After three years of dating, Joshua asked me to marry him in the same place we met on a Virgin America flight between Las Vegas and San Francisco, where we both live. Joshua grew up vacationing on St. Martin with his family, and I joined them when we started dating, so the island has sentimental value to us both. We thought of having a big Napa Valley afair, but we realized we wanted to keep it intimate.
We knew the service at Belmond La Samanna, a beachfront resort on the French side of the island, would meet our expectations. Our 60 guests stayed at either La Samanna or Simpson Bay Resort & Marina, 10 minutes away. We welcomed family with dinner at Bamboo Bernie’s and Sky Bar on Thursday night and chartered a sunset catamaran cruise with Aqua Mania Adventures on Friday before a casual rehearsal dinner at Lee’s Roadside Grill. I used to be a wedding producer, so I planned everything with the help of the hotel’s planner, Stephanie Moritel.
I wanted the day to have a beach-meets-chic vibe all white with hints of blush, gold and glitter. We asked everyone to wear white to the June 20, 2015, ceremony on the resort’s oceanfront lawn. A lifelong family friend ociated the traditional Jewish service. After our first dance on the hotel’s terrace, we watched fireworks over the beach, then the celebration, DJed by Mr. Perfect, began. We wanted guests to remember the weekend as one big party with a wedding on the side. Kelly Richman, as told to Amy Cassell.
