This Couple Said I Do in the Middle of the Caribbean, Then Everyone Jumped Into the Water!

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

When Maycie + Chris began planning their destination wedding in Cartagena, Colombia, their goal was essentially to plan an epic vacation for all of their friends and family…and get married at some point along the way! Instead of a rehearsal dinner, they kicked off the 3-day extravaganza by renting two open-air party buses to drive everyone around the city. They drank + danced to the music of the live bands which were on the bus with them. At one point, everyone hopped off the bus and they snacked on empanadas and boogied in the street. Basically, we want to be at their wedding (The Eventeur did such a fabulous job planning it all out!).

Maycie tells us: I always knew I didn’t want my wedding ceremony to be traditional, so the highlight of the weekend was when we took our 82 guests out on 6 speedboats into the middle of the Caribbean. Everyone met at the dock around 11AM donning cover ups and the colorful hats we gave each guest as a welcome gift. The 6 speed boats went about 45 minutes out and formed a circle in the middle of the ocean, and then Chris and I stood at the front of one of them and said “I do.”

Sounds like fun, right?! Just wait until you see all the moments captured by Barb Simkova + Max Power, and Tara McMullen Photography!

Around the Town

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Isn’t this place lovely with all the colorful structures?

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

The CUTEST!!

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

For those that want to snag this effortless travel style, here are a few of our faves:

The Ceremony…Surrounded by Water!

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

My sister-in-law couldn’t be at the wedding because she was pregnant (and there was a risk of the Zika virus). I wore the beautiful cover up she gave me over a white swimsuit so we could feel like she was there in spirit.

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Boats in formation! The overhead drone shots were taken by the couple’s friend, Rob King.

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

What a cool place to say yours vows—in the ocean, surrounded by your best friends and family!

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

After the ceremony, Chris and I spontaneously decided to jump into the ocean, and ALL 82 of our wedding guests (even my 81-year-old grandparents!) jumped in after us! It was an unforgettable and surreal to swim around the bright blue water saying hi and getting congratulated by everyone we love, moments after saying our vows!

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Following the actual ceremony, everyone went island hoping around the Rosario Islands (as you do when the ceremony is held in the water, right??).

Everyone had lunch on a private island called Bendita Beach + then they headed to Cholon—also known as the “party island”—where they found a floating bar…that they almost sunk! Here’s Maycie with more: I don’t know if that many people have ever all arrived at once…my poor wedding planner! We ate oysters from kayakers selling them around us, went on the banana boat, and dove off the bar into the ocean—needless to say it was definitely the best day of my life!

The ‘First Look’

first look

I told Chris I wanted to do a first look in the courtyard of the venue, but really I wanted to ice him! It worked like a charm and his friends, who were watching from the roof, got a kick out of it too! He’s usually the one pranking me so it was awesome to get him so good!

For those that aren’t familiar with what “to ice” someone means, it’s typically when a bottle of Smirnoff Ice is seen or presented—the person drops to one knee and chugs it (all part of the game!).

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Keeping things casual and cool, Chris donned a linen suit and cool kicks from Chamulas.

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

How stunning is Maycie’s Stone Cold Fox gown with all that fun fringe? Oh, and that veil? It’s the one her grandmother wore for her wedding!

The Vibrant Reception

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

The idea was to have a “formal” reception the day after the ceremony, so that everyone could fully enjoy the “boat day” and be able to call it an early night after a day of drinking in the sun. (So smart!)

cocktails

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Maycie tells us: The next day, after sleeping off our hangovers, we had a more traditional reception at Casa Pombo—an absolutely gorgeous colonial mansion in the heart of Cartagena. Everyone put on their colorful cocktail attire and we danced the night away! 

fruity cocktails

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

Colombia Island Hopping Wedding

A troupe of dancers and drummers dressed in Carnival outfits surprised all of the guests for an hora loca.

Now THAT looks like a PARTY! Congratulations, Maycie + Chris. It looks like you two had an absolute blast!!

photography: Barb Simkova + Max Power, Tara McMullen Photography // venue name: Casa Pombo, Cartagena, Colombia // planning: The Eventeur // wedding dress: Stone Cold Fox // bride's shoes: Zara // groom's shoes: Revolve // catering: Monica del Risco // music: DJ Tavo // boats: Boats4You // island lunch: Bendita Beach // ceremony drone photos: Rob King // wedding dress alterations: West Coast Couture // white cover up: Free People // second white cover up: Forever21 // bathing suit + red dress: : ASOS // second bathing suit: Beach Riot

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