A Wedding Weekend Under the Palm Trees and Stars at the Lyford Cay Club

A Wedding Weekend Under the Palm Trees and Stars at the Lyford Cay Club

“A mutual friend had organized a large dinner party, and Adrian [Ulrich] and I were seated next to each other by chance,” Marina Rutherfurd remembers. “It was a lively night, and we both enjoyed chatting with each other, but it certainly wasn’t a date.” About a year later, Marina was reintroduced to the investment manager when she—the founder and creative director of Rutherfurd Creative—moved in with that same friend who had thrown the dinner party where the couple had had their meet-cute. “We reconnected at the housewarming, and over the course of a year or so, an entertaining friendship and mutual attraction, punctuated by an appreciation for each other’s sense of humor, grew into something more,” Marina explains. They ultimately started dating in December of 2015.

The two had been seeing each other for two years when Adrian proposed amid extreme conditions: They were standing on a dam, in a blizzard, at the top of the valley in Vals, Switzerland. “The ground was covered in six inches of snow, but he still got down on one knee,” Marina laughs.

For their wedding weekend, they opted for more island vibes, less après-ski. “The main criteria was finding a location that was not only meaningful to us as a couple, but also offered a great experience for our guests,” Marina explains. “Adrian has been going to Lyford Cay since the mid-’80s, and his family has had a house there for 20 years. It is also where we first started dating!”

The club is known for its relaxed atmosphere, Tom Scheerer–decorated interiors, and understated style and elegance. From the beginning, Marina and Adrian wanted their guests to have a true Bahamian experience, and worked with Rutherford Creative, which designed and produced the weekend in partnership with Araxie Aaron from Wildflowers Events and Occasions, to select local bands, foods, drinks, and florals. “Every meal took place place outside, underneath the stars and palm trees,” Marina notes. “Because in our opinion it simply doesn’t get any better than that!”

For the welcome party on Friday night, everyone gathered at Adrian’s parent’s house, Far Niente. The party took place outside in the garden, and guests sipped cocktails while a local Bahamian rake-n-scrape band called The Lasido Boys performed. For this, Marina wore a Carolina Herrera dress from the Spring 2019 collection: “When I saw it—just two months before the wedding—I fell completely in love and was able to convince Wes Gordon to make it for me in just under a month!”

To kick off the evening, Adrian’s father Ron welcomed everyone with a touching speech. At the end of the toast, the Royal Bahamas Police Band surprised guests with a performance. They marched onto the porch, down the stairs, and around the pool, before leading guests into dinner on the other side of the garden, where Bahamian favorites like conch fritters, jerk pork, coconut peas, and rice squares were served.

The tablescapes were covered in candles. “And not just because the power in Lyford Cay went out 30 minutes before the event began—I promise!” Marina jokes. “We had small tables for four which created an intimate and cozy atmosphere for that first evening together.” After dinner, the couple cut their wedding cake early, followed by an impromptu conga line around the pool, sparklers in hand.

On Saturday morning, Marina got ready in a Fleur du Mal silk kimono with a small group of family and friends. Alexa Rodulfo did her hair and makeup, then the bride changed into her Carolina Herrera wedding dress for the ceremony. She complimented the look with a pair of drop pearls from her mother, custom block heels by Tabitha Simmons with her name and wedding date embroidered on them, and a few spritzes of Byredo’s Flowerhead perfume. “The most important thing to me was looking and feeling like myself,” Marina says. “My Carolina Herrera wedding dress was the first dress I tried on that I felt truly comfortable and effortless in. That was much harder to find than I expected!”

Marina entered The Church of St. Christopher carrying a small bouquet of freesia, stephanotis, and orchids. A local gospel choir performed before, during, and after the service, which was officiated by the Venerable Keith Cartwright. “I became incredibly emotional during the ceremony, but was also very much at ease,” Marina says. “Adrian had been my family for a long time, but making it official in front of our closest friends and family was more special than I could have imagined. I had to borrow Adrian’s pocket square multiple times!”

After the service, the newlyweds recessed back down the aisle to Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” The sun was setting as they emerged from the church and drove away in a 1960 Autobianchi Bianchina Eden Roc with the Royal Bahamas Police Band surrounding them for a rousing send-off.

Guests returned to the Lyford Cay Main Club, where cocktails were held on the porch and in the living room. For dinner, everyone walked along a torchlit path to the Little Club, where two long tables were set up outside on the lawn under a sea of paper lanterns. “We placed 24 bottles of Clase Azul Reposado tequila along the tables, along with shot glasses, limes, and salt,” Marina says.

A five-course dinner, starting with popovers and gazpacho, followed by Mediterranean sea bass, and ending with the couple’s favorite dessert—Bahamian rum cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce—was served. After Adrian’s speech, a 24-piece Junkanoo band emerged, marching between the tables and leading everyone into the Little Club tent. There, another local Bahamian band, Tingem Dem, was ready to perform, and of course, there was more tequila. “We had a local artisan create Junkanoo headbands and headpieces for our guests, which added to the festivity of the evening,” Marina says. An after-party followed late into the night in the Little Club Bar, where DJ Paul Reynolds from Ibiza kept guests dancing until 4:00 a.m.