One of Tiffany Eckert and Tarik Hashem’s biggest concerns on their wedding day was the weather; as many brides tend to do, Tiffany feared their outdoor ceremony would be thwarted by the rain.

But the day dawned bright as Tiffany woke early and tiptoed out of the room she’d shared with her still-sleeping husband-to-be to start getting ready for the main event. Azure skies dotted with delightfully perfect puffs of white clouds presided over the day’s events, and the couple’s weather worries quickly dissipated.
Tarik and Tiffany, both practicing doctors who met in medical school, had traveled to Grand Cayman a few days before their family and friends were set to arrive to tie up last-minute loose ends and to enjoy a bit of peacefulness together. They welcomed nearly 60 of their close friends and family to the island with an excursion to Stingray City.
“Our families really bonded,” says Tiffany. “Everybody got along really well, and it set the tone for the rest of the wedding weekend.”
Guests stayed side by side at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort and Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach, gathering together for meals. The night before the big day, Tiffany and Tarik went through rehearsal at their wedding venue, Grand Old House, then the bridal party got together back at the hotel for one last hurrah.
The morning of Saturday, January 16, 2016, Tiffany’s bridesmaids joined her in her suite once Tarik had departed, taking care not to lay his eyes on his bride-to-be.
“We had food and music and this beautiful view from the Marriott’s balcony,” Tiffany says. “Our hairstylist Jackie Soriano and her team were fabulous—so sweet and calm, which you need when there’s so much craziness.”
Tiffany arrived at Grand Old House and was immediately thrilled with what she saw. The vision she had of her wedding day unfolded before her in perfect detail. The year-plus of communicating with her event planner, Sarah Parker, emailing photos back and forth to pinpoint Tiffany’s design preferences, had paid off. Then, as she began her walk down the aisle toward her groom, the rest of the world faded away.
“The setting was absolutely beautiful, like a photo I’d cut out from a magazine,” Tiffany says. “My most favorite moment was walking down the aisle and seeing the look on Tarik’s face. We both had tears in our eyes, and for my whole walk down the aisle, I didn’t see anything else. It was just me and him in our own little world.”
After a short and sweet ceremony, the couple walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife.
“My most memorable moment was walking away from the altar hand-in-hand with my new bride after just being married,” says Tarik. “There was a great sense of relief and immense happiness at having done the deed with all of our close friends and family to cheer us on.”
The celebration began, with guests taking breaks from the dance floor to enjoy delicious food and cake prepared by Grand Old House. Tiffany’s sister and matron of honor treated the crowd to a rap about the bride and groom’s relationship, a performance that Tiffany continues to watch on video to this day. Tiffany’s brother played DJ and he had wedding guests on their feet nearly nonstop throughout the evening.
“I would do it again and again and again,” Tiffany says of her wedding day. “It was above and beyond anything I could’ve dreamed of.”