Real Wedding: Kaila & Cole

How it all started

Kaila Broadbent, a nanny, and Cole Gregg, a PhD student, are from Chatham, ON and first met when they were both attending high school at Ursaline College Chatham. From the moment they met, there was an immediate connection and they became great friends instantly. One day, Cole reached out to Kaila asking how she was doing and the conversation flowed and they couldn’t stop texting each other. That same night, they started planning their first date – all you can eat sushi at a local favourite.

That was on February 12, 2016 and from that night on, they both knew they had a special connection. Cole made everything feel so natural for Kaila, which she had never experienced before and for Cole, everything just seemed easier with Kaila. She knew that they would get married, just not when and Cole began looking at promise rings that first year so that Kaila would know that she meant everything to him.

Planning the wedding

Kaila was set on tying the knot on February 12th, their anniversary and wanted to elope somewhere warm but Cole wanted to celebrate the big day with family, so they decided on the best of both worlds with a destination wedding.

They ultimately decided on Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic as the perfect place to say ‘I do’. Once they picked a destination, the next step was choosing the resort. They landed on Dreams Punta Cana Resort and Spa by AMR Collection as the location to host their wedding day because it was family-friendly, offered plenty of amenities and was the right price for their budget.

Wedding day details

On February 12, 2022, Kaila and Cole exchanged their vows on the resort’s beautiful beach, with the sounds of the waves crashing in the background in view of their close friends and family. Afterwards, the couple and their 17 guests made their way to the Portofino Terrace at Dreams Punta Cana Resort and Spa to celebrate their union. The venue was decorated in a tropical theme with a gold, eucalyptus green, rose and white colour scheme. For their honeymoon, Kaila and Cole went on an excursion after the wedding to celebrate being newlyweds and will also be heading to Greece to island hop this summer.

Wedding day wear

Kaila’s gown: Primrose Theia dress from Ivory Estate Bridal in Ancaster, ON

Kaila’s shoes: Flat white sandals from Le Chateau

Kaila’s accessories: Gold, diamond and pearl necklace from Hudson’s Bay and baroque pearl earrings from Skin Studio in Melbourne, Australia

Cole’s attire: Grey dress pants and a matching vest over a white linen shirt

Cole’s accessories: Brown belt, Apple watch, customized lobster dress socks from Kaila and a boutonniere with a piece of his mother’s wedding dress around the base

Wedding bands: Wedding bands were from a Chatham jewellery store called Sonya Roe Jewellers

The bridesmaids wore: Champagne satin dresses

The groomsmen wore: Grey dress pants and white linen shirt with matching brown shoes and belts

Small details

Destination wedding consultant: Laura Eriksen

Flowers: White roses, eucalyptus and greenery

Photographer: Adventure Photos

First dance: In Case You Didn’t Know – Brett Young

Favours: Handmade beer can coozies

Stationary and invitations: Passport-style invitations made by the couple

Tips for future couples

Don’t listen to anyone else’s opinions but yours. In the end, the day is all about you and your partner and the commitment you are making to each other. Too often people are concerned about making decisions that will hurt someone else’s opinion but every detail about the big day is about you and your partner. Planning a destination wedding in our opinion was the simplest and most stress-free process. Have fun with it and trust your coordinator – they were instrumental in bringing our wedding vision to life!