October 16, 2010 | Montego Bay, Jamaica It takes a special person to invite a complete stranger to spend 5 days in a foreign country with 30 members of her family and closest friends. Cue Rachel Gallagher: a New Jersey photographer and military wife. When she first contacted me, I was pretty giddy about the…

October 16, 2010 | Montego Bay, Jamaica

It takes a special person to invite a complete stranger to spend 5 days in a foreign country with 30 members of her family and closest friends.

Cue Rachel Gallagher: a New Jersey photographer and military wife.

When she first contacted me, I was pretty giddy about the opportunity to shoot her Jamaican wedding in Montego Bay. Careful not to jinx it, I decided not to tell Anthony until everything was settled. But Rachel knew exactly what she wanted, and so far, holds the record for the fastest contract signing in the history of my business. With only 12 hours following her first email to me, we were all scheduled to head to Jamaica and spend an amazing 5 days in paradise with her crew!

Rachel was busy planning her wedding while Matt was overseas serving our country. When he returned in June, Rachel shared his welcome home to Jersey with the readers of her blog, facebook page and twitter account.

Even though we hadn’t officially met, months of planning, emailing and twittering back and forth made us feel like fast friends! When we arrived at the Montego Bay Sandals, Rachel and Matt greeted us with huge smiles.

Literally! They brought us Jamaican Smile and Shintin drinks, a specialty of their favorite bartender at the resort.

I know Rachel has been anxiously awaiting these photos from her wedding weekend, including her fantastic Day After session where the entire bridal party jumped in the ocean from the pier!

So I hope you enjoy Rachel and Matt’s amazing day as much as I enjoyed being there for it!

Venue: Sandal’s, Montego Bay Jamaica
Dress: Nicole Miller
Shoes: Betsey Johnson

The girls started off their day with Mani and Pedis at the spa!

Rachel walked down the aisle to “Kiss the Girl” by Steel Drummers. It was so perfect!

Stay tuned for Rachel and Matt’s amazing Day After session, which should be hitting the blog tonight!