A Casual Destination Wedding at The Lone Palm in Isabela, Puerto Rico

Nellie Abel (31 and a marketing specialist) and Erik Abel (33 and an artist) were friends for a decade before they decided to explore whether the spark they felt was more than a crush. At the end of a four week trip to New Zealand, living in a van and camping all over the country, Erik proposed at the top of Mt. Taranaki. The couple had a casual, barefoot beach wedding at The Lone Palm in Isabela, Puerto Rico. “The ocean is very important to both of us,” says the bride. “We wanted the wedding to be fun, natural and tropical, so we chose turquoise decor to express that.” The couple was married on the summer solstice, so they chose the theme “funny sunnies” and requested their guests to wear the wildest glasses they could find to the ceremony. “Our ‘funny sunnies’ theme was great because it gave people some creative work tod o before the wedding day that got them feeling festive,” says the bride. “It was a fun way for everyone to feel involved and get to be silly.” See the tropical details captured by Vanessa Vargas Photography below.