The "A Provo Beach Wedding" Story

Work crew putting the finishing touches to the beach gazebo.

It was an ordinary day.  That was until I saw the work crew at the Ocean Club Resort, with the blue shirts reading STAFF, delivering lumber to the beach along Grace Bay in Provendenciales.  There had been talk of a wedding taking place on one of the world's most beautiful beaches and this confirms it.  

Two young women added the finishing touches.

Wasn't long before the STAFF had the beach gazebo finished and two young women began spreading vines and flowers over it.  I gathered my camera and walked toward the action when I came upon a fellow my age wearing a black Viet Nam baseball hat and asked if he knew anything about the wedding.  His name was Al and he was from California and it was his niece getting married today.  The bride was from San Francisco and the groom from Los Angeles and Al was going to perform the wedding ceremony for them.  We had a nice conversation and I asked if he would mind if I take photos of the wedding.  Told me he would give me his email address so I could send some of photos to him.  Before long the beach gazebo looked amazing, chairs had been moved into place on the sand and the sand had been raked smooth.  

The wedding guests await the Bride.

The sky was overcast the majority of the day with several threatening black clouds passing by, but by 4:30, a half hour before the wedding, the clouds parted and the sun broke through.  I arrived with my camera about fifteen minutes early and caught some of the early arrivers.  

The Bride arrives with Father as her escort.

Shortly the groom arrived with family and the wedding photogra- phers began taking photos.  The bride arrived about fifteen minutes late, but looked beautiful on the arm of her father as they walked behind the flower girl from the resort's beach restaurant toward the flowered covered gazebo.  Rev. Al began the ceremony and in about 15 minutes had pronounced them man and wife and gave them permission for the wedding kiss.  

Reverend Al performs the ceremony.

The gathering of about 40 cheered and applauded the new bride and groom as the photographer gathered them along the water for photographs.  I snapped my final photo and headed back toward my room.  This was the third wedding I have had the chance to photograph since beginning to travel in the Caribbean in 2001. My wife Carol, along with friends Jerry and Just Sue, had the honor of attending the wedding of a young couple in St. Croix in the early 2000s.  We met them on the beach earlier in the day and they said they had no one to stand up for them at their wedding and asked if the four of us would do that for them.  Had a great time taking photos and enjoying the wedding and small reception on the beach.  A few years later, while on the island of Jamaica, the four of us were relaxing on the beach when a young couple walked by in their wedding gown and tux, walked to the water's edge where they met a minister and were married.  The entire beach crowd got to be witness to their wedding and when it was over they waved and left.  Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience today and must find Al tomorrow and get his email address to send him a few of the photos I took.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Rev. Al presents the newlyweds to the guests.

The Bride and Groom.