Real Destination Weddings: Patricia and Tommy
Destination weddings are the perfect celebration of a couple’s unique style, personality and love. They allow couples to break away from tradition and create incredible experiences that will last a lifetime.
I’m always excited to share with you amazing examples of couples creating their perfect day in the perfect location — and the story behind how they got there!
Checkout Patricia and Tommy's story to see their special day come true:
Couple: Patricia and Tommy
Resort: The Palm House Villa, Canggu, Bali
Photographer: Gold Hat Photography
How did you and your partner meet?
We met in a rather non-romantic yet in recent times, a fairly common way - through an online dating website (not Tinder!). We do like coming up with ridiculous stories when people ask though, that’s always a fun one! More interesting and better than the real story, we like to think.
How did he propose?
I was seated by her side on a beautiful sleek black Gondola riding through the picturesque canals of Venice, while in the company of two of our closest and best friends armed with cameras! I was waiting for a calmer and more peaceful canal than we had been traveling through, but it didn’t seem to be going exactly go to plan… All because my worries took over!
Initially I wanted to get up and move on to my knee, but I was worried the entire time about the boat tipping over and throwing us in to the diseased water below that I let go of that plan, and instead removed the ring and held it in front of her. She didn’t notice it at first, so I had to keep bumping her hand with it to get her to look down! It was such a funny moment when she spotted it and was thrown in to a fit of laughter through utter disbelief that this was actually happening, that I even forgot to ask her the important question before sliding the ring on to her finger! She couldn’t say no now, it was on! Haha - Whoops!
What do you love most about your partner?
She would say my dashing good looks and perfect posture. But that’s her trying to make me feel better.
What I love about her is her ambition and drive to want to travel as much as possible, her attention to detail, her capacity to love and capacity to sacrifice for others. I also love her level of patience when it comes to me!
What’s your most important piece of advice for creating and maintaining a strong relationship?
When it comes to disagreements, be patient and think about things from their perspective. Figure out the context of the situation before biting. They’re not inside your head and they don’t always have all of the information that you do. So don’t blame them for not seeing it your way. Take the time to explain or allow them time to figure things out beforehand. You’ll often avoid arguments that way.
Don’t let your pride win a battle; you should always be on the same side. It’s not about “winning” when it comes to those you love.
Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it:
She says it wasn’t her first choice; she was in the store looking at a dress of a totally different style. It wasn’t until she saw it and tried it on that she fell in love with it!
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
We wanted it to be more of a casual affair. Sure, weddings are generally a formal occasion, but that wasn’t really who we are. We weren’t about the grand elegant decorations or assigned seating with pre-arranged multi-course meals. We wanted our guests to be able to really let down their hair and do things their way on the night. That is why we had plenty of different styles of seating, the large selection of food at the buffet tables, and an open planned arrangement of the venue.
What was your favorite moment from the day?
We feel that our most favorite moment of the day, be it as cliché as it may seem, was the ceremony and her walking down the aisle.
For her it was the part that she was most worried about, especially entering and walking down by herself. But she says at the moment that she saw everybody there and me at the other end that all her concerns disappeared. She was brought right in to that moment, and that’s a feeling she’ll never forget.
For me, it was seeing her in the dress for the first time. I could not contain myself and my emotions got the better of me and I started crying. She radiated absolute perfection; everything about her was pure grace and beauty.
Any DIY décor elements?
I created the cocktail menu signs on the bar, but basically everything we had there on the day was hired or purchased.
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
Don’t sweat the small things - enjoy the day! Ensure you take the time to pause and take it all in because unfortunately it’ll be over before you know it. So make sure you really live in the moment!
Courtnie is the founder & CEO of TravelBash. After years as an ambitious fundraiser, she took her passion for travel full-time. She has lived all over the U.S. and abroad and after planning her own destination wedding, she decided to help other couples plan their big day abroad too. She has written “Passport to Paradise: The Complete Destination Wedding Guide,” a top seller on Amazon. She has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Destination I Do and The Washington Post. As a certified travel advisor, expert event planner and natural connector, she uses her powers to create VIP travel experiences.
