My best friend Angela Manrique, her husband Vincent, and their two children live there, and I try to visit at least every year or two. Dan and I had already planned a vacation to St. Martin to ring in the New Year with Angela and her family. My friends Brad and Dale (from New York City) were planning to visit at the same time, so we were looking forward to a wonderful vacation on the island with our dear friends.

Then Dan surprised me with a romantic wedding proposal on December 13th, my 33rd birthday. What a present! Of course I said yes. And then, an inspirational idea...let's turn our upcoming vacation in St. Martin into a wedding! But it was only two weeks away, could we pull it off in time?

With so much to do and so little time, it seemed iffy. But Dan and I both wanted a very simple wedding with no stress. We wanted to focus on each other on our special day, not worry about seating arrangements, caterers, rented tuxes, and going into debt to pay for it all. Ick. Not our style at all.

We had a few near-disasters beforehand, and the legal status of the wedding itself was in doubt (due to my birth certificate being lost in transit), but we decided to go ahead at the last minute and hold our wedding as planned. If we had to re-do it for legal reasons later on, so be it. But at least we would have a day for our own memories.

It turned out to be just perfect. Angela and I picked up some lovely chocolate and raspberry cakes from the local French patisserie that morning, and the local cave was having a sale on the most delicious champagne. I had found exactly what I wanted to wear (in a miraculous turn of events) shortly before the wedding. We didn't have a wedding band for me, but my engagement ring is lovely, and filled the role nicely. The day was lovely, the water was warm, we were happy and in love. Who could ask for more?

Dan and I agree that we had the most perfect wedding possible. And luckily, it turned out to be legal too! We got the official license in the mail two months later. Things happen slowly on islands, you know ;-)

Enjoy the photos!
Laura and Dan