Of all the beautiful memories from her Anguilla wedding weekend, bride Emily Moore says the most special moment took place during the ceremony.

After a 45-minute rain delay, Emily finally made her stride down the aisle to her fiancé, Ryan O’Krepki. And, instead of the traditional, “Here Comes the Bride,” Moore had previously chosen The Beatles’ 1959 hit, “Here Comes the Sun.” 

“It was like we manifested it,” Emily says with a laugh. “As soon as I reached the altar, the first glimmer of sunlight came out right over our heads, and it was honestly perfect—plus the rain cleared up for the rest of the night!”

After a tense morning filled with rainclouds and dread over having multiple outdoor venues for the evening, this ray of sunlight was the light at the end of the wedding tunnel and the start of an eventful night.

A seated dinner, beachside reception and after party followed the sunlit ceremony, serving as a big finale to the long weekend. In the days prior, a welcome party, rehearsal dinner and lots of late-night dancing provided memorable experiences for guests without overburdening their schedules, so they could enjoy paradise at their own leisure.

Each event was planned down to the smallest details by Emily and her mother, Brandi Moore.

“We had help from the resort, Malliouhana, but we didn’t have a traditional wedding planner,” Emily explains. “My mom has a great eye for design, so she was really able to guide me in that direction.”

For the bride, the planning process was stress-free, something she believes was due to her distance from the wedding location. “I knew that no matter what, it would be beautiful, because we would be in the most beautiful place,” she says.

Not only because of the natural beauty of their surroundings, like the crystal blue water and rocky cliffside coasts, but also because of the elevated design elements of the Malliouhana, which they used to their full advantage when planning.

From a pink and yellow pool party, playing off the yellow sunbathing chairs at the resort, to the chic, elevated rehearsal dinner reflecting the contemporary design of the beachfront restaurant where it was held, everything drew inspiration from the surroundings.

Looking back, Emily says that the destination wedding aspect, and specifically Anguilla, is what truly made the weekend so special.

“It really was the best trip of our lives,” she says. “The memories of having everyone we love all together in one of our favorite places in the world, having the best time eating, drinking and celebrating, are just so amazing.”

Bachelorette Day

Instead of asking her bridesmaids to go on a separate bachelorette trip, Emily had them all fly to Anguilla two days before the festivities began. The first item on the itinerary was a boat cruise through the islands surrounding Anguilla, stopping at different resorts for lunch and drinks, while the two captains prepared specialty cocktails and food when on the move. After, the group of girls went back and got dressed for dinner at the Four Seasons’ Sunset Lounge. 

Bridal Luncheon

A bright poolside luncheon allowed the bridal party to relax and take advantage of the beautiful resort, while the party décor took inspiration from the resort’s design elements. “A big theme of the weekend was keeping things casual, but still elevated,” Emily explains. So for the bridal luncheon, relaxing in and by the pool and a seated, serve-yourself lunch was the winning combination. Pulling yellow from the chairs and umbrellas, pops of pink were sprinkled about since it was a day for the girls. 

Welcome Party  

The first experience for all of the wedding guests was an elevated yet relaxed party on the beach, drinking cocktails out of coconuts and getting acquainted with their home for the weekend. “This was my first time seeing everyone since they had gotten in, which was so exciting,” Emily says. “Getting to talk to everyone throughout the weekend takes so much pressure off of the other events.” Guests grabbed goodie bags filled with mementos to remember the weekend, like printed scarves, shell hair clips, boxes of large matches and the essential hangover precautions.

Rehearsal Dinner 

Emily describes the rehearsal dinner as chic, classy and clean, with the seated dinner reflecting the modern surroundings of the Savi Beach Club, offering an elevated evening for guests while playing off the organic design elements. With the previous evening having a more relaxed vibe, Emily was excited to take it up a notch for the rehearsal dinner. “I think people appreciated the elevated experience of this night,” she says. After dinner, the rest of the guests joined the wedding party for dancing, drinks and small bites. 

Wedding Day 

Wanting a wedding dress that would properly reflect their location, Emily tapped Nardos Designs to create a custom bridal look for her big day. For the final seated dinner of the weekend, guests were served steak and lobster. “We didn’t have a black-tie wedding, but we wanted to make sure to give our guests a black-tie experience since they were traveling all this way,” Emily says.

1 of 9

WEDDING VENUE Malliouhana Resort / REHEARSAL VENUE Savi Beach Club / WELCOME PARTY VENUE Blanchards Beach Shack / FLORIST & RENTALS Black Orchid / GOWN Nardos Design / MAKEUP Ashley Stephens/McKey Bridal Co. / HAIR Toni Terry/McKey Bridal Co. / BAND Omalie360