Aruba Destination Beach Wedding at Manchebo Beach – Norm and Oksana
Aruba seems to love us lately and we sure love that island! Norm & Oksana had us join them on that fabulous island for their intimate wedding at the Manchebo Beach Resort. We also spent the day with them prior to the wedding exploring the many unique locations for their pre-shoot. With 4-wheel drives we headed out to Bushiribana Gold ruins, Guadirikiri & Fontein Caves, the always amazing wild Windward side of the island along with the peaceful white sands of Eagle Beach. The wedding was right at sunset over the Caribbean Sea at Manchebo Beach where the palms waved and the sand slipped between our toes as we photographed this gorgeous couple. It was an international affair with family and guests from Ukraine, Australia, Vietnam and of course the USA (CA & VA)! It was a time we will never forget with Norm & Oksana and we wish them the very best on their new journey! Here they are:
Aruba Wedding Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa – Norm & Oksana
An intimate wedding was on hand at the Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa in Aruba with a few friends and family of Norm & Oksana. There was an international flair to the entire event with guests from around the globe. The Aruba westerly breeze was blowing as usual but it made for a wonderful beach wedding and reception. Eagle Beach with it’s white sands and turquoise waters provided an awesome backdrop for their beach wedding. We were anxious to meet Norm & Oksana for the first time since they are one of our many destination wedding clients that we have only Skyped with prior to meeting them in Aruba. They were even more cool in person than via the internet! The staff at Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa were wonderful and the night went off without a hitch. Congratulations Norm & Oksana and we look forward to seeing what is in store for you guys!
Aruba Destination Wedding Slideshow
The best way to enjoy Aruba is obviously to go there…. Since it is a few thousand miles away we figured we would bring a little bit of the Caribbean island to you! Jeff & Jing’s wedding at the Aruba Westin hotel will provide the backdrop for a slideshow of their wedding. We also threw in a few more shots of their tour of Aruba with us as we photographed them in some of the iconic locations around Aruba including, Bushiribana Ruins, Natural Bridge, Alto Vista Chapel and of course the amazing white sands of Eagle Beach. So many more places to see on this tiny island but for now come along on the magical mystery tour that is Jeff & Jing’s Aruba Wedding!
Renaissance Hotel Aruba – Oksana’s Bridal Shoot
We knew we had a home run wedding when we saw Oksana for the first time in Aruba! She was one of our 4 brides we photographed on our recent Aruba destination wedding flurry but she was special because we had never met her before – just via Skype. Seeing her gorgeous dress and her amazing flowers – we just had to take a few moments with her at the Aruba Renaissance Hotel and do some shooting with her around their immaculate grounds. The wind was a bit stiff but it just made her gown do the coolest things! The Renaissance hotel is right on the beach in Aruba so we had the beautiful panoramas of that along with their tropical gardens and pools surrounded by palm trees. Just 15 minutes with an amazing bride and magic happens! Here’s Oksana:
Aruba Westin Destination Wedding – Jeff & Jing
A marathon of weddings in Aruba started with this fab couple, Jeff & Jing! We were so stoked to be a part of their amazing Westin Destination wedding in Aruba. A simply amazing group of family and friends joined them for a sunset wedding right on Palm Beach. Despite the power going out for a few hours nothing could stop the outdoor reception with the cool Caribbean breezes winding it’s way through the crowd. The Westin is the crown jewel of the high rise district of Aruba with amazing views of the beaches and sea in all directions. Jeff & Jing were real pro’s since we shot their e-session and pre-shoot …the wedding was a breeze! Sand between your toes with shutters clicking. Word.
Norm & Oksana – Aruba Destination Wedding Pre-Shoot
Have Jeep, cameras, awesome looking couple and will travel! That’s all I really need. That and a Caribbean island kinda like, say Aruba maybe? Oh yeah, throw some caves and white sandy beaches. I’m not asking for too much am I? Well, we had all that and more on our recent travels to the fine island of Aruba. Norm & Oksana joined us there for their wedding but before we shot their wedding we jumped in our Jeeps and found a few hidden gems around the island. It’s only 19 mile long but it is just packed with the coolest places! Our first stop was the Alto Vista Chapel which is an icon of the island along with the cactus and rocks (did I say Caribbean?). We hopped back in our Jeeps and bumped our way down the windward coast to the Natural Bridge and the Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins. Aruba managed to squeeze in a national park (Arikok) onto their island so we headed off in that direction to find the Guadiriki caves and they did not disappoint! Guadiriki and Fontein caves are fabulous spots for photography alone but add Norm & Oksana and you get something really special. We ended up back at Eagle Beach for a roll in the white sands and blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Aruba just keeps coming up with the most amazing locations for photography so we can’t wait for our next trip back! Stay tuned for a couple of more weddings that we shot there recently along with Norm & Oksana’s fabulous Manchebo Beach Resort wedding.
Aruba Wedding Pre-Shoot (Jeff & Jing) – Destination Wedding
“One Happy Island”, that’s what they call Aruba. I can see why with so many things to see it is just a phenomenal place to photograph. Aruba really is unique as a Caribbean island with cactus, ruins, Divi trees and white sandy beaches – a combination you will find nowhere else! I would go to Aruba just to photograph the ruins, the crashing waves on the windward side and the white beaches of Eagle Beach. Now, give me a couple of beautiful people and that is just the cherry on top! We joined Jeff & Jing in Aruba for their wedding at the Westin where their wedding was going to be right on Palm Beach. Before their wedding though we headed out to photograph all around the tiny 19 mile island of Aruba. Our first stop was at the Alto Vista Chapel that sits high on a mountain top that gives a tremendous view of the entire island. After photographing there for a bit we headed down the dirt roads toward the rough side of Aruba where the waves constantly pound the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Jeff & Jing were willing to do about anything as we perched them on the edge of cliffs with waves crashing all around them. The Natural Bridge provided a quiet place for a few shots as we continued our 4-wheel drive trek through the outback of Aruba. The Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins gave us a great view of the Atlantic and the crumbling rocks of the ruins provided a very unique backdrop. Before we left we made sure to build a wishing rock tower in island tradition. While there was much to see on the windward side of Aruba we raced the sun back to the other side for some shots with the white sand beaches that Aruba is known for. Jeff & Jing were up for a roll in the surf so we kicked off our shoes for an Aruban “trash the dress” shoot! Before we dove in though we made sure to find the famous Divi trees on Eagle Beach for a couple of photographs. Destination wedding photography can be a real challenge with the travel and logistical issues but people like Jeff & Jing and locations like Aruba make it so worth while. All in all the day of photography was a boatload of fun as we explored Aruba with our good friends and got to know them and the island a whole lot better! Stay tuned for wedding pics!