got no trouble today

Where to start? St. Thomas was incredibly gorgeous. The steep hills (and narrow roads) made for some nerve-wracking driving but also amazing cliff side views. We decided to stay at this B&B instead of a big resort and that was completely the right decision. It was such a charming and peaceful place, with yummy breakfasts and we had the sweetest little room and we got so much help from our hostess. Four of our friends were staying next door, which was great. We flew in a few days before the wedding and we took care of wedding related business but also hung out with guests and ended the night before the wedding with our feet in the pool next door, drinking rum and smoking cigars, with stars twinkling o’erhead.

The Husband had a little too much to drink and felt a little urpy the next morning. And we discovered that he had forgotten to bring the shirt for his suit. But he eventually stopped feeling sick and we walked downtown to a Tommy Hilfiger outlet (thank you, rampant commercialism) and got him a replacement shirt. And after that, everything truly went without a single hitch. They always say something or things will go wrong on your wedding day and you just have to roll with it, but after a tiny hiccup, things were perfect.

It was tremendously hot on the beach but I was happy to have sunshine and blue skies and a minimal amount of people around. And some people have said their ceremonies went by in a blur and they hardly remember anything about it but it was so easy to be in the moment and my memories – of the sun on my face, the sand and petals beneath my feet, and the sound of the Husband’s voice – are very vivid. Our wonderful officiant and dear friend Miss A did such a great job with the ceremony. She worked with us painstakingly to perfect and personalize the ceremony. It was romantic and emotional and periodically broken up with laughter, which is how it should be.

The photographer, videographer, officiant, and hair/makeup stylist were all friends, meaning we had an absolute minimum of strangers involved in our day, which was wonderful.

The reception villa was beautiful beyond our dreams. We had our cocktail hour by the pool, which had a breathtaking view of the harbor and the villa is surrounded by lush gardens, complete with singing frogs and hermit crabs creeping across the sidewalk. The food was delicious, the guests enjoyed themselves, and it was an evening of perfect happiness.

Pictures are up here. The pictures turned out wonderfully, as we knew they would when we asked our friend Sam to be our photog - warm and natural and perfectly capturing the spirit of the day.