A Tropical Backyard Wedding in Barbados

I’m seeing more and more that couples are looking farther afield for their wedding vendors, sometimes even flying people in from around the world for their photography, videography, or styling needs. This is how I ended up photographing Georgie & Ray’s lovely backyard wedding in Barbados. Having spent every Christmas break in Barbados myself for my whole life, I was already familiar with the island, and jumped at the chance to photograph a wedding there! Although it was a destination wedding for me, Georgie and Ray were married in the comfort of Georgie’s family home, surrounded by their lively pack of Bajan pups, and all their loved ones from around the island and beyond. It could not have been more perfect, and was even featured on Bajan Wed a few months ago!

I started with them before dawn, getting ready for a 7 am ceremony before the heat of the day set in. They were married in a lovely intimate garden wedding, under a homemade floral arch, surrounded by the greenery and flowers that Georgie’s mother had carefully tended in the garden all year in preparation for their wedding. One of the dogs met Georgie on her walk down the aisle, and her sister read a quirky poem adapted for the couple that made everybody laugh. Georgie wore a simple beach-y white dress that she had adapted into a wedding dress by sewing on some extra pearls and lace, and the girls all had their hair done the night before and slept on it to avoid having to have their hair done at an ungodly hour. I LOVED how happy and relaxed everybody was throughout this wedding!

After the ceremony, everybody sat down for brunch on the terracotta patio, enjoying home made sweets and fresh fruit as the sun streamed in through the lush tropical greenery. After brunch, the whole party took a break to avoid working through the heat during the middle of the day, and groups headed off to the beach to swim, surf, and enjoy a day off on their beautiful island.

A set of giant marquee tents magically appeared during this time, and everybody reconvened in the evening again shortly before dark to get the party started. Food stations were set up around the garden serving classic island dishes like bajan roti, and the dance continued long into the evening under the tents as tropical rains poured on and off all evening outside.

It was SO much fun getting to photograph a wedding in a completely different tropical setting, and I absolutely can’t wait for my next chance to shoot around the island!

Xo
-c