Renaissance Aruba Wedding on Flamingo Island | Amanda + Shane

It was the biggest honor to be part of Amanda and Shane’s Renaissance Aruba Wedding on Flamingo Island. From the very beginning, Amanda said, “We want the wedding to feel like an escape/ break/ vacation while also celebrating us- the whole experience of the island is exactly as it sounds- an experience.” She told me that for her whole life, she’d talked about wanting to get married at this hotel in Aruba that had a private island for guests and for weddings. And they did it!

Their wedding was magical.

It was important to Amanda and Shane to have an experience for their guests that was unique. At the Renaissance in Aruba, the experience starts by boarding a boat that takes you to Flamingo Island. When you step off the boat, you walk down a mangrove-lined path before arriving at a private, secluded ceremony site right on the water. After the ceremony, you walk back down the mangrove path to a private beach where you celebrate, eat, and dance under the palm trees and the stars. Oh, and there are free-roaming flamingos all over the island.

Does it get any better?

Their Story

Amanda and Shane’s story began in a physical therapy office. Amanda was recovering from a running injury, and Shane was working as a rehab tech. He added her on Instagram, and they started talking and hanging out. In their words:

“We spent every day together, and we both knew it was something real, and unlike anything else we had ever experienced before”.

Renaissance Aruba Wedding on Flamingo Island

When I asked Amanda and Shane what was most important to them about their wedding day, here’s what they said:

Shane: “The focus of this day is about our marriage and joining together as a family.”

Amanda: “Being able to celebrate with everyone and truly let Shane and I shine throughout the day. The purpose of our location is to truly be someplace beautiful that we get to share with our family and friends.”

We started the day at The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba where Amanda and Shane got ready. It was a quiet, relaxed morning with unbeatable views. Once they were ready, we did portraits on the beach separately, because they didn’t want to see each other until Amanda walked down the aisle.

Shane took the first boat over to Flamingo Island, and Amand followed.

Their ceremony on Flamingo Island took place during the golden sunset light. They had a gorgeous floral arch, and the sunset was stunning.

After the ceremony, we took photos around the island (and with the flamingos) before Amanda and Shane joined everyone for an intimate dinner under the palm trees. Then we all danced and celebrated until it was time to take the boat back to the mainland.

It was an incredible day, and I’m still pinching myself that I got to be part of it!

Vendors

Venue: Renaissance Aruba Flamingo Island | @renarubaweddings 
Planner: Perfect Team Event Planners | @perfectteameventplanners
Florals: Flowers by Greta | @flowers_by_greta
Makeup: Makeup by Saida | @makeup_by_saida_aruba
Videography: Warm Studio | @thewarmstudio
DJ: Dj Ruuben | @djruuben
Photography: Abby Shepard Photography

Thank you to my second shooter, Rachel, for coming to Aruba with me! And a special shout-out to my friend Elyssa, who connected me with Amanda and served as our unofficial coordinator for the day!