Enchanting Rustic Wedding on Taatoh Beach, Koh Tao, Thailand
The Couple: Caitlin and Steve
Home Country: Australia
Date:  January 2018

Planning a tropical, destination wedding is very exciting – you’ve got the sun, the sea, the beach and, of course, your Significant Other – what more could you ask for? While most of us brides-to-be would like to think that we can do everything and organise the Wedding of the Century as well as carrying on with our already ‘bursting-at-the-seams’ lives, the reality of planning a wedding soon hits home.

Most couples opt to use a local wedding planner when planning a destination wedding – you’ll very quickly realise that having eyes, ears and feet in the locality are not only a necessity, but a true blessing. Our lovely couple, Caitlin and Steve from Australia started planning their destination wedding 18 months ago and chose Koh Tao because for its rustic beauty.  Forever Lovestruck was brought on as planners six months prior to their wedding and here, we ask the couple about some of the key things that were important to them when choosing their wedding destination.

What would you say to anybody considering Koh Tao as a destination wedding location?
Steve:  I would say “What are you waiting for? Do it!”  Koh Tao is a beautiful island, and a worthy wedding destination. When you choose to get married on Koh Tao you’re choosing both the before and after your special day which will build upon memories you have, with your wedding as the highlight.

Caitlin:  My husband and I choose to have a destination wedding to increase the time spent with family and friends surrounding our wedding day, and we have zero regrets. We had been to Koh Tao before and thought that it would be the perfect place to accommodate all of our guests; less developed than the surrounding islands for that chilled-out vibe, but developed enough that our guests wouldn’t experience too much of a culture shock.

The BIG Day
Caitlin and Steve’s wedding was full of rustic charm on the beautiful, sandy remote beach of Taatoh.  The ceremony was made all the more personal as they had chosen their dear friend as their wedding celebrant who did an amazing job of making the whole day feel especially intimate with their closest friends and family.

We asked the couple how they felt about their wedding day: “Thinking back to my wedding day I can only think – wow!  What an incredible, perfect day. It was the type of perfection I didn’t dream of being attainable before the wedding.  It literally went off without a hitch, and I would not change a thing!

While the couple dressed more formally, their bridal party had a more laid back feel with the bridesmaids in matching floral maxi dresses and the groomsmen in light Chinos and matching blue shirts. As for the bride’s look, we can’t get enough of the gorgeous lace detail on her back of her gown.  Their stunning florals, in particular the bride’s bouquet and buttonholes were all accented with cornflower blue thistle to add a touch of boho-glam.

Why Forever Lovestruck?
Caitlin: Communication is important to me because you don’t have any doubt as to whether or not your planner understands exactly what you want your wedding day to be.  A wedding day is a big day.  We had people travelling internationally and we wanted everything to run smoothly.  If you can rely on communication being clear and know that it won’t be misinterpreted, it dispels a level of doubt… You listened to our concerns…I was like, “I trust you to do that”. You were also very, very clear on costs.  You told us what was included and what wasn’t – there were never, ever, any surprises in this respect. We appreciated that. We knew exactly what was included and what were add ons.  You wanted to know how much we wanted to spend – we wanted to be relaxed about certain aspects to allocate money for other things holiday activities outside of the wedding.

Steve: The idea that we had a person that we could really trust in, that if things went wrong, you’d be there to help us make the best of the situation and just get the best day out of it… it’s really, really comforting. I was confident that a lot of things I hadn’t thought of (as I haven’t planned a wedding before) would be covered.  And when you’re in a foreign country it’s reassuring to feel that somebody is looking out for you.  You are incredibly thorough – even down to the wedding checklist – that was so useful.  Nothing was a problem – some people add pressure to situations; you just took it off the whole time.  You had everything handled.

What was the most memorable moment/ highlight for you?
Caitlin:  “It’s so hard to pick one…I would have to say starting the walk down the aisle and looking at how amazing everything looked. When I saw the set up, and everyone standing and looking at me walking I was a little overwhelmed by the whole “Wow, this is my wedding” thing – and of course meeting my husband to be at the end of the aisle and vows; both given and received.”

We wish Caitlin and Steve all the very best for their future lives together and we hope they have many more magical moments together.

If you’re considering a wedding in paradise, download our FREE wedding planning guide on Koh Tao and see just how we can help you!

Wedding Photographer:Net Photography