Julia Kozinevich became somewhat of a fitness fanatic after first laying eyes on Solomon Krispeal. It wasn?t that she was particularly intent on getting in shape, but after noticing Solomon working out at their local gym, she found herself so drawn to the handsome stranger that she began to scout out his workout routine, making sure to arrive for her workout at times she knew she?d see Solomon.
?I made it a priority to keep going back at around the same time in hope that he would notice me,? recalls Julia. Her routine continued for nearly two months without communication. Finally, a chance meeting at another local hangout provided the perfect opportunity for Julia to break the ice.
?I ended up seeing Solomon out at a local bar with a friend who knew me and my mother,? says Julia. ?I thought, ?yes!? This is the perfect opportunity.? The two struck up a friendly conversation, but despite Julia?s highest hopes, the encounter ended without any advancement. ?We never exchanged numbers that night, so I was left wondering?if he even liked me!?
Apparently, he did. Solomon wasted little time during their next encounter. ?A few days later, I saw him at the gym and he handed me his phone number,? remembers Julia. ?I still think it?s funny that he made me do most of the chase.? Under normal circumstances, Julia prefers the traditional practice of waiting for the man to make the first move, place the first call, and request a first date. Luckily, her interest in Solomon outweighed her desire to honor convention. ?We spoke later that night and we have been inseparable ever since. In a strange way, I knew in my mind and my heart that this was the man I would end up marrying.?
Two years later, the couple spent a typical ?date night? together at the height of the summer. ?I knew Solomon was a little off that day, says Julia. ?A little nervous, a little standoffish.? She did her best to ignore his curious behavior, having no idea that Solomon was preparing himself to ask Julia the ultimate question. ?Since we had overindulged at dinner we took a walk through the park,? explains Julia. Unexpectedly, Solomon led Julia to a group of trees, leaving her even more confused about his actions. Had he written something for her on the trees, Julia wondered? As she turned to question Solomon, he fell onto one knee, and with tears in his eyes requested Julia?s hand in marriage as he pledged his love for his bride-to-be.
?I think the whole world around me froze for those three minutes,? says Julia. ?I had no clue that we would get engaged [that night]. It was a total surprise for me. It was the most amazing feeling that I will never forget.? She excitedly accepted his proposal, and the couple began immediately to plan the unforgettable wedding of their dreams.
?I myself am an event planner in New York City,? explains Julia, ?so I was very picky and detailed as to where and how I wanted to go about having my dream wedding.? She and Solomon were uninterested in a typical wedding with hundreds of guests that required months and months of planning for a half-day worth of execution. They eventually agreed on a destination wedding. ?I wanted something different. Being that we both love to travel, we started scouting locations.?
During a trip to St Thomas the couple decided to take a ferry ride over to the beautiful island of St. John and check out the Westin.? That fateful recommendation led the couple directly to the charming island community where they would soon exchange their marital vows. ?We were blown away by the quality of service at the Westin, the landscape, and the small quaint island feel.?
With the location selected, the couple returned to New York to begin planning the details of their tropical wedding. Christine Forker, the onsite wedding coordinator for the Westin, became an essential player in planning any aspects of the weekend that Julia was unable to arrange from a distance. ??Since I am constantly working with vendors and managing logistics for corporate meetings and events in New York City…,? says Julia, ?I was confident that I could work with them and wanted to handle the bookings on my own. But Christine was awesome . She helped to make our wedding weekend flawless
Save-the-date notes were sent out in unique tropical style on scrolled paper tucked inside of sand- and shell-filled glass bottles. The guests were offered a preview of the delicious island aroma when Julia sealed the bottles with coconut oil-dipped corks. She and Solomon were confident, despite the distance, that their wedding would be shared by loved ones eager to memorialize their union.
?We ended up having fifty guests at our dream wedding,? says Julia. Christine greeted guests as they arrived at the Westin in preparation for the big event. A welcome dinner, held that evening around a crackling bonfire next to the ocean, encouraged guests to get to know one another and unwind in tropical luau style. Steve Hughes, a decorator from Wow Events on St. Thomas, created the sultry island tone with d?cor that included plush white pillows surrounding low cocktail rounds for guests to lounge comfortably while watching the Caribbean Ritual Dancers perform to Carl Hodge?s authentic island reggae music. Guests enjoyed the exhilarating entertainment while sipping specialty cocktails dubbed the ?Booba Breeze? and the ?Sole of Ole,? which were designed by the bride and groom. ?The Caribbean fire dancers got our entire group up to dance with them, which really made the night complete,? says Julia.
The authentic island experience continued the following day, when Julia and Solomon hosted a pre-wedding catamaran snorkel sail around St. John. Organized by Susan Lysaght at Premier Destination Services, the boat toured the island before docking on Honeymoon Beach, where guests were offered a choice between soaking up the balmy midday sun and snorkeling through the crystal clear Caribbean waters.
The wedding ceremony itself began late the following afternoon. The timing gave guests the opportunity to see the afternoon sun melt into a dazzling sunset as everyone gathered to watch the happy couple exchange their marital vows. Felipe Ayala of Flowers Too on St. Thomas created a floral paradise, with blooms of fuchsia, light pink, and white accenting the couple?s bamboo chuppah. Julia was escorted by both of her parents down an aisle sprinkled with rose petals to the backdrop of guitar and violin music, wafting from a nearby gazebo where the Greg Kinslow Band performed. The bride wore a lightweight strapless gown while her six bridesmaids donned ocean-blue cocktail dresses in varying cuts and styles. Though the island weather was quite warm, the couple decided that the groom and groomsmen should wear traditional black tuxedos as an expression of their classic taste, and in order to maintain a sense of formality despite the relaxed island atmosphere.
Photographer Alain Brin of Blue Glass Photography and Mike Williams of High Definition Video perfectly captured the spirit of the event. ?They were like ghosts throughout the entire day. They both got amazing?shots to remind us of how much fun we were having! Our memories for a lifetime are because of them.? says Julia.
Following the breathtaking ceremony, Christine arranged for guests to be transported to the reception site in a string of golf carts. The bride and groom were chauffeured to the site in a Rolls Royce golf cart, and were breathless to finally see the setting that their many visions and months of planning had produced. For the cocktail reception, Lucite tables with organza overlays were illuminated from below with vibrant purples, pinks, and blues.
White luminaries lit up the walkway leading up to the chiffon-enclosed tent where the formal reception would take place. The white chiffon curtains were drawn open on cue, with soft calypso and jazz music enticing guests inside the tent as the couple made their grand entrance. ?When we first saw the tent?we were both in shock,? says Julia. ?It was absolutely stunning.? White chiffon draped the entire area, decorated with accents of silver and illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight. To the music of Keith Urban?s ?Making Memories of Us,? the couple began their first dance as a married couple. Greg Kinslow performed once again with his band, and the couple added a DJ in order to offer some musical variety for guests.
Julia cried throughout the father-daughter dance, which was set to a Russian song called ?Daughter.? The following dance was Solomon with his grandmother. The mood soon shifted from bittersweet to buoyant as a playful guest tied together a string of silver napkins to create a jump-rope for the whole party to enjoy. Refusing to be left out of the excitement, the spirited bride slid into a pair of flip-flops, hiked up her gown, and grabbed the hand of her new groom to join in the fun.
As the wedding wound down, the bride and groom found a quiet moment to revel in the beauty and splendor of their wedding day. ?We were able to keep a lot of the traditions that we wanted a part of both the ceremony and reception,? the bride reflects gratefully. ?It went too fast,? she adds, ?but it was wonderful to have a few days to be able to celebrate with your loved ones.?
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