Allison Stockton and Daniel Bailey first met at a mutual friend’s ugly sweater holiday party in December of 2015. Their initial interaction was brief, but there was an instant attraction that prompted Allison to find out more about her new acquaintance after the night was over. A few weeks later, they connected via Instagram and started chatting.
“By mid-January, we had agreed to a first date – on which my face hurt from continuously smiling and laughing,” Allison recalls. “I knew he was the one. From that first date forward, we were absolutely inseparable. We both work in the entertainment industry – he owns a radio production company, NoiseHouse, and I recently ventured to form my own PR firm, PressHouse – and share a lot of common interests, including a passion for music, fitness, the beach, travel and great food. We have a beautiful little boy named Basil, who was born in April 2018.”
“THE LOVE I FELT FOR MY INCREDIBLE HUSBAND IN THIS MOMENT IS INDESCRIBABLE.”
After reaching out to their wedding planner, Lucy Dyer of Mambo Weddings, Allison and Daniel began piecing together their dream destination wedding in Ibiza that would have a relaxed island vibe. The two had traveled to Ibiza during the summer of 2017 and spent a sunny day at Cala Gracioneta, where they fell in love with the food, service, and surrounding beauty. With the groom’s family coming from the UK and the bride’s family flying in from the states, a relaxed destination wedding in Ibiza would provide the ultimate holiday for everyone in attendance.
For Allison, one of the most memorable aspects of the wedding planning process was finding the perfect Galia Lahav wedding dress at the flagship store in Los Angeles.
“I had originally set out to find a form-fitting mermaid dress with illusion flower detail,” she explains, “but beyond that, I hadn’t a clue. The lovely associate I met with that day brought me an assortment of dresses in different styles to try on, along with a sip of champagne, of course! She told me many women enter the salon with a particular style in mind but leave with something they hadn’t even considered. She was right!
As soon as I tried on the Arabella gown, I knew it was the one for me. Featuring an A-line silhouette, the layered pink and ivory silk tulle dress is embellished with dainty flowers, sparkling crystals and pearlescent beads. It’s romantic, feminine, and with its plunging neckline, even a bit sexy. Plus, it had the gorgeous illusion floral sleeves I had been dreaming of. The dress was a fairytale. I felt like a princess.”
Since many of their wedding guests had never traveled to the isles of Spain, the couple loved using their destination wedding in Ibiza as a way to create a special experience and share their favorite aspects of the island. The wedding menu alone was a spectacular introduction to Spanish cuisine, as it featured tapas and family-style BBQ platters. Cream of melon shots were served with Iberian ham, along with padron peppers with spicy mayo, Cala Gracioneta’s famed pork ribs, salmon, chorizo, king prawns, and more.
Guests also enjoyed the bride and groom’s signature cocktails – a “Marry Me Margarita” with tequila, orange, rosemary sherbet and fresh lime, and the “Sweetheart Sangria” with Spanish cava. The couple’s semi-nude passionfruit curd and buttercream frosting wedding cake by Cupcake Collection Ibiza was adorned with fresh figs, blackberries and mandarin oranges; and Vovi Ibiza provided made-to-order cold plate artisanal ice cream for dessert.
“There were so many wonderful moments that I will forever hold dear to my heart,” the bride reflects. “Though, an absolute stand-out moment for me on our wedding day was our first dance. It was the first time the business of the day finally felt at ease. Nerves had settled. A break from greeting our amazing guests. It was just the two of us, holding each other closely, singing to one another. Soaking in everything over the past 3.5 years – pregnancy, engagement, a beautiful and healthy baby boy, his 1st birthday – that brought us to this place in time. The love I felt for my incredible husband in this moment is indescribable.”