Wedding Week at the Windjammer

Question:

What do you get when you combine 25 fun-loving friends and family, an incredible resort on St. Lucia, fabulous weather, a beach wedding and a few pirates tossed in for good measure?

Answer:

A week with memories to last a lifetime.

We all had the same goal. Be on the beach to offer our love and support to Brad and Anette as they said their vows to begin their married life together. But along the way, we had a blast doing everything from ziplining (I swear....... the most fun you can have with your clothes on) to sailing, to jumping on the water trampoline.....and oh, yeah....sipping cocktails while watching the sun set from the deck of our beautiful villa that we shared with Brad and Anette, Brian and Margrethe, and Colin, Karen and Cooper.

When the wedding day arrived on May 24th, (here on in referred to as "the happiest day of my life") the fun just continued. Roger and Brad went sailing for a couple of hours and they had a great time. Then, Brad and I went for a leisurely swim in our villa's pool --- none of the last minute panic that seem to plague many weddings!

Below: Because Brad and Anette were legally married in Edmonton (to avoid finding out 10 years from now that marriages in St. Lucia were not valid....) Brad's Godfather, Colin, was the "Preacher" and did an amazing job of putting thoughts and feelings into words. He managed to have us in stitches with laughter, while ensuring kleenexes were pulled out at the appropriate moment. His son, Cooper, was the "Ring Barrier" and fulfilled his job responsibilities to a T. Anette's brother, Andre, was her "best person" and jazz soloist. He played his trumpet while Anette's parents walked her down the aisle. What a special scene that was.

Roger was Brad's best man. An honour that took Roger by surprise when Brad asked him last summer - and one that meant the world to him.

There was no mistaking the love for each other in Brad and Anette's eyes. As Brad's Auntie Karen told Cooper, "You see how happy they are? THAT'S what you look for when deciding whether or not to get married".

Below: After the ceremony, we all walked down the beach and boarded a private catamaran for a 2 hour sunset cruise. Patches turned even our youngest guest, Oscar, into a pirate! Roger's Dad, John, has never been keen about the water, but he was a great sport and even ventured out onto the bow. He is seen in the picture below that I like to call "John in the John".

The sunset was incredible, made even more so by Andre playing a special song that he wrote for Anette.

After the cruise, the final phase of wedding day took place at our villa where more food, more drinks, and a beautiful cake were served.

Some people don't understand why I called this the happiest day of my life.

Why not the day Roger and I got married? Why not the day Brad was born? Why not the day we found out that Brad's post cancer test results came back clear? Because all three events melded into May 24, 2007. The happiest day of my life.