Belize: The New Hot Wedding Destination

TEXT BY LINDA WALLENTINE

We love a MunaCoterie Collab!

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection in San Pedro, Belize, MunaCoterie members Ebony Stewart of EbonyCattouse Events and Couture Gown Designer Yemi Osunkoya of Kosibah teamed up to create a stunning styled shoot featuring 2021 Ms. Earth, Destiny Wagner.

As a Belizean herself, Ebony Stewart has been creating destination events in Belize for over 3 years now. However, for this styled shoot, she had a specific vision in mind to showcase the beauty of her beloved country.

“I wanted to capture more,” she explains. “I wanted to tell and show a different love story. One of its People, Beauty, and Culture, and why Belize is known as “Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret”.”

This luxurious locale certainly is one of the best-kept secrets for destination weddings! With its close proximity to the United States, Belize is on the rise to becoming one of the top wedding destinations in the world. It was even voted one of the “friendliest countries in the world” by the travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, in its 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Ebony shares, “Belize is an incredible destination because you get one destination with the best of both worlds: one foot rooted in Central America jungles and the other treading the Caribbean Sea.” With its diverse locations and an endless variety of exquisite wedding venues to choose from, she adds that “Belize is a honeymoon haven.”

In addition, she notes that Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, is home to the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere, and boasts 4,000 native flowering plants, with the Black Orchid being its National Flower - a floral designer's dream!

Ultimately, if you’re not yet swayed to book your destination wedding for the beautiful hidden gem that is Belize, you will be after viewing the rest of this gorgeous styled shoot!

Keep reading below for our exclusive interview with Ebony Stewart on her vision, inspiration, and advice for tying the knot in Belize, along with insight from Fashion Designer, Yemi Kosibah Osunkoya, on creating the perfect custom gown for your dream destination wedding.

Explain your inspiration for the design of the shoot.

I wanted to capture Belize's true essence of luxury at its finest. I wanted to tell a story of how luxurious “The Jewel” which is Belize can and could be for future brides.

Choosing the right location was very important. With sparkling ocean views, sleek decor, and relaxing settings, the Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection, was the perfect spot. The adults-only Rooftop Pool and Lounge provided the look I wanted to capture. With the second largest barrier reef in the world as my backdrop, I wanted to add elements for a high-end wedding that reflects Belize and all its beauty.

I created a design theme and tablescape that accentuated our location. It speaks for everything Belize as the jewel and “Mother Nature’s best kept secret”. Our décor was a fusion of beach chic and glam. We chose a neutral palette with shades of pink and pops of turquoise and gold.

The exquisite white gloss table gave our tablescape that clean look with the shades of blue of the Caribbean Sea, Belize’s largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, as our background. Using tropical-infused flowers like Bird of Paradise and Maraca Ginger was a great way to incorporate the natural beauties of the island and the country of Belize as a whole.

Why was including Miss Earth 2021 important to your vision?

Destiny Wagner, Miss Earth 2021, was a part of my story and my vision. I wanted to showcase Belize’s beauty, glam, and uniqueness. Having Miss Earth wearing a Kosibah Couture Gown, at the Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection, at The adultsonly Rooftop Pool with the Largest barrier reef as the backdrop. Now that is Belize!

How was it working with the talented designer, Yemi?

It was a joy working with Yemi. He is a talented designer and collaborating with him was a blessing. He saw my vision, and we worked on creating the look you now see together.

What advice would you give to couples considering tying the knot in Belize? And what advice would you give to planners thinking about pitching the destination to their clients?

To couples seeking a destination wedding in Belize; If your guests love sea life, they’ll adore the many snorkeling and diving opportunities during your Belize destination wedding weekend. Plus, the weather is beautiful year-round, and there are lots of venues to choose from including renting your own private island! Belize makes an excellent and affordable choice

(currency locked at 2:1 US$) plenty do for the adventure traveler from scuba diving, caving, trekking, or exploring the beautiful Caye’s or Mayan Ruins.

To Planners seeking to pitch and or use Belize for their client's next destination wedding: Organization, attention to detail, and communication (even more so than planning a local wedding) were key elements in our pre-planning phase prior to arriving in Belize.

Planning for the transport of wedding items such as decor pieces and wedding attire was important especially considering the airline baggage requirements and getting items from Belize City to San Pedro by boat and charter flight. For any bride interested in having a destination wedding, I recommend utilizing the natural beauty and resources San Pedro, Belize has to offer.

Working with local vendors and shipping/importing décor etc. for your destination wedding information is easily accessible through the resorts and or hotels who can always assist with in-depth information.

How has being a Coterie Member helped your businesses?

Being a Coterie Member has helped me reach clients in other parts of the Caribbean and launch great partnerships with creatives like Yemi. Being a Coterie Member allows me to bring more options, new, fresh experiences, and ideas to my clients and I LOVE IT!

How did you work together to create a seamless vision between style, fashion, and design?

I created a mood board which I shared with Yemi and we discussed and shared ideas and kept each other updated throughout the planning process. Most importantly we trusted each other as much as we supported each other to bring the vision to life. For that, I thank Yemi and the entire creative team for believing in my vision of telling the story of Belize.

INTERVIEW WITH YEMI OSUNKOYA, FOUNDER OF KOSIBAH

Explain your creative process & inspiration as a designer. As a designer I am usually designing a custom/bespoke gown for a particular client, usually sitting in front of me at a bridal consultation.

During the consultation, on an iPad I show her past clients’ weddings (because I think it’s very important a client sees a vast array of any vendor's past work to ascertain their level of consistency), images from photo shoots, and design sketches.

I then ask a series of questions to find out what sort of dress would tick all her idealistic boxes. I also find out if there are any traditional or religious requirements that must be factored into the design. Most importantly, I analyze my client's figure type to see how best I can flatter and enhance her figure through my design and the techniques that would be employed during the creation of the dress.

After all this, I sketch a few designs in real-time and we narrow them down to one design.

How did you approach designing a custom gown for this shoot in Belize?

I knew the location was the Alaia Belize resort hotel which was very contemporary in style and had a beachfront that would be a location for one of the settings of the shoot. I also met with our model, the reigning Miss Earth at that time, Denise Wagner, and I was able to come up with a design that would flatter Denise and have multiple ways the gown would be worn to suit the various settings of the shoot.

What advice or tips do you have for brides seeking out a custom gown?

My advice to brides seeking a custom gown is to give yourself as much lead time as possible before your wedding date.

Do your best to ensure your budget matches the type of gown you want to avoid disappointment and frustration for both you and your designer. Think carefully about how you want to be perceived on your wedding day and try not to cut corners you may come to regret later.

It is everyone's hope that a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and with social media, videos, and digital albums, your dress is not really "for one day only." It's a captured moment that will last a lifetime and you want to get it right.

Before your consultation with the Designer, visit bridal stores and try on different silhouettes and styles of gowns because you may find that the style you’ve always had in mind may not be what suits you best or you can confirm that it does.

Try not to be swayed by the opinions of friends or acquaintances that may not necessarily have your best interest at heart. Take someone or a couple of people you really trust with you when doing your research and/or visiting your chosen designer, such as your mother, sister, or best friend. Always research your designer to ensure their previous work matches your expectations.

How does a destination (in this case, Belize) influence your design (material, functionality, style, etc.)?

The destination of a wedding certainly has an influence on the design. The weather at the time of the wedding, If the ceremony is indoors, outdoors, or a combination of both. Is it a beach wedding, an Italian Chateau, or a Scottish Castle? All these would require different design elements.

How was it working with fellow Coterie Member, Ebony Cattouse Events?

Working with a fellow Coterie member, Ebony Cattouse, was great because, in the first instance, I knew we were on the same page regarding our thoughts on professionalism, vision, and luxury.

We had a few meetings to flesh out our thoughts and ideas for this shoot, mostly Ebony explaining her vision for the shoot and me agreeing wholeheartedly and getting very excited about the possibilities.

It also gave me an opportunity to see how Ebony worked which makes it so much easier for me to refer her sterling service to all my brides in the future.

What advice would you give other designers creating looks for destination weddings? Explain any challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

I would advise that they do as much research on the destination and location as possible so they fully understand how the gown would fit into that setting to have the functionality. Also, think about how the gown would be transported to the destination and ensure it can be steamed/freshened once unpacked to be as pristine as possible before being worn by the bride.

How has being a Coterie Member helped your businesses?

Being a coterie member has been extremely beneficial to me because it has given me access to a family of wedding vendors to network with, share ideas with, and learn from. There are also lots of perks you get from being a member, such as the opportunity to feature in Munaluchi Bride magazine, to have a listing in the MunaLuchi Bridal Directory, and a discount on the cost of attending the wonderful annual Coterie Retreat.

How did you work together to create a seamless vision between style/fashion and design?

Ebony and I got on extremely well from the first time we met, and we built on that initial meeting and the conversations we had over time to get to a place where we knew we would work very well together.

She was very clear about the vision she had for the shoot which I thought was amazing. She ensured I was able to meet with our model beforehand which made it easy for me to create a gown, especially for the shoot.

Creative Team

VENUE: Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection WEDDING PLANNER/DESIGNER: Ebony Stewart of EbonyCattouse Events PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEOGRAPHY: StayNFocus GOWN DESIGNER: Yemi Kosibah

Osunkoya FURNITURE RENTALS: Exquisite Rentals FLORALS: Garden Blossoms Belize HAIR STYLIST: Ms. Desiree Jones MAKEUP ARTISTRY: Vanessa Edwards MUA MODEL: Destiny Wagner WEDDING CAKE: Alaia Belize HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER (EBONY): Syed Yaqueen of SYphotography HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER (YEMI): Trene’ Forbes Photography

Keep

IG: @ebonycattouseevents + @glammoredmc

Ebony Keep

Kosibah Web: www.kosibah.com

IG: @yemikosibah