Everybody got their own sand-dollar to write their names and good wishes on.
The bride's dad's sand dollar had the place of honour on the bottom of the Memory Vase
This was a special Sand Ceremony I wrote for them based on the colours they wanted to use
This is a good view of the finished Memory Vase.
The newly weds didn't mind getting wet!
A great family shot!
Ceremony by Joy for Simply Weddings. Flowers by Trisha's Roses, photography by Mari for Island Photo. Transportation for this group by Joselene Vegiz. See my website at www.cayman-islands-weddings.ky for this all-inclusive cruise package.
You've been a guest at many memorable weddings, where the bride looked gorgeous, her flowers were beautiful, and the reception venue and music were spectacular. Now it's your turn to organise the biggest day of your life - so where do you begin?
Decide on a date, it's best to give yourself plenty of time, and let the planning begin!
Twelve months to go
* Book the reception venue. Remember you need to take into consideration the style, size and budget.
* Book the ceremony.
Ten months to go
* Choose colour scheme and theme.
* Start looking for your wedding dress.
* Make a preliminary guest list
* Choose maid of honour, best man, bridesmaids and groomsmen.
* Choose master of ceremonies, band or disc jockey.
Six months to go
* Shop for bridesmaid's dresses, shoes and accessories.
* Book a photographer. Make an appointment to visit their studio to meet them and have a look at their work and choose a package that suits your taste and budget.
* Consider a videographer.
* Select a florist and order your bouquets, buttonholes, church decorations and reception table arrangments.
* Order invitations and stationery - acceptance cards, thank you cards, table place cards, hymn books, etc.
* Choose a location for photos and remember many public gardens require a permit.
Four months to go
* Choose the suits for the groom and groomsmen.
* Make travel arrangements for the honeymoon and organise passports and visas.
* Select cars.
* Choose wedding rings.
* Choose a wedding cake.
* Organise gift registry. Department stores, individual stores and online retailers offer this service.
* Send invitations to overseas guests so they have plenty of time to make travel arrangements.
* Book a hairdresser and make-up artist.
Two months to go
* Post wedding invitations.
* Make hotel reservation for the wedding night.
* Meet with the priest or celebrant to discuss and finalise ceremony formalities.
* Meet with your reception venue organiser to finalise menus and running details.
* Have dancing lessons if you think you both need them!
One month to go
* Lodge 'Notification of Intention to Marry' with The Department of Deaths and Marriages.
* Have hair and make-up trials. Don't forget to take your veil if you're wearing one.
* Finalise details with the master of ceremonies.
* Have your final fitting for wedding dress and bridesmaid's dresses.
* Finalise living arrangements and tie up financial and legal matters.
* Purchase ceremony accessories such as ring pillow and guest books.
* Purchase garter, toasting goblets etc.
* Organise lingerie.
* Choose wedding vows.
* Organise church programs.
* Select songs for bridal waltz.
* Reconfirm everything: flowers, cake, cars, band etc.
Two weeks to go
* Have bridal showers, hen's night and buck's night.
* Finalise guest numbers with the reception venue.
* Organise table seating for your guests. Write place cards and give them to the reception venue.
* Wear in wedding shoes.
* Pack overnight bag for the hotel and honeymoon.
* Write thank you speeches.
* Pick up wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses. Try everything on again.
* Shop for thank you gifts for your bridal party.
One week to go
* Pick up groom and groomsmen suits - check for proper fit.
* Pick up wedding bands.
* Have wedding rehearsal.
* Have a manicure.
* Spoil yourself and your bridal party with a relaxation massage.
* Reconfirm your honeymoon details.
Wedding day
Relax and enjoy, as this day, which has consumed you for so long, is over very quickly.
And don't forget to eat!
Some good advice
* Don't feel you have to invite everyone you know to the wedding. It's okay to invite your guests to the service only.
* Don't say no to help. There's a lot to organise and if your friends and family are offering help, let them help!
* Don't do any running around on the day. Have your flowers delivered to you and your hairdresser come to you etc.
* Bridesmaids usually pay for their own dressers and shoes.
* Don't expect parents to pay for the wedding. However many do contribute.
* Remember both sets of parents would like to be involved in the decision making, especially if they're paying towards the wedding.
* Many couples are choosing wedding bubbles instead of confetti as they look great in photos.
* Signature bears are fun instead of guest books.
* Try not to consume too much alcohol untill after the formalities.
* Place a few disposable cameras on each table and have your guests take photos of each other and the wedding couple. It's great looking back at these informal pictures.
* Make sure there are plenty of spare pantyhose for yourself and the bridal party.
* Make sure you pack tissues, lipstick, band-aids, etc, in your bag.
Their friends took us to this deserted beach on the north side of the island. There was not even another car in sight.
Here we are with the proof shot!
And the "We did it!" shot
Posing near the "capital " Blossom Village
"What's more important: wedding or marriage?"
"My family and friends were constantly asking about my wedding, but never questioned me about the fact that I was about to start sharing my life with another human being, which seemed much more important than, 'Are you wearing a band/veil?' I felt relieved when the pressure to have a perfect wedding day was finally over."
Gabrielle, 32, Perth, WA
"Don't make big plans for your wedding night"
"I had amazing plans for my wedding night - after the reception we wanted to kick on to a bar with our friends, and then have a romantic night in our candlelit wedding suite. But by midnight, I was exhausted. I'd been up for 19 hours and experienced a roller-coaster of emotions. So, instead, my husband spent his wedding night picking bobby pins from my hair."
Sharon, 34, Ashfield, NSW
"Parents will probably complicate things"
"Both my parents and my husband's are divorced and all have new partners. Trying to please all of them was incredibly difficult. But how can you ignore their demands when they're contributing money? Eventually, my husband and I decided we had to be firm and do what we wanted - after all, it was our day."
Kellie, 25, Cabarita, NSW
"Your dream dress will be over your budget"
"Before my wedding, I imagined getting married wearing a $500 classic, cream suit. But I ended up splurging on an antique lace dress, which cost thousands in fabric alone. We went so over budget for the wedding in general that we gave up and spent what we liked. So don't beat yourself up if you blow your budget."
Emily, 27, Perth, WA
"Some of your closest friends won't make it"
"I had this romantic notion that everyone I invited to the
wedding would attend. But in reality, some people won't be able to - especially if you get married overseas, as I did. It's easy to feel upset, but ultimately - like most wedding details - it won't matter on the day. Your wedding will still be incredible."
Fiona, 31, Rose Bay, NSW
"Even 'ideal' bridesmaids can cause headaches"
"I'd heard horror stories about lazy bridesmaids, so I thought my super-organised friend would be perfect. But Kate, who had a list - and an opinion - for everything, was so organised I started to feel I had lost control of my own wedding. Although Kate had good intentions, I wish I had picked someone more on my wavelength."
Michelle, 29, Prahan, Vic
Just returned from Dubai - Photographed a wedding at the Dubai Polo Ranch. It is nice to be back in Paris as it seems that finally Spring is here! I will post a slideshow later on during the week. 
1 Grease and line the base and sides of 3 deep, round, 20cm cake tins with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160C. Combine the chocolate, butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted. Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a large bowl, let cool slightly.
2 Use a whisk to stir the orange zest, the sifted flours, Grand Marnier and eggs into the chocolate mixture. Keep whisking until the mixture is a smooth batter. Pour the batter into one of the tins and bake for 1 hour 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil halfway through the baking time to prevent over browning. Remove cooked cake from oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Repeat with another 2 batches of mixture. You may need to extend the cooking time if you bake 2 cakes at one time.
3 To make the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave on medium for 2-3 minutes. Leave to cool. Place half the cream cheese and icing sugar in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until just smooth. Add the remaining cheese and sugar and beat again until smooth. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold it through cream cheese mixture. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm enough to spread. After refrigeration you may need to stir the mixture until smooth before spreading.
4 Use a serrated knife to cut each cake horizontally through the centre. Brush 1 tbsp of extra Grand Marnier over one cut surface of cake then spread with 1/4 cup of frosting and replace top. Repeat with other cakes.
Stack the cakes on a serving board or plate, sandwiching them together with 1/4 cup of frosting each. Make sure last cake is inverted so the base of cake is on top for a completely flat surface. Secure the layers in place by inserting 3 skewers vertically through the cakes. Cut skewers down to size, so they can be frosted over. The skewers can be removed when you serve the cake.
5 Cover cake with remaining frosting. Run a palette knife from bottom to top around the sides of the cake to form a decorative pattern. Swirl the frosting on the top with a palette knife. Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to place the leaves on cake and take it to the table. The frosting of the cake can be done the day before serving. Allow the cake to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before pressing chocolate leaves into frosting.
6 To make chocolate leaves: trim off any torn leaves from the cabbages. Then carefully remove 4 outer leaves. Melt 1/3 of the white chocolate melts for the frosting. Use a spoon to spread the melted chocolate over the outside of the leaves. Avoid having the chocolate run over the edges of the leaves. Allow the chocolate to set, then carefully peel the leaf away leaving the chocolate shell. Repeat with remaining chocolate and leaves. If you're careful, you can reuse the cabbage leaves. Coat another 4 leaves, making them slightly smaller by not coating the whole leaf. Repeat one more time with 4 smaller leaves. Once all the leaves are set, arrange the larger leaves around top of cake like a flower, pressing them gently into icing to set in place. Place next size inside larger leaves and so on. Use any smaller broken pieces to stand in the centre of the flower.
7 To serve: after presenting the whole cake to the guests, carefully remove the skewers and separate it back into 3 cakes, Cut the cakes into serving size pieces - tiny if you're serving a separate dessert or larger if the cake is being served as dessert.
You can store any unused cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Copyright 2007 ID Media Inc, All Right Reserved. Crafted by Nurudin Jauhari
