Our Wedding Story

Prelude

How did we end up going to Puerto Rico and getting married? In September we decided we needed a “go somewhere and relax trip.” Stacey had struggled with ringing and pain in her ears for the better part of summer and for all of the fall. We preferred someplace warm and beachy, and decided on Puerto Rico. 

Thanksgiving was a perfect time, as it’s easier to get away around a holiday and it allowed us to have a few extra days. Initially we were going for Thanksgiving, then Stacey’s birthday (Nov 28th) and staying through Jim’s birthday (Dec 3rd) - how could we be in paradise for Stacey’s birthday and not Jim’s? 

We booked an Airbnb in Orocovis for the first two nights, moved to the Wyndham Resort for 7 days (thank you Connie 4/16!!!) and ended the trip in another Airbnb on the island of Vieques so we could see the bioluminescent algae (amazing!!! and worth the very tiny plane we took on the way home). 

We’ve known we wanted to get married and a large wedding wasn’t something we wanted. We’re pushing 50 (although Jim would remind you we look very, very young for our age), and to us being married is what’s important, not so much the event itself. So somewhere along the way of planning the trip we decided we’d get married, too. 

Preparation

In less than two months we found a super great officiant, a vegan cake baker (DID YOU SEE OUR PINK CAT CAKE?), a florist, a driver, an outfit, two rings, and each a new pair of Fluevogs (thanks Shannon, sorry we couldn’t tell you what we were really buying them for). 

Since Stacey does printing for a living, it was important to her that we have a fantastic announcement to surprise our loved ones with (thanks Meridith for being the only employee we trusted to let in on the secret, and for your help in doing the massive amount of work that announcement took). 

Jim really wanted good photos that we could share with everyone. After an exhaustive search there were no wedding photographers in Puerto Rico that felt like they’d capture the spirit of us. We aren’t the type to stand on a beach and make kissy faces at one another. That’s when we placed the call to Heather and John. Heather and Stacey have been the friends for 25+ years, and she’s also a great photographer. We made the call and they were in (with a month’s notice, thank you Heather and John!!!).

The Big Day

Puerto Rico is known for its amazing beaches and gorgeous waterfalls. While we appreciate all of those things, in our minds the ideal location / setting for our wedding was something urban with some street art.

Stacey and Heather started the day at the spa getting their nails done while Jim and John headed into Santurce (where the elusive street art was). Jim had posted on Reddit the night before asking where we might be able to find some street art. Jim and John parked the car at the suggested coordinates and started walking. 

Jim would text Stacey pictures periodically showing her their findings. Then they turned a corner and saw a magnificently cute bar, the Normandito (which had yet to open for the day), and just across the street was some good street art. They could be on to something! A woman was on the steps of the building with good street art, and they started talking with her. Her name was Wasabi “because she’s spicy." Turns out this dream location was a youth hostel and, as a surprise bonus, there was a private roof deck with a great view of the city. This was it, and Stacey confirmed it! Upon seeing pictures, Stacey told Jim, “That’s perfect, now come back and get dressed.”

The driver picked up the flowers and the cake (thanks Cristian!) and headed to the resort to pick up the four of us. We texted Tim (the officiant) the address, and Jim negotiated the price to rent the steps and the rooftop of the hostel on the ride there.

Just as the ceremony was starting, the Normandito opened and its regulars started showing up. We held the ceremony on the front landing of the hostel, and every now and then we were interrupted by a guest of the hostel who needed to walk past. Our ceremony was short and perfect, Jim had a large part in writing it. Just as we finished and kissed there was a large cheer. Unbeknownst to us, the regulars from the Normandito had all come out to witness. It was a really special moment and we couldn’t have planned it if we tried.

We then went up to the roof where we toasted the occasion with a bottle of 15 year Whistle Pig whiskey and admired the PINK CAT CAKE. We also made some very shocking calls to a few family members & loved ones.

As the sun was starting to set, we wanted to share the whiskey with the patrons of the bar downstairs so we headed that way. They toasted and congratulated us. Then we headed a block and a half to the food truck park. The second food truck that Stacey walked up to happened to serve all vegan cuisine. We ordered an assortment of vegan entrees and gave the owner the last sip of the Whistle Pig to enjoy at the end of his shift.

We had one last drink at the Normandito before heading back to the resort where we cut into the PINK CAT CAKE and then went out to dip our feet in the ocean.

The whole night was magical, the weather was fantastic, Heather and John kept telling us how cute were were, the people we met were so friendly and congratulated us, and we felt so loved, in love, and happy. We loved how the day just came together. While we had planned for the day quite a bit, it wasn’t all scripted and mapped-out. We left room for serendipity, and it turned-out perfect.

A Big Day, Part Of A Great Trip

We’ve heard that a person’s wedding day is often the best day of their lives, and while we don’t want to quantify something that way, this one ranks high up there. The whole trip was magical and we did so many amazing things. We walked in the rain forest, we swam in swimming holes, we drove on really narrow curvy roads in the mountains and saw breathtaking views, we walked around Old San Juan, we flew a kite, we went to a black sand beach, we went to a beach known for sea glass, we went to a rum distillery, we rented a golf cart and saw wild horses roam, we kayaked in a protected bay with some of the world’s best bioluminescent algae, we celebrated Thanksgiving and both of our birthdays, AND we got married.

We feel so blessed to have found one another and to have the love and support from our friends and family. All the texts and calls of congratulations trickled in at different times as people got the announcement in the mail. As a result of that, it has felt like the marriage celebrating just kept continuing. We promise there will be a big-ass party at some point because we do want to celebrate with everyone!!!