I Do...Again - Carisa & RJ's Vow Renewal in Bermuda

Posted on May 28, 2019 at 9:20 am by Carisa Lockery

On May 1st, the surprise vow renewal I had been planning for months finally came to fruition. I ended up telling my husband my plans a few weeks before our trip so that I didn’t completely catch him off guard. Originally, my plan was to just tell him where to be and when, and surprise him on the spot, but, I’ll be honest, as a planner, that made me very nervous. In the end, it was everything I could have hoped for and more!

It was the first day of 3 that we were docked in Bermuda, so the ship was pretty calm and quiet. We started out the day together with the kids, got off the ship and checked out the transportation situation, then I headed to the ship’s salon and spa to have my hair and makeup done. For some reason, I was nervous about the vow renewal the whole time and couldn’t completely relax. I guess it was because I had never planned anything like this before, and I wasn’t exactly sure it was going to end up how I imagined. I didn’t even really know the location that I chose. I just knew that the photographer and Pastor were going to meet us there at 5:30pm.

After my hair and makeup were done, I put on my dress and went to meet Liz and her family in their room. We hung out there for a bit until it was time to get on the bus to Stonehole Bay. I was a complete nervous wreck at this point! After a bumpy and windy 25 minutes or so on the bus, we arrived at Stonehole Bay. It was gorgeous. I mean, literally out of a postcard stunning. It was extremely private. There were 2 alcoves - there was a wedding about to start in one of them. Like they paid to rent the space, there were chairs and music and an actual ceremony was about to start - whoops! The other alcove was completely empty. We stayed out of the way of the wedding and made our way over to the other side. The Pastor had made the perfect recommendation to me. This place was amazing.

The photographer and Pastor arrived, and I (im)patiently waited for my husband and sons. Stonehole Bay was not the easiest place to find, so my husband barely made it for 5:30. Running and sweating, they finally made it to where I was waiting. I planned to have a First Look, so I hid behind some rocks until we were ready to start.

After our First Look, my vision of my boys walking me down the aisle (beach) came to life. They were adorable, the way they held my hand and walked with me.

We had a nice, intimate ceremony (while Liz live-streamed it on Instagram). Our boys seemed a little uninterested at times, but it meant the world to me to have them there with us.

Of course I had to bust out with my notes for our vows, which included, "Thank you for putting up with my crazy ideas (like surprising you with a vow renewal in Bermuda)". It got a little laugh out of my hubs and Liz, who both happen to know me pretty well. It's funny because it's true.

We exchanged some simple rings I found on Etsy. Mine was a plain rose gold coated band, and his was made of wood with a copper ring through the middle.

We resealed our commitment to each other with a kiss!

We then went off to take some super romantic photos in this paradise. Two & Quarter Photography captured our personalities completely!

We finished up the night at the Swizzle Inn for dinner, and it was delicious! All in all, I couldn't have asked for anything more - my family, a beautiful paradise to say I love you, and memories to cherish forever.

About the Author

Carisa Lockery

Thanks for stopping by. I'm so excited that you decided to learn more about me!

First and foremost, I am a wife and mother to 2 boys, Kyle and Mason. They're part of the reason that I continued to pursue my dream of being a business owner. Having the ability to make my own hours and still be present for them is invaluable, and an experience for which I will forever be indebted to my amazing husband.

As a kid, I was always organizing everything. I loved stationary and paper and pens and markers and journals and planners and anything else that allowed me to plan and organize. Trapper Keepers and Lisa Frank? Yes, PLEASE! As I got older, that love for organization became a love for planning, particularly fun things like events. I woke up one day with the thought, “Could I actually make a living doing this?”. I had gone to Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT for my Bachelor's Degree in Communications, so I had a little knowledge about business and how they worked. When the idea began to formulate more and more in my head, I decided to take my education even further and pursue a Master of Business Administration Degree. Right after I earned this degree, I had my first son, so the timing was perfect! I was able to be home with him during the week while my husband worked, and work at night and on the weekends, when most events took place!

More than 10 years later, I still love bringing the idea and concept of a wedding or event into reality. Each one plays out differently, and I love that! It keeps things fresh and exciting! I can't wait to hear from you and learn all about how I can help with your next event!

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