Amanda Young & James Morgan
Our Story
Jim and I met through mutual friends back in 2001. We had chatted over the phone and online a couple of times and had our first date on February 17th, valentine's day weekend. He took me to Ruby Tuesdays and we watched "The Whole Nine Yards" back in my dorm room with my roommate. I had injured my ankle earlier that week so we were really limited on options. Glad he kept the date :-)
Jim graduated from Hopkins in May of that year. This relationship was not supposed to be serious. After graduation he was to move to Fairfax, VA and at that time I didn't even have my license to drive. However that obviously did not happen. Jim first said I love you at his fraternity's formal and I realized at that moment that I had fallen in love with him as well.
Over the next 8 years we went through a lot of joys and hardships. Jim did not move to Fairfax which allowed us to stay together while I finished getting my undergraduate degree. I was accepted into ISU's college of vet med in 2003. The four years I was away was by far the most difficult and really tested the strength of our relationship. At best we saw each other every 3 months for maybe a weekend. Not only did we have to survive the distance (approx 1000 miles) but we also had to deal with my strenuous class schedule and Jim had his own job and life back in Baltimore. We survived and our journey back to Baltimore when I finally moved out of Iowa remains one of my favorite memories. We sang the Pretenders "500 miles" when we crossed the Iowa border.
Jim proposed while we were on a cruise to Bermuda on October 28th, 2008. We had had a busy day sight seeing and were starting the voyage back to Baltimore. After dinner we were walking around waiting for a comedy that did not start until 11pm. We won $1.25 on the slot machines then went up to the top deck. It was unbelievably windy and we were just having fun with "King of the World" comments at the head of the ship. No one was around, I think we were the only people on the deck at that time. We each layed down on a deck chair and out of NOWHERE, Jim got down on one knee and asked if I would spend the rest of my life with him. I immediately started crying and said yes.
Our Wedding
Jim and I both wanted to have a very non-traditional wedding. We had both been to very formal weddings that seemed to be more about tradition than the actual couple and their love for one another. Both of us love the beach and knew we wanted to be outdoors, with just our close friends and family by our sides. We thought that it would be nice to have it at sunset but didn't think it could actually happen.
We found Secrets more by accident than anything. We had visited an all-inclusive resort in the past and really liked the convenience of the experience. We were almost settled on the Bahamas however after some exhausting internet research, I discovered Trip Advisor and message after message about how great Secrets was for their wedding. I did MORE research and after many, many hours, decided that Secrets Capri would be the best match for our wedding. I have friends who had personally visited Playa del Carmen and really liked the beach and the town in general, reaffirming my choice.
Our wedding colors are light pink and champagne, the flowers are primarily stargazer lillies and white roses. The bridesmaids are the bride's and groom's sisters--Laura (MOH), Elizabeth and Rebecca. Jim's best man is his cousin Joe. We will be participating in a sand ceremony instead of lighting unity candles due to potential fire hazards of an outdoor beach wedding.
The wedding is to be held on the beach at 4:00 pm. This is a relaxed ceremony however the bride is wearing a formal dress and the groom is wearing his tux. Formal attire is not required. GUESTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO STAY AT SECRETS CAPRI TO ATTEND THE WEDDING.
Our Reception
We will be holding a reception immediately after the ceremony beach side, shoes will be required. Again, you do not need to be a guest of the resort in order to attend. The menu is available online, please alert Jim or myself if you have any dietary concerns.
Travel Arrangements
For those hesitating due to the Swine Flu, please read Secrets flu-free guarantee. There have been NO REPORTED CASES at the resort at this time.
Please let us know where you are staying and the length of your stay as soon as you make the arrangements. Guests are responsible for booking and covering the costs of travel and hotel arrangements. We encourage you to consider Secrets Capri simply due to the simplicity of an all inclusive resorts. All meals, beverages (alcoholic included) and many activities and services are covered through the resort.
The wedding and the reception are both on Friday the 20th. Jim and I will be arriving on Monday the 16th and staying until Monday the 23rd. Feel free to stay as long as you wish however remember that it will be in November--while it will be sunny in Mexico, it will most likely be cold if not potentially snowing in various parts of the US. Please plan accordingly. If you book to arrive on Friday morning, then your flight is delayed due to weather, you will miss the ceremony. Besides the wedding itself, this will be a wonderful experience to be on the BEACH when everyone else is bundled up for winter.
A Special Message From Us
Thank you so much for being a part of our special day. We want to have FUN at our wedding and look forward to celebrating with you.
We encourage you to consider this registry for gifts. You are not required to use this service. We just thought this was a great way for everyone to participate in giving us truly a dream wedding and honeymoon. We tried to vary the prices but again, you are under no obligation.
The only thing we want is for our loved ones to be there for us on what is sure to be one of the greatest days of our lives. We are truly grateful that you are willing to travel to Mexico to celebrate with us.