These two sweethearts celebrated their nuptials on the beach, surrounded by loved ones, before venturing off to Blue Hole in Ocho Rios for a unique waterfall photo session.Shooting a destination wedding in Jamaica is a dream gig for any photographer!
The natural beauty of the island creates a wonderful backdrop for couples, and an incredible opportunity to create something truly special. When LaToya and Grant asked us to capture their wedding day at Moon Palace in Ocho Rios we jumped at the chance! The two of them are such a cute couple! Together, we shared many wonderful moments with them and their family and friends, while embracing the unbelievable scenery all around us.
Today we’re so pleased to be sharing not just the photography from LaToya & Grant’s Destination Wedding in Jamaica, but also a little insight into how they got together, and what their big day experience was like.
A Spontaneous “Like”
Officially, LaToya & Grant got together in the Fall of 2018, after initially meeting via an instinctive Facebook ‘like’ from Grant, back in 2014. He’d seen a selfie of LaToya, and his mutual friend Vani, and he thought there was something special about her! After that ‘like’, Vani connected the two of them, and soon they were dating. They spent time going to football games, out for dinner and chilling at home.
Their lives did get in the way of a continued romance, but fortunately, come 2018, they were able to rekindle their spark and start dating again.
Getting Engaged
It was the week before Christmas and they had put up their Christmas tree. Around the bottom of their tree, they had laid a toy train track, and had a cute little train trundling around the base of the tree. A few nights before this, Grant had received the blessing of LaToya’s mum to ask her to marry him. Excited by the thought of proposing, Grant decided to ask for her hand as soon as possible. However, it didn’t quite go to plan, we’ll let LaToya explain!
‘Grant tried to sneak the small engagement ring box into the house with the rest of the Christmas gifts. However, as I was helping Grant with the presents, and moving each box with him, he couldn’t sneak anything in. He pretended like I’d forgotten more gifts in the car, and so went out to grab the ring on the patio. Once back in the house, with the ring, he stuck it at the very back of the toy train. And then hit play on a John Legend Christmas song on his phone. Grant asked if I would come back into the living room, and see something on the tree. As I approached him, he pressed the start button on the toy train, and got down on one knee. Of course, I said “Yes”! My mom and daughter celebrated with excitement, as did my dog Bowser, barking his approval!‘
Favorite Moments
You could tell those two had a blast all day. There were so many beautiful moments throughout their destination wedding in Jamaica. For Grant, we know that the ceremony itself was very special. ‘I really enjoyed the ceremony, and especially right at the end when the Minister announced that we were now husband and wife. It felt like all the pressure was off, and now we could have a nice celebration Champagne toast together, and relax‘, shared Grant.
The two of them also loved the activities around the wedding too. In particular, our trip to Blue Hole. A natural limestone sinkhole with dramatic waterfalls and deep caverns among the tropical mountains of Jamaica’s White River Valley. We took our newlyweds there two days after the wedding, and put together a really sweet photo session, just for the two of them. LaToya slipped her bridal gown on again, and we took some stunning shots of them! Our bride looked like a dreamy mermaid sitting in the crystal-clear water, wrapped in the arms of her husband. It was an incredible trip for all of us.
The Experience
As with any wedding, be it a destination wedding in Jamaica or not, there will always be a few hiccups. LaToya and Grant experienced a common issue of trying to get their family and friends together for group shots. This happens, and they found that if they’d had a few more assistants, they probably would have been more successful. But, overall, they loved everything. ‘We’re so glad we got to have our beach wedding and had such amazing weather. There’s always going to be small things that come up, but these memories will last a lifetime! It was wonderful that so many were able to join us in paradise‘, shared Grant.
We Would Love to be Your Destination Wedding Photographer
It would be an honor to become a part of your destination wedding team, and create that timeless keepsake of your big day. Myself and my team of Chicago wedding photographers and videographers at Lauren Ashley Studios will go above and beyond to capture the atmosphere of your special occasion, and share it with passion and authenticity.
We welcome you to browse our portfolio of wedding photography, videography and if you would like information about our investments please click here. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in Chicago, or beyond, and you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
