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David Gallardo

David Gallardo professional Turks and Caicos islands photographer, Portrait photographer, weddings, he is the master of Trash the dress photography, Underwater photography

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First destination wedding on South Caicos

We were delighted to find out that Brilliant Studios was going to be photographing the first destination wedding on a small uninhabited island called Long Cay, just a short distance from South Caicos.

After a very short flight from Providenciales, we arrived in South Caicos and met with the Bride and Groom, Rachel and Markus, at the East Bay Resort. This beautiful resort has not long been open and is located on a stunning stretch of beach. While Marcus and his two young sons got ready together, Rachel got ready with her sister. This was a small destination wedding with just seven guests including Marcus’ parents who came all the way from Germany.

Another first for us, as well for Rachel and Markus and their guests, was being taken to the ceremony on Long Cay by hovercraft! The smooth ride dropped us in no time straight onto the sand – we didn’t even get our feet wet. The wedding ceremony actually took place on a small cliff with stunning views of the shallow banks on one side and the deeper water of the Atlantic on the other.

After the beautiful ceremony with a local minister we had time to take photos around the Cay where we could have spent an entire day as there were so many cool spots! We had the perfect contrast of shallow and deep water with rocky terrain on one side and white sand on the other. This perfect background is not as easy to come by on Provo so we made the most of it by taking lots of pictures.

We returned by hovercraft to the East Bay resort where we took more photographs on the beach before everyone headed back to their rooms to freshen up. As the sun was setting we took some great pictures of the bride and groom and the kids before meeting the rest of the party at a private gazebo for a very relaxed wedding reception.

Many thanks to: East Bay Resort. Wedding planner: Audra  Simmons. Officiant: Pastor John Malcolm. Hovercraft operated by Cherif Benchalal. Airline used from Providenciales to South Caicos: inter Caribbean Airways.

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Big destination wedding at Beaches

It is always fun to be a part of a big destination wedding at Beaches, Turks and Caicos. When I met with Mike and Kimberly to discuss their plans for their big day and the celebrations before and after, I knew it was going to be an energetic and busy two-day event.

The bride and groom arranged a boat trip for their party the day before the wedding. All the guests had the perfect opportunity to get to know one another whilst relaxing and enjoying the sunshine, some even experiencing snorkeling before stopping at a deserted island and then heading back to the hotel.

On the big day, we began with photos of the bridal party and the groomsmen getting ready in their rooms at Beaches Turks and Caicos. It was fun to photograph Mike receiving his gift from Kimberly – a pair of Air Jordan which she had had engraved with their initials (a perk of working for the Nike Jordan brand!).

The wedding ceremony took place on Grace Bay Beach in front of the hotel. The turquoise waters provided a beautiful back drop for photos and whilst the wedding party moved on to the reception area, I was able to photograph the newly weds before the sun began to set.

The wedding reception took place around a section of the French Village pool. After the first dance, some lovely food and great speeches, it was time to party and this group knew how to party! At the end of the night, most of the guests even ended up in the pool before moving on to the nightclub for stage two of the celebrations.

Here are just a few of the many photos that were taken during the wedding day.

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Turks and Caicos trash the wedding dress

A couple of days after we photographed the wedding of Nikki and Peter at the beautiful private villas of Grace Bay Club on Grace Bay beach, it was time to ‘trash the wedding dress’. This is one of our favorite photo shoots to do here in the Turks & Caicos because we both love to be under water taking photos.

For the first part of the shoot we wanted to capture the turquoise colors of our beautiful waters.  We chose the Leeward end of Grace Bay beach; the perfect location for color and seclusion plus as this was a morning session, the colors were even brighter and more vibrant.  The water was a little rough that morning but it actually helped us to create some very cool images. It was a good job Nikki and Peter weren’t afraid of getting hit by the waves 🙂

As we needed calmer waters for the second part of the session we decided to take a short drive to the other side of the islands. Long Bay beach was the perfect spot as the ocean was flat calm with crystal clear water.  Nikki and Peter had a blast getting into the water with their clothes on and after doing some split shots (half underwater, half above water) it was time to go fully underwater 🙂 A difficult task because Nikki’s dress and Peter’s jacket were very buoyant, making it impossible to stay under the water for longer than three seconds but three seconds was all that was needed to capture one good picture!

After a few more images and lots of laughs it was time to end the session and get back to the Grace Bay Club. Here are a few images from their Turks & Caicos ‘trash the wedding dress’….

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Somerset Resort wedding. Michelle and Neal

We first met with Michelle and Neal in August when they were making plans and preparations for their upcoming wedding to be held at the beautiful Somerset Resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

After hearing and seeing how excited the bride and groom were for their big destination wedding which would take place in the heart of Grace Bay, I knew this was going to be a great wedding to capture.

Michelle and Neil had family and friends traveling from all over the world to be a part of their special day. The Turks and Caicos was to be the perfect location to bring everyone together, almost one hundred guests in total, to celebrate in style with Michelle and Neal.

On the actual wedding day, Anita and I began shooting photos of Michelle and Neil getting ready in separate rooms in their large suite. What many of the guests didn’t know was that Michelle and Neil were planning to do a first look at the close by resort of The Palms before the ceremony took place. The big surprise was for Neal because he didn’t know that his wife-to-be would be wearing stunning traditional Indian clothes instead of the white dress that she was originally going to wear for the ceremony.

The wedding ceremony took place on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Grace Bay, just a few feet away from beautiful turquoise waters and with the Somerset resort behind them.

After the ceremony on the beach, we had just enough time to photograph the family members and close friends, all of whom were overjoyed for the happy couple. The hot sun gradually started to set over the tranquil ocean and everyone was ready for the next part of the wedding, the wedding reception.

Michelle and Neal’s wedding reception took place a few feet away from the beautiful driftwood wedding arch where they had said their ‘I do’s’ just moments before. DJ Dayoh was the one in charge of getting everyone onto the dance floor which was a specially made wooden structure just begging to be partied on.

The wedding party was scheduled to finish at 11pm but it went on for a little longer as none of the guests wanted to stop dancing! We were all enjoying a great night in the company of great people.

Many thanks to:

Tendra Musgrove from Villa del Mar . All the wonderful staff at the Somerset Resort. Flowers: Flowers by EA. Venue: The Somerset Resort . Music DJ Dayoh. Officiant: Pastor Wayde Coleby.

You can view more information about our wedding photography here brilliantstudios.com/weddings/wedding-photography-services-turks-and-caicos/

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And caicos family portraits

Grace Bay Club family portrait

July and August were busy months for us photographing family portraits here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Obasanjo family was one of the many family photo shoots we did at the beautiful Grace Bay Club resort.
On August 18th, one hour before sunset, I met with the Obasanjos in the Grace Bay Club lobby and started the session with some photos in the colorful gardens before moving on to one of the most stunning beaches in the world, Grace Bay. We are very fortunate to have this amazing background of white sandy beaches and blues skies for our family portraits and weddings. It provides the perfect backdrop for the memory of a lifetime.
During the family portrait we had time to do a few formal shots as well as lots of fun and more natural photos of the kids running and playing with their parents. Here are a few images from their session at Grace Bay Club…..

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A secret proposal on Grace Bay beach

A couple of weeks back we received a phone call from Robin, the food an beverage manager at the Seven Stars Resort,  asking us to help him out organizing a secret proposal on Grace Bay beach. His girlfriend Jena had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. Robin told her they were going for a walk on Grace Bay beach.

After a few text messages about possible locations for the secret  proposal  we decided to use a location at the end of Grace Bay beach, away from all the hotels and as private as possible. The weather wasn’t cooperating much that afternoon and we all got a little worried that Jena thought a beach walk might not be a good idea. Luckily the weather cleared just at the right time.

On August 19th, about an hour before sunset, Robin finally proposed to Jena on the most beautiful beach in the world, Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and she said YES!

We are looking very much forward to their wedding day. Anita hopes already it will be in the Netherlands.  Many congratulations to Robin and Jena. Here are a few images from the secret proposal…..

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The wedding of the year at the Palms Turks & Caicos

Recently, Anita and I had the opportunity to photograph one of the best weddings of the year so far at The Palms, Turks & Caicos.
After some careful planning and a quick visit to the islands with her father, our bride Tegan found the right hotel and the right vendors for their destination wedding. The Palms would be hosting Tegan and John’s special day.
On their wedding day, Tegan and John got ready in separate rooms at the Palms Resort and they had their first look near the spa just before their wedding ceremony. Lynne and her team from Nila Destinations were great helping with the coordination and planning of a fairly large wedding.
Tegan and John’s actual wedding ceremony took place on one of the best beaches in the world, Grace Bay beach, right in front of the resort. They were graced with beautiful weather and the vibrant color of the ocean behind them…a stunning scene in which to declare their love for one another. After their vows were spoken, it was time to get the party started and this group really knew how to have fun!
The cocktail party and wedding reception took place at The Palms Resort pool deck. The Junkanoo band was the beginning of a night of music, fun and laughter…not even the rain managed to get anyone away from the dance floor. And what better way to end a hot and humid night than a dip in the swimming pool to cool off 🙂

Location: The Palms. Wedding planners: Lynne from Nila Destinations. Hair  and Makeup by Ann and Geraldine from beauty and the beach. Make up by Thea at Make up Artistry  Flowers: Environmental Arts. Music at reception: DJ Dayoh.

Here are just a few images of Tegan and John’s wedding day….

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