Destination Wedding in Saint Lucia | The Bridal Collection Real Bride

About The Couple

Gabe grew up in upstate New York while Amanda’s roots are here in Colorado. When a job opened up in Colorado Springs, Gabe headed West. Once he arrived, Gabe wanted to connect with new people, so he joined a running club. Eventually, Gabe and Amanda met at a running club event through a mutual friend. Before long, what began as a friendship, soon blossomed into love! Amanda and Gabe have traveled the world together, visiting places like Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Ireland, Switzerland, and more. In addition to being world travelers, they are the quintessential Colorado couple who love hiking and paddleboarding in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

How He Asked

In March of 2016, Gabe and Amanda took a trip to Brisbane, Australia. During the visit, they planned a boat tour to Tangalooma Resort on Morton Island. By the time they arrived, it was pouring rain outside and Amanda was exhausted. Gabe begged her to power through for a walk on the beach. Despite her exhaustion, she finally agreed to go on the walk which ended up being perfectly timed as the rain cleared up and the beach was nearly empty! The two decided to turn back when the sun began to set.

On the way back to their beach cottage, Gabe got down on one knee and asked Amanda to marry him. Before he could finish, she said YES! Once again, the timing couldn’t have been more impeccable, as he had proposed during the most amazing sunset they had ever seen. To celebrate, they had a delicious seafood dinner and of course, champagne! After a few days of engaged bliss spent snorkeling and exploring the island, they went back for one more week in Brisbane. Even though Amanda and Gabe have been all over the world together, this trip was by far her favorite!

A Week To Remember

Trying to choose a favorite moment in a bride’s wedding day is a difficult task – especially for Amanda, whose wedding “day” was actually a week long beach vacation with her closest friends and family.

One benefit of planning a destination wedding is how “hands-off” the process is for the bride and groom. Instead of stressing over every detail, Amanda and Gabe were care-free, enjoying every moment and focusing on why they were there – to commit their lives to one another. The bride even spent the morning of her wedding day hanging out at the beach and the pool with her friends. Most destination weddings have a smaller number of guests. This wedding in Saint Lucia was no exception, but both Amanda and Gabe agree that being able to cherish the best day of their lives surrounded by their closest family and friends was beyond worth it. After saying their vows, Gabe took his wife in his arms, dipped her “like a pro”, and kissed her – a moment she will never forget. Then, they celebrated! Is it really a destination wedding without fire dancers and a steel drum band?

Destination Wedding Vendors: St. James Club at Morgan Bay

Photos: Caitlin Rose Photography