There are two big trends happening with weddings today; one of them is the destination wedding where we get to take a small group of our family and friends to a wonderful secluded island or destination where we spend wonderful quality time with one another, and the second big trend is getting married barefoot on the beach.

When my friends called and told me they decided to get married barefoot on the beach at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, I jumped right to it. Since they were young and wanted to do something different and exciting, I was up for the challenge.

Our ceremony took place on the beach right next to the beautiful crystal blue water. Instead of a straight aisle, we used a serpentine aisle that weaved its way to an arbor. Instead of seating our guests on regular chairs, we seated them on pods or ottomans covered in three shades of different sand colors: dark wet sand, light dry sand, and very light, almost white sand. The aisles were further demarcated with aisle stations that were made out of metal frames and then hot glued with shells. We added moss, Pincushion Proteas, carnations, and finally my team intertwined yards of orange silk ribbon.

At the end of the aisle we created a beautiful arbor embellished with the same materials, with a magnificent dome on top made out of starfish. Where the starfish intersected, we hung small pearls.

As the guests made their way down onto the beach, the sun began to set. The Bahamian setting sun washed the ceremony in a gorgeous glow and there was a light breeze blowing. The bridesmaids looked radiant in coral-colored dresses, the groomsmen handsome in white linen.

Cocktails were served on the beach. Trays of poached jumbo shrimp, chilled lobster, and glasses of chilled bubbly made the rounds. After about 45 minutes, our gospel choir came onto the beach and formed a long conga line. Tiki torches lit and they sang “Oh Happy Day” from the beach to the party area. When guests got to the top of the steps, they were given a damp towel to dust the sand off their feet and could then change into their evening shoes. They then followed the gospel choir and the bridal party all the way through the grounds of the sumptuous Ocean Club, past the pool, and down steps into a beautifully decorated tent set in the garden.

In keeping with the color scheme of all coral and white, the ceiling was swathed first in gorgeous, voluminous white organza, while streamers of coral organza came down from the ceiling and separated at the sides, making beautiful draperies that were pulled back all the way around the perimeter of the tent allowing the indoors to come out, and the outdoors to come in.

Our guests were seated at long tables that were swathed in ivory linen with beautiful coral linen runners down the center of the tables to anchor the tables. Punctuated down the table runners were beautiful arrangements of flowers, all in silk covered boxes. The striped boxes were filled with coral-colored Pincushion Proteas; a taller center box was filled with beautiful blooming single-petal peonies, while lower troughs were packed abundantly with coral-colored carnations. The backs of the bride and groom’s chairs were packed with beautiful peonies and silk streamers.

Dinner started off with a sashimi plate, followed by wonderful peri-peri prawns, and finished off with a delicious pear sorbet. Finally, we cut the cake which was also decorated in the theme of coral. After the cake cutting, we followed the bride and groom back to the pool where we magically transformed one side into a night club, complete with mirror balls, billowing fabric, and a DJ who kept the party going until way into the wee wee hours of the morning. We kept the party fueled by serving strepe chepes in test tubes; strong and refreshing.

When guests got back to their hotel rooms, we had an emergency hangover kit waiting, and a note of sweet dreams from the bride and groom.