“We’re actually middle-school sweethearts,” smiles Allie Cannon, when asked how she and Michael Koller first met. “We’re lucky to have such an easy and loving relationship that has already survived 13 years before our marriage even started,” the bride adds. Finally reuniting in Philadelphia after dating long-distance throughout college, Michael proposed on the rooftop of their building, and soon they began planning a tropical destination wedding in the Bahamas. 

The night before the big day, 152 loved ones mingled at a colorful alfresco welcome party featuring a surprise Junkanoo, a Bahamian cultural performance of music and dance. “The music and colors were spectacular, and it was super fun for us and our guests to experience this part of Bahamian culture,” confirms the bride. During turndown service, welcome bags – including two custom baseball hats with the pair’s wedding logo, a bottle opener, hangover kit, snacks, and water – were delivered to their guests’ rooms, setting the tone for the fun weekend ahead. 

The next day, the ceremony was hosted on the manicured lawn and framed by lush tropical plants and palm trees. Brightly colored floral arrangements and candles lined the aisle, which was scattered with petals. Allie was gorgeous in a designer gown featuring three-dimensional flowers as she walked down the aisle with both of her parents. Her uncle officiated the ceremony, which included personal vows that offered a look into their 13 years together. 

“Our ceremony was just so perfectly us – short and sweet, but our personalities really shined through in our vows,” confirms Allie. “The music we chose to walk down the aisle, the readings, the blessing, the jokes, the flowers… it was all so us, and I wouldn’t change a thing.” As a nod to the bride’s family and late grandparents, a special Irish blessing concluded the ceremony before the newlyweds recessed and guests tossed flower petals in celebration of the new Mr. and Mrs. 

“We knew we wanted fun colors throughout our weekend and really wanted to lean into the Caribbean feel.”

“We knew we wanted fun colors throughout our weekend and really wanted to lean into the Caribbean feel,” confirms the bride. Loved ones enjoyed a lively cocktail hour, complete with tasty canapés and three signature cocktails: Allie’s Aperol spritz, Mike’s margarita, and Pop Pop’s Manhattan, an ode to Allie’s late grandfather’s favorite drink. 

While the welcome party had bright, fun florals, the wedding day highlighted softer pinks and oranges, as well as mix-and-match elements also reflected in the bridal party’s coral, peach, and yellow dresses with varying layers, ruffles, and floral prints. In keeping with the design scheme, round, rectangle, and square tables highlighted a variety of floral arrangements. 

The wedding party was seated at banquet tables decorated with mixed vases filled with mono-blooms of matching florals accented with taper candles and votives; round tables highlighted gold centerpiece bowls filled with blossoms, bright-orange kumquats, and taper candles and votives; and square tablescapes were decorated with tall candelabras showcasing rings of matching blossoms at the base with fresh fruit accents and candlelight. 

“I loved the fact that nothing was too matchy-matchy, yet all made perfect sense together in such an effortless way, when in reality it was a ton of effort,” describes the bride. She changed into a party gown with a sophisticated-meets-club feel for the night of revelry. An electric live band kept the party going into the night, as everyone celebrated on the dance floor, featuring a colorful floral vinyl that matched the invitation suite, in front of a greenery-covered trellis. “In the end, it was the people we had around to celebrate with that made it so special,” smiles the bride.