Eastern Star Cruises was honored to have been chosen to host one of the most memorable weddings of our career this past year, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner we thought now was the perfect time to share this beautiful celebration of love with you!
To participate in the exchange of their daughter’s vows, the bride’s family joined us all the way from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Of course, we wanted to make this incredible day extra-special for the bride and her family, who had traveled so far to take part in the festivities.
Special dishes were created as part of the dinner menu, and Captain Nick officiated the wedding not only in English, but in French as well! Since the bride’s family only spoke French, they were incredibly pleased with this sweet surprise!
To begin the celebration, African drummers played while the passengers boarded the Eastern Star.
From the ship’s décor to the amazing menu, everything was customized for this beautiful wedding celebration. Throughout the evening the guests tasted some of the most incredibly unique dishes yet to be sampled in the NYC harbor.
Our talented chef customized the menu to include traditional specialties of West Africa, including oxtail and foo-foo. The meal was presented atop bold red silk linens on classic china plates detailed in silver, while guests sat at elegant cushioned white chivari chairs.
Custom invitations and name cards designed in red, black and white to complement the evening’s bold color scheme.
The upper deck looked magical, with garlands of red roses draped about. Fresh, floral arrangements were dotted throughout the ship, adding to the wonder of the celebration’s backdrop.
We added a sentimental touch to remind the guests of their home country by creating the lovely throw pillows pictured below. Custom-made from traditional wedding fabric from the brides country, the pillows were given out to guests as favors; the perfect memento to remember this incredible day.
But the celebration was just getting started. Live entertainment was followed by a light show after which our DJ got everyone on the dance floor as the evening continued onboard the ship until 2 a.m.! Everyone aboard the ship had an incredible time, and we at Eastern Star Cruises were so happy to be a part of this beautiful and unique wedding event!
From the wedding vows to the after party, this was one of the most memorable events ever hosted aboard the Eastern Star. We were delighted to have been able to share this lovely couple’s special day with them.
Special thanks to Andre Maier Photography for taking these breathtaking photos and also to City Blossoms for the incredible floral displays.
