Real Wedding: Celia & Stephan

How it all started

The breathtaking shores of the Dominican Republic bore witness to the union of Celia and Stephan, two track stars whose paths aligned during a beautiful ceremony at Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana!

Celia, born to Trinidadian parents, grew up in Toronto and pursued her Bachelors Degree in Communications Studies at the University of Windsor on a track and field scholarship before moving to South Florida to work in the media industry. The mom of four now works as a Sales Leader for Docebo, freelances as a Marketing Consultant and runs an online jewelry business.

Her new groom, Stephan “Curt” Manswell was born in San Fernando Trinidad and moved to Canada when he was six years old. He began his track and field career at Central Technical High School, making the Canadian World Junior Team at just 19 and went on to study architecture at Humber College. The proud father of two – and grandfather of one! – has worked at Costco for over 27 years and is currently a Front End Supervisor who loves to make music, golf, work out, wood work and spend time with family.

The two met on Christmas Eve in 2016 after “swiping right” on the ever-famous dating app, Tinder. Stephan decided to go for it right away and asked Celia to join him for New Year’s Eve and the rest, as they say, is history. The two share many common interests, including their love of family, track and field, travel, cars, fashion and of course, one another.

Planning the wedding

Celia and Stephan both have deep roots in Trinidad and this inspired them to weave as many island influences as they could into their big day, being very intentional with the vendors they chose to work with and making sure to highlight black creators, stylists and couples. With this at heart, they wanted something fun and different for their wedding while ensuring their guests enjoyed fantastic seafood. That’s where the Dominican Republic and Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana come in – the resort’s Jellyfish Restaurant was the dream venue for their tropical nuptials, and even designed a special menu so the groom could eat all the seafood he wanted!

Wedding day details

The wedding day itself was full of love and celebration. Celia really wanted to have vintage doors to walk through for her grand entrance but they improvised with a unique driftwood archway complete with white sheer drapes that were opened to reveal Celia as she made her walk down the aisle – the final result was stunning! From the first minute of the day to the crazy-fun, one hour Hora Loca show at their reception, “party” and “dancing” were two words frequently used throughout the planning process and it showed! During the reception, the couple took advantage of the open sky for epic nighttime photos of themselves and their guests.

Wedding day wear

Celia’s gown: A stunning fit-and-flare A-line gown with spaghetti straps, floral beading details, stunning lace appliqués with a flowing veil and scalloped train

Celia’s shoes: White Betsey Johnson heels

Celia’s accessories: A sparkling diamond necklace and perfectly paired teardrop earrings

Stephan’s attire: A brilliant, all white three-piece tuxedo from Menodcino

Stephan’s shoes: White Christian Louboutin dress shoes

Stephan’s accessories: Gold face watch with a brown leather band and aviator sunglasses

Wedding bands: Matching custom gold bands adorned with diamonds

The bridesmaids wore: Strapless blush gowns with the Maid of Honour wearing bright fuchsia

The groomsmen wore: Peach coloured suits, with the Best Man wearing a shade darker, and BOSS dress shoes

Small details

Flowers: Tropical bouquets with pink, red and peach flowers provided by Jellyfish Restaurant

Photographer: Boyko Studios

Hair and makeup: Damian Gerardi Cuevas

First dance song: “Hold Me” by Whitney Houston and Teddy Pendergrass

Tips for future wedding couples: Just relax and take it all in, don’t stress about small details no one but you will remember. After all is said and done, take a few days without your guests to spend some time together before heading back home.