San Juan Puerto Rico Wedding | We’ve been waiting to share this wedding for three years! Yes, you heard right… 3 YEARS! We met Starlene back in 2017 when we captured her sisters Bernardus Lodge wedding in California and became immediate friends. A few years later we received an email that SHE was now engaged and wanted us to capture her wedding day! Not only that, but her Puerto Rico
wedding!

Our first trip back to California after relocating to Charleston was for Starlene and Daniel’s Big Sur engagement session and talk about a DREAM! We immediately knew by their personalities, Daniel’s outgoingness and ease of making Starlene blush, especially with his smooth dance moves, and Starlene’s captivating smile and overall grace about her, this couple oozes royalty. They walked hand-in-hand along the cliffs of Big Sur, and popped champagne with their toes in the sand of Carmel’s white beaches.

Wedding planning was in full swing, and with Starlene’s attention to detail, was organizing an elaborate Puerto Rico sourire all the way from Los Angeles set for April 2020. Then, as we are all so aware, COVID decided to put a halt on everything, and by March 2020, the world was literally shut down. With a smile on their face, decided to postpone exactly one year, still wanting to share their love for Puerto Rico with all their family and friends, but even by then, the world hadn’t yet recovered, and the wedding was postponed yet one more year. Now when we say this was three years in the making, you understand everything that went into this glorious day that everyone had been anticipating for so long.

Puerto Rico reminded us of Charleston with its narrow stone streets, historic buildings, and pastel colors, but all with a Spanish flare, timeless charm, and rich tradition. We arrived at the girls getting ready house, entering through a long terracotta patio surrounded by tropical plants and overhanging vines. It felt truly as if we were in a different world! We popped champagne and celebrated that the big day had finally arrived!

From a prestigious property built by a Vanderbilt to a 17th-century convent-turned-hotel and lively nightlife scene, all just mere steps from the sand, the El Conveto Hotel was a dream destination wedding venue in a stunning Caribbean setting. This beauty is a meticulously-restored former convent in the
heart of historic Old San Juan, only a block from Plazuela La Rogativa, where the ceremony took place overlooking the deep blue ocean water.

Sealed with a kiss, the first surprise celebration of the day stunned guests by being escorted back to the reception parade style led by Pleneros dancers. No words… this was purely magical! From that moment until the wee hours of the morning, the celebration continued and was one of the most exhilarating weddings we’ve ever captured. From the live music, hand-making cigar bar, and lively dance floor to the Hora Loca dancers that ended the evening, we were left absolutely speechless.

This may be the longest blog post of photos we’ve ever done, but prepare yourself… this is one you will never forget! On the fence about planning a destination wedding? A Puerto Rico wedding is always the right answer!

Many thanks to this amazing creative team who brought this dreamy Hotel El Convento wedding together…

Venue :: Hotel El Convento
Coordinator :: AMK Events
Wedding Dress Designer :: Estee Couture from Panache Bridal
Bridal Shoes :: Rene Caovilla
Bridesmaids Dress :: Bella Bridesmaid
Bridesmaid Morning Apparel :: Le Rose
Groom & Groomsmen Apparel :: Indochino
Hairstylist :: Caridad Vidro
Makeup Artist :: Caridad Vidro
Floral Designer :: Lorraine Flowers
Ceremony Music :: Cuerdas N
DJ :: Joel Lopez Big J
Band :: Cuenta Regresiva
Hora Loca :: Sak Entertainment
Pleneros :: Yuvi Pienta
Catering :: Hotel El Convento
Cake :: Dulce Petalos
Invitations & Calligrapher :: Kelsey Malie
Officiant :: Cory Casterton
Lighting: Joel Lopez Big J
Videographer :: Blue Couch
Photographer :: Laura & Rachel Photography