Aruba sets the scene for romantic nuptials

“I had always dreamed of a destination wedding on the beach. I wanted a traditional type of ceremony and reception in an exotic setting that would feel more relaxed and eliminate as much stress and pressure as possible. That being said, we knew we would have a large guest list and wanted the island to be easily accessible,” said bride Julie Ambrose when sharing why she chose Aruba for her dream destination wedding. 

“Aruba has tons of affordable flights, many of which are nonstop. I had been to Aruba once before and always remembered the warm welcome and ambience of the island and the people.  Aruba has the most beautiful beaches, sand, and sunsets…all important things for setting the scene!”.
-Julie 

With Aruba set for the locale, Julie and her then husband-to-be, Jake, needed to find a venue that offered a toes-in-the-sand experience, while also offering shelter during the reception festivities.

“After a lot of online searching, I discovered the large beach palapa at the Hyatt, and my mind was instantly made up! I could envision the palapa completely transformed into the most serene, romantic, glowing venue underneath the clear Aruba sky.  I could see my family and friends eating dinner and dancing the night away in the palapa on the most important day of my life…the Hyatt and the Palapa certainly did not disappoint!” the bride informed. 

Julie wanted to create a romantic vibe that complimented the island’s natural beauty, explaining, 

“As much as I wanted a beach affair with my feet in the sand, I still wanted the traditional aspects of a wedding to be present. It was very important to me to incorporate small touches and details on the tables and around the palapa to create a soft and subtle ambience.” 

The Virginia couple opted for blush, pink, gold, and blue as their color palette. The tables were draped in white cloths and white lace overlays with gold plate chargers to add texture, surrounded by gold chiavari chairs. 

Julie’s all-lace dress was fitted through the hip, while the back was sheer lace. In the words of Julie’s mom it was “the sexiest modest dress I’ve ever seen!”   The groom wore a deep blue suit, tie, and vest with a white button-down shirt rolled up to the elbows. The bridesmaids wore pale pink chiffon floor-length dresses. 

The Hyatt did not disappoint when it came time for the celebration. 

Shares Julie, “Sitting in the palapa as the sun was going down absolutely took my breath away! The Hyatt did such an amazing job arranging the tables as I wanted and setting the atmosphere. We had white drapes wrapped around the poles of the palapa, and string lighting throughout the top provided a soft, overhead glow. We had the most delicious four-course dinner that was presented beautifully. Our guests are still talking about how the filet mignon was the best they’ve ever had!” 

The special day’s events ended with nonstop dancing under the stars. 



“We were all sweating profusely from all of the dancing, and the Hyatt staff kept handing out cold towels on the dance floor to keep us cool! The reception was more than I could have ever dreamed of…looking around the most beautiful beach venue and seeing 90 of your closest family and friends, all of whom traveled thousands of miles to celebrate with you, is truly an amazing feeling!” the bride exclaimed. 

The Details: 

• Number of guests: 93 
• Ceremony location: Beachfront at Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino 
• Reception location: Hyatt’s Grand Palapa on the beach 
• Food & beverage:  Hyatt’s culinary and banquet teams 
• Officiate: Geoffry Banfield 
• Photographer: Lisa Robinson with Lonesome Dove Photography 
• Deejay: DJ Tino with Cyclone Promotion 
• Hair: Julia Edwards and Katie Tetteris (Baltimore, Maryland) 
• Makeup: Marta Collell 
• Wedding Cake: Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino 
  
  
  

Bride’s Final Thoughts: 

“If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing! The Hyatt Regency was so accommodating to us and our guests throughout the whole wedding week. They strive for excellence and they achieve it day in and day out! Jake and I felt like royalty during our whole stay. We are already planning a trip back for our one-year anniversary and can’t wait to make Aruba vacations a tradition for our family.”