Happily Ever After: Enchanting Disney Fairytale Inspired Wedding Brings the Caribbean to Orlando

Daniette and Tristan brought the Caribbean to Orlando for their enchanting Disney Fairytale-inspired wedding!

Daniette and Tristan first met through a mutual friend at church. Having similar senses of humor, it didn’t take long for the future couple to hit it off. They continued to get to know each other and grew closer during the pandemic.

On the day of the proposal, Daniette had absolutely no idea what Tristan had in store. They visited their mutual friends’ new house, and while Daniette was given a tour, Tristan stood in the backyard waiting. As Daniette was brought outside, she first saw a trail of rose petals and then looked up to see Tristan holding a ring box, surrounded by roses and candles.

He took my hand and brought me down the aisle to the gazebo area. He said, “Baby girl, I think you and I do life great together, and I want to do it with you for the rest of my life. Daniette St Martin, Will you be my wife?”.
Daniette (The Bride)

Daniette and Tristan’s enchanting Disney fairytale-inspired wedding was held at Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, which had a dreamy Tuscan and regal aesthetic, perfectly enhancing the fairytale theme.

Being of Haitian and Jamaican descent, the bride wanted to have the wedding in Jamaica; however, they decided to bring the Caribbean to Orlando instead. Guests from different cultures and countries, including the USA, Africa, India, Asia, and Hispanic countries came to celebrate the couple’s union.

Their guests were from cultures and countries worldwide…The music was a blend of Haitian, Jamaican, Hispanic, and African-American music. Everyone had an absolute blast at this melting pot of a wedding.
Derrious Robinson (RTW Photography)

Daniette’s hair stylist perfectly placed blush, white, and red flowers in her hair, giving her bridal look a dreamy and unique touch and transforming her into a fairytale princess for her big day.

Learn more about their love story and see the enchanting details below!

Couple: Daniette & Tristan
Occupations: Doctorate of Physical Therapy and professional dancer | Owner and operator of Black Box Transportation LLC.
Wedding Date: May 28, 2023
Wedding location: Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes, Orlando

Quick Facts:

Gifts for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: Bridesmaids received robes, bridesmaid gift boxes with detailed specific notes, and fun cute little beauty trinkets that they can cherish. Groomsmen received personalized flasks.
Gifts for one another: Vows, outfits, and wedding rings.
Ceremony entrance song: “The One He Kept for Me” – Maurette Brown Clark
First dance song: “The Best is Yet to Come – 2008 Remastered” – Frank Sinatra, Count Basie

How did you meet?

We met via a mutual friend one day at church. Then, after a hangout at a group dinner, we bonded over one of our favorite comedian’s catchphrases “Who Raised You” by TK Kirkland. We got closer and spent a lot of time together during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and the rest is history.

Tell us about the proposal.

The proposal was spectacular. Tristan informed me that we would be going over to our mutual friend’s house for a game night. We got dressed and ready to go over there with no specific expectations except that I would hopefully get a tour of their new house since this was my first time seeing it.

As Yosh (the wife) gave me a tour around the inside of the house, Tristan disappeared to the back of the house without my knowledge. I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought he probably went to greet his friend. Yoshae brought me to the backyard, and I saw the rose petals. Then I looked up and saw my man.

Tristan was standing there with a ring box in his hand surrounded by an aisle of roses and candles, as well as a poster of the two of us on my 25th birthday. He took my hand and brought me down the aisle to the gazebo area.

He said, “Baby girl, I think you and I do life great together, and I want to do it with you for the rest of my life. Daniette St Martin, Will you be my wife?”. The rest is history!

Wedding Style:

This wedding was inspired by the fairytale/princess wonders of Disney princesses. I wanted the theme to be a combination of elegance, dreamy, Tuscany, and fairytale vibes. Pinterest, Munaluchi, and other notable wedding magazines all played a part in the inspiration for the wedding look.

The groom’s suit is an Ivory Connaisseur Paris tuxedo with elegant white and ivory embroidery. It truly fits him like the king he is. My dress is an ivory/champagne Casablanca dress with a sweetheart style bust, A-line shape, and lots of beautiful sparkling ivory lace detail throughout the entire dress, with detachable straps.

Shopping for the dress was such a fun experience, and I am so thankful to everyone who helped with this process. I had the idea of what I wanted the dress to feel like and look like, but at my first appointment, I wanted to try every style to make sure I had the right one.

I went to a total of four different bridal boutiques, and with each one, I had a clearer understanding of what my dream wedding dress would look like. One Vendor helped me pinpoint my dress by taking notes about the ones I truly loved when I was smiling and dancing.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?

The theme of the wedding was to bring an entire Caribbean vibe. Originally our wedding was destined to be in Jamaica, however, we decided to bring the Caribbean to Orlando, Florida for this wedding.

Our guests are from cultures and countries worldwide including the Caribbean, the United States, Africa, India, Asia, and Hispanic countries.

The food theme was primarily Indian food and Caribbean cuisine all in front of the world-known chefs at the Ritz Carlton. The music was a blend of Haitian, Jamaican, Hispanic, and African-American vibes. Everyone had an absolute blast at this melting pot of a wedding.

What is your best memory from your wedding?

My best memory from the wedding was the dancing at the reception, both the choreographed pieces and the open dancing. Another one of my favorite moments was when the groom and I had some time to ourselves at the reception ballroom reveal.

What advice can you give to engaged couples?

Try to think about the details that you know are important to you and you know for sure that you want to see. Make those things happen. Make sure you find vendors who can help your vision come to life, and then you can fill in the rest of the details as you go.

There will be a lot of opinions, and it is going to be a stressful process. You are going to wonder why you are going through all of this stress, but just remember that at the end of the day, it’s about you and your soon-to-be spouse. Do what is important to you and make this day count. Be considerate of others but also make sure that you don’t compromise on anything important to you.

You don’t want to feel regret looking back on your special day. Also definitely get a wedding planner if you can afford it; whether you are an organized person or not, it will take 100000% of the stress off of you and allow you to just enjoy your day.