Noemi + Edgardo | March 2023
“That was perfect!”
Forget everything you think you know about weddings and imagine two people standing by the side of the road, in the drizzle, just overcome with love for each other.
Then imagine the bride didn’t know it was happening…until it happened.
All photography by absolute star Amy Lou Photography
To mark the 10th anniversary of the day they met, and with a holiday to the UK planned, Puerto Rican-based groom Edgardo got in contact with me to see if I could be the celebrant for a surprise wedding ceremony for his fiancée, Noemi.
I said, yes (obviously…you’ve just seen the photos) but I was anxious. The planning was out of my control, I didn’t know if the bride would be game.
Edgardo wraps a shawl from Noemi’s late mother, Nilda, around their hands to symbolise her presence
Plenty of factors changed and moved, even up until the night before, even the location (the ceremony had been planned for Alnwick Garden). Instead, fresh off their holiday tour bus, we ended up in a lay-by with Alnwick Castle in the background, and the rest of the holiday-makers watching on, mesmerised. But, ultimately, I’ll say this: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier face than Noemi’s when she realised what her man had secretly planned. Her joy was palpable. And her sense of adventure is admirable!
“Sarah provided me and my wife the most thrilling and beautiful experience of our lives. She worked with me through all means necessary to make this surprise an unforgettable experience.”
I know there’ll be plenty of us who couldn’t bear the thought of a surprise wedding, and who wouldn’t want to give up control of the planning, but I will never forget the real, raw love that was present at this ceremony.