Friends and family travelled to the island of Margarita for this stylish wedding day. Our WED2B Real Wedding Abroad feature reveals more:

Zenab and Jose met a couple of years ago at a friend’s gathering. “Jose did everything he could to talk to me that night and get my phone number!” smiles Zenab. “Our first date was in a crepe restaurant. We talked for hours and realised we had a lot in common.”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

A romantic proposal

The couple were having a picnic at the top of a mountain in front of Lulworth Cove in Dorset when Jose proposed. “He suddenly started talking about how he wanted to spend his life with me and then popped the question,” says Zenab. “I cried for a long time before giving an answer, as I was completely surprised. Unfortunately, he thought I was nervous and didn’t know how to say no!”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

Dream dress shopping

Zenab first saw WED2B’s Edie wedding dress online. “When I drove to my closest WED2B store in Southampton they didn’t have it in my size but I wanted to try it on just to see how it would look,” she says. “The staff were very helpful and passionate and made me feel totally comfortable. Edie was the first dress I tried on and, even though I tried others as well, I knew it was the one. I completely fell in love with it! So I bought it and took it to one of the tailors that the staff recommended being altered. I also bought the Nova belt by Amixi, as it was the perfect finishing touch for the dress.”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

A tropical real wedding abroad

Zenab and Jose got married in Margarita, a small island in the Caribbean Sea. “It’s where I grew up,” says Zenab. “I always wanted to marry near the sea and it was very special to have all our family and close friends travel to the island to spend a few days with us. With the venue, it was love at first sight. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. There was an infinity pool that we used as the backdrop to our ceremony and lots of nature around. We booked it for 29th June 2018.”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

White flowers and greenery

“I wanted vineyard-style decorations with lots of green, to match the venue, and to fill it with white flowers,” says Zenab. “I hired a planner who supported me throughout the whole process. We forgot about the wedding cake topper though, until a couple of days before the wedding, and we had to rush to find something we liked. Luckily our wedding planner was there to help us! We had a three-tiered cake, with tiers of chocolate, vanilla marble and red velvet."

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

A moving ceremony

“My dad walked me down the aisle and we had live acoustic music throughout the ceremony,” says Zenab. “‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz was playing in the background as we kissed. One of my favourite memories was when my sister cried during the readings in the ceremony and made all the guests cry. Seeing my soon-to-be husband waiting for me at the altar was the most memorable moment of all.”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

The bride’s top tips

After the ceremony there were toasts and the first dance followed by dinner and partying the night away. “Make sure to enjoy your day, even if it means being a little selfish,” says Zenab. “It should be all about you and feeling comfortable. Some suppliers may tell you what they think is best, and do take their advice, but don’t compromise on what you actually want. Finally, start your wedding day early so that you can make the most of it and make sure to eat a lot!”

Real Wedding Abroad: Zenab and Jose’s Caribbean celebration - Edie

Zenab’s Dream Team:

Wedding planner: Media Naranja Event Planner & Designer (medianaranjaplanners.com)

Venue: Rancho Agua e Panela

Florist: Exotico Decoraciones (exoticodecoraciones.com)

Cake: Dulce Catering (@dulcecatering)

Entertainment: Contrasena TM (@contrasenatm)

Photographer: Consoda Cinema (@consodacinema)

 

Did your wedding have the wow factor like our Real Wedding Abroad feature? Would you like to be a part of our real weddings feature? Send your favourite photo to info@wed2b.co.uk and we’ll be in touch!