A sign of things to come?
I have been informed by my good wife that I didn't go into enough detail concerning our wedding in my previous post! Can you believe it, we aren't even married a week and I'm taking orders!
So, to keep "'er indoors" 'appy...
As you know, from reading this blog of course, Deborah and I got engaged last summer and decided to have our wedding ceremony as part of our travels. We chose Costa Rica so that it would be half way round our travels to give us a nice long honeymoon and also give Deborah the chance to come to her senses!! We also chose it for it's natural beauty and we were not disappointed!
It was a relatively small wedding with just a handful of guests coming out. We hired out a lovely hotel with 8 rooms on Playa Grande called Rip Jack Inn and we were so pleased that we chose them. Everyone there was so friendly and did an amazing job of keeping us happy. There were a few unsavoury characters (not just the North Americans) in our group, me included, so I have the utmost respect for their patience with us as a whole!!
We technically got married on the 16th but Deborah and I had always wanted the wedding to be a fun wedding and pretty chilled. So after a couple of relaxed days together we then started some pre-wedding activities on the Tuesday. We went on a lovely little snorkelling sunset cruise. Everyone seemed to have a great time and Dad seemed in his element when he took the helm for half an hour of incident free sailing!!
On the day of the wedding we split into two groups, the dangerous group and the not so dangerous group! I opted for a surfing lesson on some of the best and wildest surf on the Pacific coast off Playa Grande. The surfing was great even if I wasn't and everyone returned relatively unscathed apart from a bloody nose, a gashed foot, grazed knees, sore chests and some fresh sunburn!! Meanwhile, the dangerous group headed by Deborah had opted for crocodile wrestling in the local estuary!! Fortunately, everyone returned safely, Deborah even managing to come back with new shoes and a purse!
Then the big event! We (I) had been a bit worried about the weather for a sunset wedding as the first day we turned up there had been thunder storms and then perfect sunsets every night after that. I was convinced that mother nature was having a little joke at my expense. Fear not should I, for the weather that day was perfect. We had the ceremony on Playa Ventanas and the beach was deserted! If it had been the UK, it would be wall to wall people!
The setting was about 100 yards from the southern tip and Deborah had to walk along the beach to get to the ceremony. Deborah has always made an impressive entrance but she truly took my breath away as she walked along the beach. It still brings a lump to my throat to recall it!
We had selected our ceremony and vows a few months before so I'd forgotten a lot of them myself but it was a lovely ceremony if I do say myself. And so, at 5:30 pm on Wednesday April 16th, we were pronounced husband and wife!!
We then hired out a local restaurant for a lovely intimate meal, Deborah in the pursuit of great entrances even finding time to change outfits, and finished off the night my launching Thai Fire Lanterns over the Pacific Ocean. Another reason for having the wedding abroad was the draw of something different - I think we achieved that.
I've enjoyed my first week of married life, and again, saying so myself we make a great, now married, couple. On behalf of me, I wish myself all the happiness in the world that married life will bring me!!
So, to keep "'er indoors" 'appy...
As you know, from reading this blog of course, Deborah and I got engaged last summer and decided to have our wedding ceremony as part of our travels. We chose Costa Rica so that it would be half way round our travels to give us a nice long honeymoon and also give Deborah the chance to come to her senses!! We also chose it for it's natural beauty and we were not disappointed!
It was a relatively small wedding with just a handful of guests coming out. We hired out a lovely hotel with 8 rooms on Playa Grande called Rip Jack Inn and we were so pleased that we chose them. Everyone there was so friendly and did an amazing job of keeping us happy. There were a few unsavoury characters (not just the North Americans) in our group, me included, so I have the utmost respect for their patience with us as a whole!!
We technically got married on the 16th but Deborah and I had always wanted the wedding to be a fun wedding and pretty chilled. So after a couple of relaxed days together we then started some pre-wedding activities on the Tuesday. We went on a lovely little snorkelling sunset cruise. Everyone seemed to have a great time and Dad seemed in his element when he took the helm for half an hour of incident free sailing!!
On the day of the wedding we split into two groups, the dangerous group and the not so dangerous group! I opted for a surfing lesson on some of the best and wildest surf on the Pacific coast off Playa Grande. The surfing was great even if I wasn't and everyone returned relatively unscathed apart from a bloody nose, a gashed foot, grazed knees, sore chests and some fresh sunburn!! Meanwhile, the dangerous group headed by Deborah had opted for crocodile wrestling in the local estuary!! Fortunately, everyone returned safely, Deborah even managing to come back with new shoes and a purse!
Then the big event! We (I) had been a bit worried about the weather for a sunset wedding as the first day we turned up there had been thunder storms and then perfect sunsets every night after that. I was convinced that mother nature was having a little joke at my expense. Fear not should I, for the weather that day was perfect. We had the ceremony on Playa Ventanas and the beach was deserted! If it had been the UK, it would be wall to wall people!
The setting was about 100 yards from the southern tip and Deborah had to walk along the beach to get to the ceremony. Deborah has always made an impressive entrance but she truly took my breath away as she walked along the beach. It still brings a lump to my throat to recall it!
We had selected our ceremony and vows a few months before so I'd forgotten a lot of them myself but it was a lovely ceremony if I do say myself. And so, at 5:30 pm on Wednesday April 16th, we were pronounced husband and wife!!
We then hired out a local restaurant for a lovely intimate meal, Deborah in the pursuit of great entrances even finding time to change outfits, and finished off the night my launching Thai Fire Lanterns over the Pacific Ocean. Another reason for having the wedding abroad was the draw of something different - I think we achieved that.
I've enjoyed my first week of married life, and again, saying so myself we make a great, now married, couple. On behalf of me, I wish myself all the happiness in the world that married life will bring me!!
Hey guys!
The photos of your day look absolutely amazing. So glad it all went off without a hitch and that you had a great time.
All the best!
Posted by
Ben |
24 April 2008 06:19
Hmm, it's taken me a few months, but I'm glad I finally got to check out the infamous Ginger Surfer website!
So many comments, so little time! First of all, you big romantic - "hell's bells?" not "wedding belles???" Shame on you!
Secondly, I like that pic of you on the boat, sucking in your beer belly, nice one!
Thirdly, I think we all know the North American crew made the wedding even more fabulous. We do have a bad rep though we're not nearly as rowdy as those Brits - I have 3 words for you - UEFA Cup Final! That's it for now! Ciao! m x.
Posted by
Mavis |
15 May 2008 23:24