Valentine’s Day. The most romantic day of the year to say “I DO.”  Marriage is the union of two lives and two hearts forever in love.  What could be more romantic than getting married on Valentine’s Day on a tropical island?   Just ask Kim and Eloy.  They tied the knot in Ambergris Caye, Belize on Valentine’s day!  I call them true romantics.

A very special message from the groom right before the wedding

“I found happiness, laughter, strength, tears, faith in God, and true love! True love was something I could only dream of until I met you. I look forward to continuing our life together as one. Our connection all along was to be here today in beautiful Belize for our wedding day!” (words from Eloy’s vows)

Love was in the air.  Hearing Kim’s excitement in her voice early in the day gave me the chills.  I can’t express in words how happy and excited I was for Kim and Eloy.  I met Kim several years ago through my good friend Shannon who frequents Belize.  When Kim and Eloy contacted me to plan their big day with them I was flattered and thrilled that they chose Belize. When Kim was asked why she and Eloy decided to elope Kim told us“We decided to elope together because it seemed the least stressful.  We love to travel, and most of our very special and most meaningful moments together have been when we’ve traveled.  Plus we prefer to not have a whole lot of distractions, and it seemed ideal for romance for it to be just the two of us.”

“You are the yin to my yang. You are the calm to my storm. You’ve captured my heart and now my heart belongs to you.” Kim expresses her love in her personalized vows to Eloy

The ceremony and wedding location at the incredibly beautiful Captain Morgan’s Retreat was beautiful.  Kim is a beautiful woman and truly a stunning bride in her gorgeous gown.  Her handsome groom also looked first class. After the ceremony Kim, Eloy, Ari, Dorian (witness #1), photographer Jose Luis and assistant celebrated with Valentines wedding cupcakes as a gift from I DO Belize Weddings, champagne from their friend Shannon,  followed by pictures and a romantic dinner for two.

Rain is unusual in February yet Kim and Eloy experienced a light mist of rain after their ceremony.  It was towards the end of taking pictures. Did you know that rain happens to be good luck on a wedding day?  Rain is said to be a symbol of children in the future just as rain promotes growth in the farmer’s fields.  According to an old wives’ tale, the knot in “tying the knot” becomes wet and is harder to break, thus making the marriage stronger.

Kim and Eloy’s special day was filled with romance and beauty.  I hope you enjoy the photographs as much as I do!  Thank you to Jose Luis Zapata Photography for capturing the newleywed’s beautiful memories.  You may read more about Kim & Eloy’s wedding in paradise featured in the Ambergris Today.  http://www.ambergristoday.com/content/stories/2011/february/16/saying-i-do-valentine%E2%80%99s-day

Congratulations and much love to Kim & Eloy Alderete!

Tim and Richelle, from chilly Calgary, eloped in Belize on beautiful and sunny Ambergris Caye this November.  The couple came down for a week and surprised their friends and family with this greeting from Belize!  Here are some fun shots from after the ceremony.

All photographs by Conch Creative Photography

Trash the dress is about capturing amazing photos without the fears you have of ruining your dress on the big day. After the wedding day a professional photographer will follow the bride and groom on an amazing photo shoot where the bride in her wedding dress can take a dip in the ocean, roll in the sand, play in the mud or climb tree’s! There really is no limit!

I can hear some of you say “that is insane! who would want to do that?”. Before you write it off completely think about the incredible and unique images you will create and the wonderful memories you will have of such a fun day. Most wedding dresses will only be worn once, boxed, dry cleaned and kept in the hope that one day your daughter will want to wear it. In all reality, how many actually wear their mothers dresses? Fashion will change so much over the next 20 years, also your daughter might be the wrong size for the dress. Rather than having the dress only have one day to shine, why not create even more memories by doing a Trash The Dress session?

The great thing is you can go as far as you like when trashing the dress. Some brides choose to only get the dress a little wet or have a few photos taken against graffiti walls, others will decide to swin in the ocean, roll in the mud or even set the dress on fire!  For those who truly can’t imagine trashing your wedding day gown, some brides bring a second and sometimes more casual dress.

Here are some of the amazing photos of Leah and Eric October 24, 2009.

Belicolor Photography Services

More Trash the Dress fun here

http://idobelizeweddings.com/blog/uncategorized/trash-the-dress/

WEDDING DAY trash the dress. Jill and Dave married on November 30, 2009 at the beautiful private beach house “18 degrees” on North Ambergris Caye.  After their intimate ceremony with just the two of them Jill and Dave celebrated their island wedding jumping into the ocean!  The water was refreshing and they had a blast “Trashing the Dress”

Photographer Kay Scott More Trash the Dress Fun here!

Lara Lennon redefines swimwear with her one-of-a-kind creations from her line Lemon Crush.

Lara launched Lemon Crush at Moondancer Boutique on August 4, 2009.   The Costa Maya pageant delegates modeled the spectacular designer swimwear in style and the event was a complete success.  People were lined up in the streets to check out the swimwear!  These incredible suits with hand selected vintage jewelry even come in a beautiful Belizean hardwood box!

Wear a designer suit made in Belize on your wedding or honeymoon trip in Belize!  Visit Lemon Crush Belize for more details!  http://www.lemoncrushbelize.com

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/08/10/snorkeling.spots/index.html

– Underwater photographer and adventurer Tanya Burnett-Palmer shares her favorite places to sightsee beneath the waves.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize

One of the western Caribbean’s great delights resides roughly 20 minutes by boat from Ambergris Cay. On my first visit, I was mesmerized by dozens of nurse sharks, jacks, stingrays and grunts cavorting with snorkelers over turtle grass and reefs. Here, I have swum with the most substantial wild fish — normally only seen by scuba divers — in only 6 to 10 feet of water.

On-site secret: Float from the feeding area to the shallow reefs and discover a dreamlike setting of sun-dappled coral and tiny reef denizens. Keep an eye out for: eagle rays. On more than one occasion I’ve been thrilled to see a majestic spotted eagle ray soaring through the reefs.

Tanya G. Burnett-Palmer

Ambergris Caye Voted
Best Island in the Americas

Thousands of travelers from around the world elected Belize’s Ambergris Caye as one of the best islands in Central and South America, according to the 2009 Travel+Leisure “World’s Best Awards.” The destination ranked 2nd on the list, while Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge, located in the Mountain Pine Ridge of the Cayo district, ranked 1st on the Top 10 Resorts in Central and South America list. Placencia’s Turtle Inn and Victoria House on Ambergris Caye took 5th and 6th, respectively.

“We are honored to be ranked among the best destinations and hotels in the world by the discerning readers of Travel+Leisure magazine,” said Tracy Panton, Director of Tourism for the Belize Tourism Board (BTB). “These awards are truly a validation of our country’s sophisticated tourism offerings, balanced by our constant vigilance to preserve the endless beauty and diversity that make Belize unique.”

Ambergris Caye has made a name for itself within the Travel+Leisure awards, placing on the Top 3 Islands in Mexico, Central and South America list for the past three consecutive years. Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn are also no strangers to the list, with Blancaneaux debuting 9th on the 2006 Top 25 Hotels in Central and South America list, and Turtle Inn ranking 6th in 2007.

Since 1995, Travel + Leisure magazine has been presenting the World’s Best Awards to the hottest properties around the globe. Winners are selected by the magazine’s readers, who are asked to choose hotels and destinations worldwide that they feel are worthy of the “World’s Best” title. The survey results are completely impartial and in 2009, thousands of readers participated. Ambergris Today

“Gaining much ground in popularity are eco-friendly Destination Weddings to exotic locations such as Costa Rica, Belize, Bali, Granada - Spain, St Lucia and Capetown South Africa which now reign in as some of the TOP choices for discerning, affluent couples who wish to plan a socially conscious wedding and one that will reflect their concern over the environment amidst an absolutely breathtaking backdrop.”

http://affluentbride.com/wedding-blog/2009/06/05/2009s-most-popular-summer-wedding-trends-for-luxury-weddings/

Posted by Brenda Lopez, CEO & Founder - AffluentBride.com

http://trifter.com/practical-travel/five-amazing-places-to-visit-before-its-too-late/

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

As the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, the Belize Barrier Reef is a significant habitat for several threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile.  The main threat to the site is from illegal logging activities, mangrove cutting and excessive development on the islands as well as illegal fishing and hunting threatening the biodiversity of the reef system.