Anguilla BTS

Aaahhhh Anguilla. What an insane experience this was that ended beautifully. This was a unique job where I was hired to execute the design not worry about the logistics of getting flowers onto the island. It can be really difficult figuring out the right channels to get florals through customs. While I did make all of the flower selections, I was not in charge of sourcing the florals themselves, and was a lucky enough to work with a company based on Anguilla that went to that trouble for us.

I wish I could recount all of the things that pushed us into plan B’s, but the most jarring was the 75 boxes of southern smilax that were ordered too early and all rotted and died long before we had a chance to use it. Imagine 75 boxes of southern smilax! I Just kept picturing a jetliner carrying only smilax. For all the trouble of getting that much greenery to an island only to have it not live, was hard to swallow. Thankfully this was not my doing, but was still up to me to figure out a solution.

Anguilla is not a lush island by any stretch so our options for a replacement were slim. We had to cover an entire hanging installation that was 60’ X 4’ with a greenery that was lightweight enough that it wouldn’t need a water source. Not an easy feat. Leave it to me to find the most prickly, thorny, foliage I possibly could as a replacement. Even people on the island watching us wrangle this stuff were watching in awe, no one dares touch this stuff! While we definitely were scratched and bleeding mildly, we made it work. Visually I liked it so much better than the smilax despite how challenging it was to work with.

We also needed the smilax to cover a giant trellis for the ceremony that was once covered in stephanotis vine before the hurricane. Sadly the plants were torn to bits and we needed it lush again. Thankfully we found something that worked well enough to get the coverage we needed, and we made do. Truly a testament to me that everything ALWAYS works out, especially when you have wonderful teams of people helping support.

So many other things I could mention! Having to drive on the other side of the road, rotting smilax juice, one box of flowers getting stuck somewhere and a chartered plane going to get it! That lily of the valley was REALLY expensive after that trip.

Couldn’t have been such a great experience were it not for Stef and her team of incredible people that at every turn were there providing extra hands to help us facilitate plan B’s. Truly, NEELY if you ever read this, you are an absolute angel and one day let’s go back to Anguilla and eat Queso at Picante and laugh/cry about this. (Picante is this little Mexican restaurant on Anguilla and I swear to you it is the BEST Mexican food on the earth.)

I’ve never been so anxious while simultaneously having the best time on a job before. As I sit here I can recount so many funny/tragic scenarios, but really I just want to tell you all about the enchiladas at Picante. I won’t, but if you ever find yourself on Anguilla, take my word for it.

Special thanks to my team of amazing freelancers, emotional supporters, comedians, and the best sports there ever was! Jenn, Pameyln, Kaylee I’m looking at you!

This wedding was featured on Brides and you can read all about it here.

Planning/Design (the best team I’ve ever seen) Stefanie Cove and Co.