beauty & the beach
There are those who cringe at the
thought of a destination wedding, and then
there are those who dive right in. Keri Ouellet
and Walt Chantler would definitely fall into
the latter group.
Considering that the couple became engaged during a
skydiving trip, one would expect nothing less. Says Keri of
Walt’s proposal, “He jumped out of the plane with my ring!”
The couple’s feet were planted firmly on the ground
when they celebrated their wedding in a three-day party
for family and friends in Laguna Beach, California. They
scheduled their wedding on a Friday so that the rest of the
weekend could be spent enjoying the beach and the town.
The party was kicked off Thursday night with cocktails in
the bride’s parents’ room, a great opportunity for everyone
to become acquainted and begin the festivities.
On their wedding day, Walt enjoyed the beach, while the
bride went to the spa with her girlfriends. Guests were still
enjoying the beach during the ladies’ photo shoot, which
ended up making for some fun shots with the photographer.
As an owner of Twirl, Phoenix’s only bridesmaid boutique,
the bride was quite accustomed to outfitting the
bridal party in the latest fashions. The wedding was her
chance to glam it up along with her gal pals.
“Just before our ceremony, our guests were treated to a
group of dolphins jumping and playing just off shore—we
couldn’t have planned that element, but it was such a special
treat.”
“We wanted to show our gratitude to everyone for traveling
for our wedding weekend, so we welcomed them with a
thank-you and a cocktail.”
Although the groom broke his leg six weeks earlier in
a dirt biking accident, he was determined to stand on his
own two feet for his wedding. In a dramatic turn, he tossed
his crutches when he arrived at the altar, which was met
with huge applause from the guests. After the ceremony,
the groom managed to take the 100-stair walk down to the
beach for some beautiful photographs on the sand.
A favorite moment during the reception for the bride
was when she dedicated her bouquet to her grandmother.
Keri wanted to honor her grandparents’ 52 years of marriage,
uncommon by today’s standards.
“Looking back at all of our pictures, our favorite part is
seeing how happy everyone looked. It was such a fun night
for everyone, and a weekend we will always cherish.”
Invitations:
Kelly Ashworth Design
Photographer:
April Greer Photography
Gown:
Destiny’s Bride
Bridesmaids Gowns:
Twirl Boutique
Wedding Website:
Will Be Wed
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