All of my clients inspire me in some way or another. Usually these inspirations lend themselves to my baking and cooking aspirations. In this instance, Adriana and Ken’s wedding story inspired me to make a dessert that represented them and their wedding experience. Adriana is Brazilian, Ken is American, and their wedding was celebrated on St. Croix, so my thought…Caipirinha Mini Bundt Cakes. Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail and is a mixture of Cachaça rum, cane sugar, and lime juice. Bundt cakes are European in origin, but have been an American staple since the 1950′s. Finally, I had to put a Cruzan spin on this confection and nothing else would suffice besides St. Croix’s own Cruzan Rum.
When I began searching for a good recipe it was a challenge to find one that actually had rum in it. I had to mix and match a few items in an awesome rum cake recipe to make this cake work. How did I do it? I followed the rum cake recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker and added lime to the rum syrup. I also made a lime glaze to jazz it up and make the cake look even prettier.
The cake was extremely delicious, very moist, delightfully sweet, and had a great rum flavor that did not overpower the senses. It was fun to have a treat like this to share with my husband and a few of our good friends. Thank you Adriana and Ken for the great inspiration for this installment of Qui’s recipes!
.jpg)
When Michelle Marquis of Dream Island Events called me about Nick and Mads wedding I was so excited. I have photographed a few same sex weddings in the past, but they were all very small, very intimate elopes. I was thrilled to find out that Nick and Mads were planning a grand event with true destination wedding styling and that they wanted me to capture their special day.
I had an opportunity to meet with Nick and Mads before the wedding, which is something I really enjoy doing with my clients. Sitting in the cozy ambience of the Kendrick’s lounge, we got to know each other over a round of light cocktails. Nick and Mads shared their story with me and their long wedding planning journey. After being turned down by other resorts on other Caribbean Islands, they were able to fulfill their dream of hosting a Caribbean destination wedding here on St. Croix. I was happy to find that the Divi welcomed Nick and Mads with open arms. “They (Divi) wanted us!”, said Mads. Additionally, we talked family, traditions, books, St. Croix, Denmark, and yes the wedding. We bonded very quickly.
The wedding day was wonderful and the weather was perfect. Nick and Mads were stunningly handsome in their wedding suits. Surrounded by their parents, siblings, family, and best friends, the grooms were married on Divi’s west beach. The love at the Divi that day could not be measured. The wedding flowed seamlessly. One of the most awesome features of this wedding was the singular dining table that held all 60+ guests. It was lit with strings of clear bulbs and gave the dinner a very intimate, almost candlelit ambiance. Check out Nick and Mads wedding slideshow below!!!
.jpg)
I had so much fun photographing Adriana and Ken’s wedding. They held their fabulous destination wedding at the Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort on the island of St. Croix. Although the wedding was scheduled to take place on the resort’s west beach, due to the threat of rain the ceremony was moved to the beautiful Bell Tower. Rain is not something you have in mind when you daydream of your wedding day. However, Adriana was a great sport and took the changes in stride. She and Ken were greatly rewarded as the sky cleared up during our bride and groom portrait session. In a grand gesture of apology the sky produced the most amazing sunset I have personally seen in awhile. It was breathtaking. Adriana and Ken did not disappoint either. They were awesome to work with. They were so in tuned with one another it made my job easy. Adriana and Ken also incorporated a wishing lantern ceremony at dusk that was amazing. The warm glow of several lanterns floating against a deep blue, indigo, and purple sky was truly a photographer’s dream. Check out their slideshow below!!!
 Virgin Island Destination Wedding – Carambola beach Resort ~ St. Croix, USVI
In addition to being a destination wedding photographer, wife, and mother, I have several projects going on right now. It can be a bit overwhelming. However, I still have to find time for me. Every week I like to take time out from all my left brain activities and unwind with one of my favorite right brain activities, cooking. I really love to cook and bake. Although my husband and I cook just about every night, I like to make something fun and special for our friends and family to enjoy. I find cooking and baking enhances my creative process behind the lens, it’s also very fun and relaxing for me, and of course, the kids and the husband love it.
Take a Planning Break!
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming at times. Make sure you take a planning break every once in a while and do something fun and totally unrelated to the wedding. You will find yourself more inspired and refreshed when you jump back in to planning mode.
Today’s Lunch Menu:
- Broccoli, Mushroom, Roasted Red Pepper Quiche w/ Swiss and Goat cheeses
- Side Salad of Mixed Local Greens, Tomatoes, and Cucumber from Ridge to Reef Farm w/ Q’s House Dressing
- White Chocolate, Blueberry, Oatmeal Cookies (recipe provided by Lauren’s Latest)
Quiche, local greens, blueberry-white chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
Check out Nick and Mads beautiful destination wedding at Divi Carina Bay. Cheers to Divi and Dream Island Events for supporting same sex marriage ceremonies!
GREAT photos…..I relived the wedding by seeing all the photos…just beautiful!
Flotte fotos der vidner om et super romantisk bryllup.
Endnu engang tillykke til jer begge to
Beautiful!
The headless photo is great!! Love all the photos–Nick & Mads look so very happy!
Wauw! Fantastiske billeder!
Stunning pictures!
Awesome
Absolutely beautiful pictures. So honored to have been there to share it with Nick & Mads. Thanks for the great memories.