I love black and white photos. I adore them. I am obsessed with them. I began photography at the age of 13 and as soon as I could get into a lab at high school in CT where I could print my own images, I fell in love with the process from shooting, to developing, to printing. For me, black and white images show the soul of the subject – the process strips away the distraction of colour and takes you right to the heart of the story.
With most of my weddings being shot in the Bahamas, it’s hard to find a bride and groom who want black and white final images. That makes sense – they come here for the sun, sand and sea and who wouldn’t want to show off the gorgeous Bahamas wedding venues with the vibrant blues and greens of the sea and the landscape? The gorgeous colours of our setting sun…
This wedding was my first at The Cove in Eleuthera. I shoot quite a few weddings in other Eleuthera locations – including Pink Sands Resort (Harbour Island), Lush Life ( a private home in Governors Harbour) and Tippy’s (the amazing beachfront restaurant on Banks Road, across from Pineapple Fields). I visit the Cove often for a cocktail and lunch when I’m on one of my exploration trips to Eleuthera and was thrilled to be invited to share in this big day for Gianine and Mark. There was growing concern during the week regarding the weather as it was not one of the best weeks we’ve had all year – particularly for November. Great for an artist, not so great for an outdoor wedding!
The Cove is a stunning location for any event and particularly for a wedding. It lies on the protected (west) coast of Eleuthera and usually has the calmest of seas. Two gorgeous beach coves provide the perfect place for working on your tan, and just a few steps out from the restaurant (with panoramic views) and the infinity pool is a stunning cliff which reminds me more of the British coast than of the Bahamas. The sun sets off of that point and with gorgeous views in every direction, you simply can’t beat it for a memorable exchange of vows.
Suffice it to say, on the big day the wedding was not the most cooperative. Poor Mish at Boy Meets Girls wedding planning – her and her crew must have wiped down the table settings and chairs at least 5 or 6 times during the afternoon as they were setting up. But her crew persevered and as you can see from the images (which were snapped between mini downpours), her decor was absolutely stunning. The bride and groom were determined to make use of this outdoor setting for as long as possible and you certainly can’t blame them.
The long and the short of it all – we just made it through the ceremony before there was a downpour. We huddled under the cliff-edge bar until it stopped (it wasn’t too long), ran from the shelter to begin taking the “formal” photos and got rained on again. This happened a few times and thank goodness everyone there had such great energy that it was all done with laughter, cocktails and love.
I find when it rains it brings people closer together and the energy changes substantially – and this reception did not disappoint. There were so many impromptu speeches, fantastic jokes, lots of laughter and lots of romance. Great energy on the dance floor and superb food. The moral of the story? At the end of the day the wedding is about the connection of two people in love and about the people they have invited to share in that special day. While the location, the food, the decor are all very important elements, what really counts is the energy and love and truth behind the exchange of vows, the laughter that is shared amongst friends, and the tears that are cried out of joy. A little drama, a little chaos with the weather actually makes the day more memorable with more stories to tell as the years pass by. Hopefully my images will allow Gianine and Mark to better remember the story of their special day.
And the most exciting part for me ?! – Mark (the groom) asked how I felt about black and white and when I said it was my passion he asked if I would provide everything in b&w as he loved that style of photography. With the weather, the moody skies and dramatic backdrop – this was the perfect wedding for b/w. I hope you like! ( click here if you want to see wedding pics at The Cove in full colour).
Bahamas Wedding Photography: Heather Carey Photography
Eleuthera Wedding Venue: The Cove, Eleuthera
Wedding Coordinator / Decor: Mish from Boy Meets Girl Weddings, Eleuthera
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[…] this beautiful Bahamas wedding in the previous post where the images were all in black and white (click here to view), now you can see how stunning The Cove, Eleuthera is in full technicolor. When you have such […]