LesleyAnne

Hi, everybody! I have not been on this website in a while! My husband proposed to me on the beach on a starlight night with a full moon on 9/13/08 I fell to the sand as a small wave washed up and yelled yes! We looked southward a few minutes later, and there were fireworks. He said that he had ordered them for me! Ha! He had bought my ring in NYC after visiting the WTC site on 9/11/08 earlier that day. He is a professional firefighter of 17 years in New Brunswick, NJ. After being widowed in 2006, this man truly rescued me from sadness and grief. We live happily in Point Pleasant, NJ, and were married on 4/7/09 at Secrets Maroma and at Point Pleasant on the Manasquan River on 5/1/09 legally. I love this man so much! He is a big teddy bear of a guy with a heart of gold. Some day I will get around to posting my pictures. I never thought I could find love again, but I did!

My husband of 21 years had passed away from brain cancer, and I was devastated. I decided after 18 months of caring for him, and making it through a huge funeral that I was going to travel and date casually. I needed to find myself again. For the first time since I was 17, I was not looking for love at all. I went on a dating web site, and my arranged to meet Jeff at a nice restaurant near my house. He pulled up in his 1988 black Mercedes with screechy brakes, hopped out with the cutest smile on his face, and handed me a bouquet of flowers. I saw that dimple in his left cheek, and within 15 seconds I was almost in love. During dinner I sat on his left side, and the dimple worked its magic, and I was totally in love. It was love at first sight. I fought it for months, then I finally confessed one night that I loved his dimple...I mean him. He fell in love with me a little more slowly. Ironic that he was looking for love after being divorced for 2 years, and I was running away from it, and I was the one that fell first.

Congrats! Cecilia handled our symbolic ceremony with grace and calmness. She knows what she is doing, but remains so calm that you may not believe it. Where are you getting married? We did it on the beach! It was spectacular! We had our dinner under a full moon at the French restaurant! WOW! A perfect day! We have our legal cermony in Point Pleasant, NJ on May 1st with family. We never expected a second cermony so formally, but family saw our Mexico pics and wanted to be at the legal one. Have fun! You will love Secrets Maroma!!!!

We flew Continental to Cancun to be married in Secrets Maroma. I folded my Jessie McClintock gown into my carry on. I would not let my dress leave my sight. Everything can be bought in Mexico, etc. except the gown you searched for everywhere, so guard it with your life! HA! My wedding package included pressing of my gown. It looked perfect on the big day! So I guess it depends how big your gown is. Good luck! P.S.-Continental is very accomodating in all kinds of ways since I have been flying with them for years. Just call ahead!

We Ijust got back from our symbolic ceremony which was fabulous at Secrets Maroma. I will post pics, etc. later this month. Our parents were a little upset when they saw pics, so our legal ceremony on May 1 will be another beach ceremony at the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, NJ by the mayor of Manasquan who loves to marry people. Parents and sibblings will be there then dinner at a local restaurant. So.....in the end we are having the wedding we should have had from the start. However, our Mexico wedding will always be our special one.

When you see it, you know it! You needed to go on line, quietly by yourself, and decide, which is exactly what you did! Congrats! The second one is exquisite! The one for the actual destination wedding is just beautiful! You only get to be a princess bride once, so I like that you picked the first one for the wedding. I will be a bride for the third time (divorce, widow) and finally found a Jessie McClintock that is the real me. It was fun trying on those 100 dresses, though, wasn't it? I just love wedding gowns and anything that has to do with wedding fabrics. I tried on about 20 outrageous dresses just for the fun of it myself! I loved this thread and all the comments. Keep us updated!

Congratulations! I have a similar story. I was married almost 20 years when my husband was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioma. He lived for 18 months. He was 58 when he passed on August 23, 2006. I was 51. I cared for him at home, taught middle school English full time, and was also devastated. It is an awful illness. My Billy was a scuba diver, expert skier, fabulous woodworker, and a volunteer firefighter for 40 years! I cried for 2 months straight, then heard his voice telling me to get on with it girl. I went on line and met a prof. firefighter 7 years younger than me who had almost given up on love after a sad divorce. We get married on April 7 at Secrets Maroma. So.....I feel your pain, but I also feel your great joy of finding love again. The best to you and your new love, and your first husband will always be your guardian angel.

If you can't find anything on line, I found at least 20 possible earrings at Macy's today! I thought my fiance might want some input, so I did not buy anything. He loves to shop for me.Anyway, try the big department store jewelry areas. Prices are $20.00 up to about $100.00 for some nice stuff. You can return it more easily if the store is close by. Good luck!

Oh, yes that is a problem for me, too! We are marrying legallyin NJ in March or April, so I ask myself, "What do I wear for that?? I guess we'll know when we see it.

I went crazy trying to find a dress under $500 for my beach wedding at Secrets Maroma. I am a young 53 year-old, and can proudly still wear my bikinis because of good genes and the gym! LOL All I could find was mother of the bride dresses. Finally, I found a bunch of beautiful and not that expensive dresses for destination weddings on line at Alfred Angelo, Dessy (Sandals), and Jessica McClintock. I ordered my Jessica McClintock gown #52835-Sabrina vintage looking gown for $325.00 from a JM boutique in NJ. I had it in 5 days and it fit perfectly. This is my third marriage (divorce, widowed) and I had a vow renewal in 2000 in Jamaica, so needless to say, I have seen it all. Good luck, and here's a hint. Choose something dressier than you imagine yourself in. Pictures last a lifetime!!! Lesley

Thanks for the support! I am a middle school English teacher, so I am used to pulling things together quickly, but my desire to make everything perfect is kicking in. Jeff and I just feel like we are walking around in circles not knowing what to tackle first, so we decided to keep it as simple as possible: on the beach, sunset, and just the two of us. Family party will occur this summer at our new house by the seashore in New Jersey. I'll have more time to plan that part later. Phew! I feel better already! Off to my planning after I research around on this site a bit more.

I renewed my vows for my 15th Anniversary at Sandals Royal Caribbean in 2000. It was beautiful! We did it in a Greek type gazebo out over the water. The pictures were spectacular and the attention they gave us was wonderful! It was the wedding we should have had back in 1985. I wish you luck. Which resort are you going to?

Well, here I go again! My husband of 21 years passed away in 2006. I was destroyed! One of my good teacher friends convinced me to try on-line dating, and my second date is now my wonderful fiance. He is a professional firefighter, fisherman, and the sunshine in my life. We love the beach and have traveled to many islands in the Caribbean, so we picked Secrets Maroma for our April 6-9 (not locked in yet!) wedding date. I bought a Jessica McClintock dress, but am having a little bit of a meltdown because the date is quickly approaching. Lesley