Having met while in Nicaragua doing mission work and maintaining a long distance relationship for years set the stage for this deeply intimate and organic celebration of love for the beautiful Bride and her Groom. With Lora Grady snapping every moment – and even helping with these gorgeous florals – we’re transported to a real life fairy tale that is one perfect example of the power of love and fate.
From Lora Grady… This organic, intimate destination wedding took place on a secluded beach in Pochomil, Nicaragua. Ashlyn, the bride, met Gabe while traveling abroad in Nicaragua. Here’s what the bride has to say about her wedding day –
From the beautiful Bride… Gabriel and I both met in the beautiful country of Nicaragua. Over a two year long distance relationship, we were able to marry in his beautiful country. Our friendship grew into a love that has deeply rooted itself. It was important for us to be married in the country where our love began, and with the presence of our families.
After living in Nicaragua for six months, the country became my second home. Nicaragua inspired me completely with the natural, organic feel. Gabriel and I have a favorite spot on the beach, where he proposed to me. Since then, our wedding plans began to be directed by the naturalistic theme of the beach. I wanted to orchestrate as much Nicaraguan details as possible. Our reception table linens were handmade from the Nicaraguan market. The beautiful handmade, wooden arch was made by Gabriel and his closes friends. They physically put in the hard work of cutting down the trees, to enable a ceremony arch. The calligraphy name stones were found at a local river Gabe would visit, when he was a child. The Mariachi band played traditional salsa and romantic Nicaraguan music, as we walked down the aisle and at the reception. Gabriel also created the feet washing bowl while his father built the wooden bench we sat upon. Our vows were read in our heart languages of English and Spanish.
My favorite decor was our calligraphy sign that says; Two Nations Become One Today. I never imagined that while doing mission work, after nine years in Nicaragua, that I would have met Gabriel. Though we come from two different nations, we pray to always be united.
The planning experience was adventurous as I relied upon Gabriel for a lot of the work in Nicaragua. I visited once before the wedding, but had to do my best by planning in the United States. I wanted the whole planning experience to be relaxed and not stressful, as we kept in mind about what this one day truly means. We ultimately wanted our wedding to be a reflection of Christ and the gospel, so we aimed to do all we could in order to orchestrate everything in order to give him the ultimate glory. There were things beforehand that I knew were more important to me than others. I also kept in mind that we were having our wedding in a country where it can be so relaxed, that different aspects may not go as planned. I knew that this could only happen if we both kept the mindset of what this wedding was truly meant for.
The actual wedding day was a complete dream, as I look back at all of the events leading up to the one special day I become one with my husband. All of the hard work Gabriel and I did together was a great reminder and reflection of what our marriage is: full of hard work in pursuing a godly marriage. Much of the morning was spent with decorations and finishing any other details; such as the beautiful flower arrangements Lora helped with! All of the beautiful hands that helped were truly craftsmen in helping with the creation of our wedding day. I remember a moment, before I was about to walk down the aisle, when I first saw Gabriel standing at the alter. God’s presence was so overwhelming as he has had his hand over our marriage this entire time. The joy of our long distance relationship coming to an end with a marriage to last eternity, was rewarding. The reception was perfect, as we wanted our two families to share their first meal together. We wanted complete relaxation and time to spend with both of our families before leaving. The reception gave such a romantic and elegant feel, as it was lit with bistro lights and candlesticks on brass holders. Our wedding day could not have been any more perfect.
Photography: Lora Grady | Cinematography: Sara Klepacki | Floral Design: Bride & Lora Grady | Wedding Dress: Dreamers And Lovers | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Dress Up Boutique | Calligraphy: Sarah Mecke | Venue: Pochomil Beach, Nicaragua | Decor Inspiration: Host And Toast | Ribbon: Silk And Willow
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Post tags: Destination Wedding
Post categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog
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