By Emily Rochotte
Photography by Amanda Temple Photography
When Devon Murray married Matt Cross, it was an intimate four-day celebration for them and their 24 guests.
“We wanted everyone to be relaxed and take in how beautiful the island is, and how welcoming the people are, and the only way you’re going to do that is by relaxing and enjoying each event as it happens,” Devon shared.
Devon’s roots are in Bermuda. She was born on the island and named after Devonshire, the parish her parents lived in at the time. Although Devon has ties to the island, it was not until two months before the wedding that the engaged couple decided to get married in Bermuda. Despite the short timeframe, Matt and Devon were able to plan a wedding to remember.
Luckily, Devon had settled on her wedding venue years earlier while on a walk to explore the Unfinished Church with her sister and brother-in-law.
“The Unfinished Church is one of those places that you see and it immediately takes your breath away,” she said. “Interestingly enough, they were setting up for a wedding that day, and my sister and brother-in-law looked at me and said, ‘Devon, you have to get married here one day.’”
Not long after this encounter, Devon met her future groom, and the Unfinished Church did indeed serve as their perfect wedding venue.
The wedding weekend began on Wednesday, when guests who had already arrived got together at Elbow Beach for a casual dinner to celebrate Matt’s birthday. The next morning, the men got together for a deep-sea fishing trip, where their bounty was later cooked up and incorporated into the menu of passed hors d’oeuvres at that evening’s welcome drinks event.
Planning a wedding an ocean away can be difficult, but Devon’s sister and brother-in-law, who live on the island, were ready and willing to help, even offering their home on the harbor as the venue for Thursday night’s get-together.
Friday was a beautiful day spent at sea; Devon and Matt took guests on a four-hour catamaran trip aboard The Zara that included a beautiful sail and swim, paddle boarding, and lunch. The rehearsal dinner that evening kicked off with cocktails on the patio at the Waterlot Inn followed by dinner in the restaurant’s 300-year-old wine cellar.
Saturday continued the theme of relaxation as everyone prepared for the wedding. Devon spent the morning having brunch and getting ready alongside her mom and two sisters, while Matt enjoyed the day floating in the ocean before heading to the Unfinished Church, where the couple had their “first look” outside as family and friends eagerly awaited the couple’s entrance.
“We have a one-and-a-half-year-old French bulldog and it just didn’t feel right not to bring her,” laughed Devon. “She walked down the aisle with my sister in a flower collar that I hand made.”
The couple was whisked away from the ceremony in a classic Branford, which delivered them to their reception at The Loren. They descended the candlelit staircase as steel pan music serenaded their guests during cocktails at the oceanside terrace. Everyone then migrated to the rooftop, where they leisurely enjoyed a four-course meal at elegant tables decorated simply with votives and freshly picked orchids. Each of the courses presented was accompanied with its own wine pairing in honor of Matt’s love of wine. For dessert, guests enjoyed a 12-layer coconut cake that had been personally transported to the island by a friend of Devon’s from the bride’s favorite restaurant in Charleston.
As a nod to a beautiful sentiment the couple witnessed at a dear friend’s Swedish wedding the previous summer, Devon and Matt concluded the evening by going around the room and sharing something they loved about each person in attendance.
“It was really wonderful having everyone together for these four days,” reminisced Matt. “We tried to be extremely thoughtful about the events we planned for our intimate group of guests. Each event was a new experience for everybody, so we were all able to experience and enjoy it together.”
WEDDING DETAILS
Ceremony: The Unfinished Church
Reception: The Loren at Pink Beach
Wedding planner: Nikki Begg of Bermuda Bride
Photography: Amanda Temple Photography
Flowers, Decor, & lighting: Flowers by GiMi
Ceremony Music: The String Collective
Hair & Makeup: The Loren at Pink Beach
Bride & Groom Transport: Bermudaful Moments
Guests Transport: Quality Transport
