, as Wedding Photographer’s don’t know all the names of friend’s and family members, and if we spend too much time trying to wrangle everyone together—first the family of the bride, then the family of the groom, then the bride’s friends, then the groom’s friends, etc.—we’ll run out of sunlight for those stunning sunset Bridal Portraits that every couple wants.

Fortunately, we received lots of help from various guests in pulling everyone together in a timely manner. (And trust us, we know it’s not easy getting Uncle John away from the bar!)

Consequently, we could get all the group shots we needed with these great people and still beat the sun to get those epic sunset shots! It’s highly possible these folks were also very efficient during the photography session because they were eager to get back to the party…what a wild shebang!

We hope the laughter and happiness we witnessed on their wedding night is a reflection of the life that Christina and Aaron are about to share together.