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Rose sits a foot away from John in their living room near Jacksonville, Florida. They casually edge closer to each other as they talk about the life steps that have led them to this spot. Both were born and raised in the Philippines before their families moved to Maryland. They went to nursing school and met while working in the same hospital. And then their steps led to the top of a lighthouse.
“That’s where I proposed to her,” John says.
“We know we were meant to be together,” Rose says.

Each of their words is covered with gratitude. The love is obvious. They hold hands as their eyes pan from a vase filled with blue and pink sand from their wedding ceremony at Sandals Ochi to the pictures of the life step they can hardly believe.
“Every time we look at these pictures from Sandals, we hug,” John says. Sure enough, his arm squeezes Rose, who adds, “It’s like we can feel the magic all over again.”

The two of them share sentences as naturally as they share space on a sofa cushion. Still staring at the dreamy pictures, John begins to reset the scene of their Sandals wedding:
“It was twilight. The sun was setting over the ocean. We were standing in the overwater chapel.”

Rose continues: “Our family members and close friends were there, people we don’t see very often. They came all the way to Jamaica from California and Maryland …”
John: “… and Arizona and Florida. They wanted to be part of our special day, but honestly, they also came to enjoy their own vacations.”
Rose: “They were as happy as us to be there.” John smiles at Rose and squeezes her hand again. “The best time of our lives, and Sandals made it easy. We mean that — easy — from the beginning.”
After their top-of-the-lighthouse engagement, Rose and John talked about having a Caribbean wedding. Jamaica, specifically. They’d heard about the island’s warm culture. They’d seen photos of the ocean’s warm colors. And they read reviews about the warm people at Sandals. Every description of the hospitality made them reminisce about their Philippines home.

John: “There’s nothing more important to our families than hospitality.”
Rose: “Jamaica is known for hospitality, and for our guests it would be much more convenient than going overseas.”
John: “Less costly, too.”
Rose did harbor a few uncertainties. From a young age, she imagined what her wedding would someday be like. Beautiful. Joyful. Organized. She couldn’t quite picture the details of her wedding at Sandals from her home in Jacksonville.
Rose: “Neither of us had been to Jamaica.”
John: “She needed to see everything with her own eyes to ease her anxiety.”

Most couples-to-be face the same anxious bridge. It’s one thing to imagine a wedding, but quite another to see the location, to walk it, and to feel it. This is why Sandals offers a Test-Drive Your Wedding program to prospective wedding couples, which allows them to stand in different venues, talk with planners on site, and enjoy the destination as wedding guests would. Sandals Ochi seemed like the best fit for a Test-Drive because of the size of the property and the variety of suites, activities, and restaurants.
“As soon as we arrived at the resort, our imagination turned into reality,” John says.
He and Rose walked through jaw-dropping venues in a hillside garden, along the beach, and on a terrace.
“But,” Rose says, “when we walked into the overwater chapel …”
John: “… we looked at each other and said, ‘Yes, this is it.’”

They pictured their reception from the Sea Mist Bluff. They listened to the ocean from where their first dance would be. Everywhere they went, they met the friendliest, most genuine staff.
John: “The location spoke for itself …”
Rose: “… but the staff took it over the top. We knew they’d have everything under control.”
John: “The peace of mind lifted the huge weight from our shoulders.”
Fully relaxed, Rose and John spent most of their Test-Drive strolling on the beach, settling into the pools, enjoying live shows, and dancing in Jamaica’s only speakeasy.
John: “We couldn’t wait to do it all with our family and friends.”
Rose: “I started to get really excited about our wedding.”

Four months later, Rose and John arrived again at Sandals Ochi, this time for the real thing. Their wedding guests checked into villas in the lush mountain foothills and into suites along the beach.
Rose: “We told everyone they were free to do whatever they wanted. Go snorkeling or diving.”
John: “Go to Dunn’s River Falls or sit by the pool ...”
Rose: “… or sit on the beach. We all came together for a rum and game night and for a dinner reception.”
John: “But other than that, we said, ‘Go have fun. You don’t have to be stuck with us.’”
Rose: “Not until the wedding ceremony.”
Instead of feeling responsible for the happiness of their guests, Rose and John were free to fully enjoy every moment.
Rose: “The staff took care of everything so we didn’t even have to think about it. They treated us like a king and queen.”
John: “Our butler even made sure we ate on the day of our wedding.”

Late that afternoon, John stepped into the chapel. He stood with the sea behind him and the most special people in his life in front of him, waiting for the most special person of all. The moment is all very clear to John, and to Rose.
John: “I watched for her to come down the aisle for probably thirty seconds, but it seemed like five minutes. Then the music played.”
Rose: “It had rained earlier that day out on the ocean, so the sunset was golden.”
John: “Just when it seemed like nothing could be more beautiful … there she was. My bride.”

As they retell their wedding story, they squeeze hands, as if reminding each other that it really happened. The celebration at Sandals Ochi continued deep into the night and through the weekend. There was a catamaran cruise, a party on the beach, more vibing and more dancing.

“People didn’t want to leave,” says John.
“We didn’t want them to leave,” says Rose. “Friends have told us how their own weddings came and went too fast, like a blur. No one says that about our wedding at Sandals. It was just like I always imagined it — beautiful, joyful, and organized.”
“We look at those pictures,” John says in mid-hug, “and we feel it all over again.”

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