Bridal Bliss: Erica and Khambrel's Destination Wedding

“I knew that Khambrel was ‘The One’ once we made the decision to be more than friends,” beaming bride Erica tells us. “I realized that he had grown up to be such a gentleman, a hard worker and a man of God. He treated me so well and was always so thoughtful and considerate. All the things that I had learned to appreciate in a companion and the qualities I wanted in a husband. When I realized I had a good man and a true friend in him, I knew he was it for me.”

“I was blessed to find my dress on my first shopping trip,” says Erica. “It was exactly what I was looking for – a classic princess feel with a sexy, wow factor.”

A custom hanger for the bride's lovley gown.

Erica's wedding day makeup was absolutely flawless.

The groom and groomsmen wore charcoal Vera Wang suits from Men’s Warehouse.

“I received my wedding day cut, color and initial styling from my hometown stylist and dear friend, Micah Cook of House of Opulent in Pembroke Pines, Forida,” Erica explains.

How sweet is this tender moment between Eric and her girls?

“I wore a beautiful crystal headpiece I ordered from Etsy that was just the right amount of bling I felt I needed to adorn my head,” says the bride. “I also just had to have a veil to complete the look I was going for and to look like a bride. I needed that added detail to complete my wedding day wardrobe vision. I completed the look with a simple pear shaped diamond necklace, diamond drop earrings and a diamond tennis bracelet.”

“It felt great being the bride!” Erica gushes. She looked amazing in her Allure Bridals gown.

“I knew Erica was the one after our first road trip,” Khambrel explains. “While out of town, we stopped at a store and while looking for items for me, she realized that I had no answers to her questions about my size, what styles or colors I liked, etc., and instead of getting frustrated with me, she showed patience and care and that meant a lot to me. That’s what made me fall in love and keeps me falling in love with her. She puts me before herself. No one had ever done that for me before. She was special."

“Kham is my best friend and the man I never knew I needed,” says Erica. “He is my complement and we make a dynamic team!”

“She looks out for me and always has my back,” says Khambrel. “I married my best friend.”

“I loved the silhouette of the dress on my body,” Erica says. “I felt beautiful and definitely like a bride. I was also blessed to not need one single alteration. The dress fit me like a glove. It was perfect for me!”

“I allowed my maid of honor and matron of honor to collectively choose the gown they would be wearing,” says Erica. “They chose a marine blue, strapless fit and flare gown with body contouring pleats and corset seam detailing by Zac Posen. Drop dead gorgeous! From there I found a fuchsia, satin, fit and flare gown with similar pleating for my bridesmaids to wear that was pretty and equally elegant.”

Erica's bridesmaids kept her surrounded by love on her big day.

“Kham and I were married at the One & Only Ocean Club Resort in Nassau, Bahamas,” Erica says. “A major part of making our destination wedding dream come true was to find the perfect location. We researched several venues, but when Kham found photos of the Augustinian Cloisters there, we immediately knew it was the one. It was perfect! Beautiful, serene, luxurious and nothing like any other venue we had previously considered."

"My mom raised my sister and I as a single parent so naturally, her giving me away was always in my plan," says the bride. "I needed her to have that role in the ceremony. She has always seen my sister and I as her little girls. ‘Giving me away’ during the ceremony was symbolic for the transition that was really taking place in our lives. She was handing over her oldest baby to her husband to care for her. It was a special moment."

“Kham definitely got teary eyed as he saw me coming up in my dress for the first time,” says Erica. “Good thing his best man had a handkerchief ready. Good looking out, Tad!”

“In that moment, I was soooo happy,” says Erica. “All of our hard work was coming to fruition and all I kept saying to him was how good everything looked and how happy I was that we were finally having this moment. It was all happening. I was about to marry my best friend!”

“It was a moment that I wanted to last forever,” says Khambrel. “She was beautiful.”

The couple exchanged traditional Christian vows at their ceremony.

The couple's wedding location was absolutely stunning from corner to corner.

We just adore the way Erica and her new husband look at one another. Their love radiates from the pictures.

The newlyweds puckered up to perfection.

“We had a beautiful outdoor ceremony,” shares the bride. Agreed!

These two were all about the photo opps on their big day, and it paid off beautifully!

Well, hello there, fellas! They make our best dressed guys list for sure.

“She loves me like crazy, takes care of me and whips me in shape when I need it,” Khambrel shares. “The true definition of a partner.”

“I never thought in a million years that we would be where we are today,” says Erica. “Our relationship came out of nowhere and was a complete surprise to me. The man I fell in love with was not the boy I had known for most of my life. We had both grown and changed since our initial meeting in the 6th grade. God was preparing us for each other and was working in His own impeccable timing.”

“She’s selfless,” says Khambrel. “She’s also thinking about me and others before herself. She has a great heart.”

It was Khambrel's loyal friendship that showed Erica he was the right man to spend her life with.

Their big day was filled with romantic kisses.

“For as long as I can remember, I wanted a destination wedding,” Erica tells us. “Although we flip-flopped a few times, we ultimately decided that making my destination wedding dream come true was most fitting with our desire to do something less traditional and to create an experience that our guests and we would never forget.”

“Khambrel would love to say that he did most of the wedding planning, but I would disagree,” jokes the bride. “He knows how important our wedding was to me and did everything he could to make it perfect. I like to think that I was the visionary and he was great at executing.’

“Khambrel is probably the most sincere and caring person I know,” shares the bride. “He finds the good in everyone and everything. I love that about him.”

“We danced the night away on a pearl white-monogramed dance floor and enjoyed the ambiance that the uplightling placed around the perimeter of the room provided,” says the bride. “It was beautiful. Tasteful and classic. We were extremely happy with final product!”

“For our reception, changed everything up and went with a black, white and gold color scheme,” says Erica. “Our centerpieces were white florals accented with glass cylinders of varying heights, pillar and floating candles with scattered white rose petals on alternating black or designer black and white patterned floor length linens. Each guest was seated in a black chiavari chair with a tufted white cushion.”

How fun is this picture?

The couple's reception was filled with fun surprises, from the outfit changes to the live entertainment.

“We had both a live Junkanoo band that created an entrance like none other and a great DJ who happens to be one of Khambrel’s close childhood friends,” Erica shares.

We sure missed a great party!

Join us as we congratulate Erica and Khambrel on their magical day. Leave your comment love below!