Erica says she was a busy, but organized bride-to-be because she had little time to waste. “Once I got the green light, I started planning because getting married to Sheldon meant I had to sell my house in Dallas, move to Chicago and find a new job. With all of those things on my plate, we got married just nine months after our engagement.”
“The day before we left for Barbados, I fell down the stairs and sprang my ankle,” admits Erica, when we asked if there were any wedding bloopers. “I was not able to wear my heels going down the aisle on my wedding day, but with the help of pain meds, I did wear heels during the reception.”
Trying to coordinate dress decisions and sizing issues for nine women proved to be quite a nightmare for Erica. “I had one who was pregnant with twins and three bridesmaids that lived in different states,” she says. “We weren’t able to coordinate fitting schedules so we saved $300 per dress by ordering online and not through a boutique.” These lovely one-shouldered Grecian gowns were made by Halston Heritage.
All the pretty purple in Erica and Sheldon’s wedding had deeper meaning beneath its beauty. They chose “Purple Rain” as one of their smaller reoccurring themes. During the cocktail hour they served two types of cocktails. One called Under the Purple Moon, the groom’s choice, and one called Purple Rain, the bride’s choice.
“I wanted to create a formal, chic carnival themed wedding,” explains Erica. “Sheldon’s dad is from Trinidad and the majority of his family came to Barbados for the wedding. To honor his heritage, I incorporated lots of lights, feathers, dancers, fire-eaters and stilt workers.”
“We had two cigar rollers available in the ’Boyea’s Carnival Lounge’ to roll each guest fresh cigars to take back to the states,” says Erica. “Also, upon arrival, guests received bags full of treats from both Texas, my home state, and Chicago, Sheldon’s home state.”
As Sheldon and Eric embark on their new journey together, join us in wishing them eternal happiness and joy. Want to see your wedding featured on Bridal Bliss? Email us now!