AN INTIMATE DESTINATION WEDDING AT THE ST. REGIS BAHIA BEACH WITH SUBTLE DÉCOR AND NEUTRAL COLORS
Sarah Flores and Ryan Moore’s love story began on a beautiful spring night in early May 2015. Ryan had just moved to NYC from Miami six months prior and was enjoying the NYC nightlife. While attending a dinner party with mutual friends at Bodega Negra in NYC’s Dream Downtown, Sarah and Ryan sat at different tables with their respective groups.
Ryan saw Sarah from across the room and knew he had to introduce himself, but he didn’t want to interrupt her dinner. Fortunately for Ryan, both groups were heading upstairs to PHD Rooftop Lounge after dinner and would be sitting at the same table.
“The St. Regis Bahia Beach was a beautiful oasis that they’d visit on almost every trip.”
After getting settled in (and taking a few 1942 shots), Ryan introduced himself to Sarah and started as much of a conversation as one can have in a nightclub. Sarah was playing hard to get and told Ryan that he had to dance for her before he could ask for her number. Without hesitation, Ryan broke out his inner Michael Jackson and rose to the occasion. Clearly, it was the dance moves for Sarah!
Déjà Vu
After hanging out for a couple more hours, Ryan asked Sarah for her number and told her he’d like to take her out the following week. Sarah was kind enough to agree and gave him those ten digits. After Ryan put the number in his phone, he called it so Sarah would have his. As it turns out, that wasn’t the first time that he’d gotten her number.
When the call went through, her contact showed up as “Sarah NYC.” The two laughed for a while and couldn’t put the pieces together for when this could’ve happened. They now blame Ultra Miami 2012, but it will remain the mystery of their lifetime. Looking back, the two were clearly meant to be together.
Sarah and Ryan met for their first date at BondSt Lounge – still one of their favorite sushi restaurants – in NYC’s NoHo neighborhood. It was a Thursday night and Sarah was hesitant to go on the date since it was a “school night” (Sarah teaches for NYC DOE) and she had to drive in from Long Island. Her colleagues convinced her that she should go out and enjoy herself, so she listened and thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
The conversation was flowing through the night and continued with a phone call while Sarah was driving back home. Being an animal lover, she asked Ryan what he thought of cats. Ryan said, “Funny you should ask,” and told Sarah how he grew up with dogs; but when he was 9 years old, a cat followed him home from the park where he and his friends were playing basketball. He begged his mom to keep it and she agreed. The Casper story (his cat) is what got him a second date.
The Engagement
Sarah and Ryan woke up to a beautiful sunrise on a Saturday morning, January 8, 2022. Their plan for the day was to do a quick brunch in Greenpoint (their new neighborhood) and to meet up with friends and family in Long Island that afternoon. After a brunch at Maman, they decided to go back to their apartment to freshen up before heading to Long Island. The city skyline was picture perfect and the views from their home office were incredible.
As Sarah freshened up, Ryan decided to set up his phone to record and prepare to ask the question that would change their lives forever. Ryan called Sarah into the office to show her the breathtaking views of the city skyline. He grabbed her hand and told her that she was his best friend, his soulmate, and the love of his life. He then got on one knee and pulled out the ring from behind him as he asked, “Will you marry me?”
Sarah gasped, then excitedly said, “Of course I will!”
The St. Regis Bahia Beach in Rio Grande
The couple knew from the beginning of their wedding planning process that they wanted to get married on the beautiful grounds of The St. Regis Bahia Beach in Río Grande, Puerto Rico. They were frequent visitors of Puerto Rico since their best friends moved there in 2017. The St. Regis Bahia Beach was a beautiful oasis that they’d visit on almost every trip to enjoy a round of golf and the incredible beach club. Ryan and Sarah hired Rosalina Torres of Momentus Special Events as their wedding planner to help guide them through the planning process. Once Rosalina brought on Acanthus Event Design as the décor vendor, the detailed planning began.
An Intimate Destination Wedding with Subtle Décor and Neutral Colors
After a few restless nights leading up to the wedding day, the bride and groom woke up to a picturesque Saturday morning sunrise. Ryan checked the weather and saw that there was no rain in the forecast for their special day. This was a huge relief since both the ceremony and cocktail hour were planned as outdoor events.
Sarah’s day started at 8 a.m. with hair and makeup for her and her bridesmaids while Ryan ran around the resort ensuring that all set up was going according to plan. It wasn’t until photos started around 1 p.m. that the wedding jitters kicked in. Ryan got ready in a condo with his groomsmen and Sarah used the bridal suite. While Sarah was finishing getting ready, Ryan was brought to the location where they would do the “first look.” The anticipation of seeing his beautiful bride for the first time in her wedding dress was when the emotions really hit him. What was probably a five-minute wait felt like hours. When Sarah snuck up behind Ryan and tapped him on his shoulder, both were overcome with joy – plus a few tears from Ryan.
The couple’s intimate destination wedding in Puerto Rico had a small guest list, as they invited only their closest friends and family. The subtle wedding décor consisted of mostly neutral furniture and florals, enhancing the natural beauty of The St. Regis Bahia Beach. One of the couple’s main goals was to keep guests engaged and not have them stuck in one location for too long – so they created multiple venues for their wedding.
The ceremony was on the Estate Lawn at 4 p.m. After the ceremony, guests were ushered to the cocktail hour at the Astor Terrace Pavilion by golf cart. The reception dinner was in the Astor Terrace Pre-Function, and the party was held in the Astor Terrace Ballroom. During both cocktail hour and dinner, a DJ played lounge house music. For the party, they recreated a nightclub and had a saxophone player along with an open format DJ.
The newlyweds are now in the planning stages for their honeymoon, which will take place later this year. Their top honeymoon picks are currently Bora Bora, the Maldives, and Seychelles.
WEDDING TALENT
Location: The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Rio Grande, PR; Planner: Momentus Special Events; Floral & Event Design: Acanthus Event Design; Cake: Gabriel Diaz Cake Designer; Engagement Ring: Victor Zakher; Wedding Dress: Savannah Miller; Reception Dress: Retrofete; Bridal Salon: Mark Ingram Atelier; Groom’s Attire: Alan David Custom Suits NYC; Groom’s Watch: Rolex Submariner; Hair & Makeup: Adriel Ortiz; Entertainment: Fifty Eight; Invitations: Bliss and Bone; Cinematography: DH Films; Photography: Jenna Guyot Photography