WEDDING STORIES AISLE TO ISLE | 37 With Shantoura back in town, the two picked up right where they left off. But this time around, Nathan asked Shantoura on their first official date and, safe to say, the two haven’t looked back since. After a few more years of getting to know one another, Nathan finally popped the question in the comfort of their home and the wedding planning was officially set in motion! First on the couple’s to-do list was to find a venue and destination. Shantoura and Nathan had never stayed at a Sandals Resort prior to their wedding weekend, so the two leaned into advice from friends who had. “All of our friends who were advocates of the Sandals brand always spoke so highly of their experiences. It was referred from people we trusted in our friend circle,” recalls Shantoura. With their sights set on Sandals, Shantoura and Nathan had to further narrow down the decision to one of 17 Luxury Included® Resorts. “The harder decision was where do we go?” says Nathan. “Shantoura found two or three places. Barbados was one. Curaçao came up, and Saint Lucia. But she kept going back to Curaçao. When we looked up the island itself, we saw the beautiful architecture of the downtown and the bridge.” Located in the Southern Caribbean, Curaçao is rich in natural beauty and features desert landscapes with rocky coastlines carved along azure waters. The vibrant-colored city of Willemstad, the island’s capital, serves as an epicenter for Dutch, English, Latin American, Asian, and Afro-Caribbean cultures. A testament to the profound melting pot that is Curaçao, “I love you” is often heard across the island in four languages, including Curaçao’s native language, Papiamento, making this the perfect locale for a destination wedding. “For me, there was also curiosity in what they were developing through the Sandals brand,” says Shantoura. “Bringing development to that island is huge. I wanted to support that and I’m so glad we did.” Sandals Royal Curaçao is the brand’s newest resort, which brings the Sandals collection to a total of 17 Caribbean escapes. Featuring a variety of Sandals firsts, including a two-story infinity pool and eight brand-new restaurant concepts, Sandals Royal Curaçao offered Shantoura, Nathan, and their 12 wedding guests endless ways to revel in paradise. “Without much information on the resort at the time, we were sold on the brand and then the island. When we finally did get to see the resort, it did not disappoint,” says Nathan. Located in the Southern Caribbean, Curaçao is rich in natural beauty and features desert landscapes with rocky coastlines carved along azure waters.
