Will you marry me? Claro....of course!

The bride and groom...

We have been looking for some time for the right place for our wedding celebrataion. We chose Juan Griego on the Isla Margarita for its Caribbean fishing village charm, friendly people, and because it houses La Mamma's, one of our favorite restaurants. We talked our friends Ashley, Stephen and Bob into sailing down from the Virgins, and that cinched the deal. We stayed at the Los Tucanes Posada (above) while we waited for our friends to arrive.

La Mamma's is a lovely restaurant on the beach in Juan Griego with a view of the most beautiful sunset in the Caribbean. With his food, wine, music, and tropical setting, owner Pasquale promised a Bacchanalia supremo!

Maria, Pasquale's assistant. decorated the restaurant in yellow and white in our honor.

We sat with the Profectura and her secretary who performed the ceremony. In the background is one of the many fishing boats that grace the harbor.

A ring for Judy...

...and a ring for John.

And of course, a kiss for both.

Pasquale told John that In Venezuela, it is traditional to release two doves as the grand finale of the ceremony. I thought the ball contained confetti or candy, like a piñata, so I was overcome with tears of surprise and joy as the birds flew to their freedom.

I understand that it is good luck if a bird drops a load on you, so John should have a very lucky life.....yep, they did....right on his pants.

Bob, Ashley, and Stephen signed as witnesses as the Profectura and her secretary look on.

It's done and legal....congratulations and well wishes from the Profectura. Thomas, our pearl vendor friend and his son Mario look on. Later, he has some perfect pearls for both Ashley and me.

A toast...

... a sip...

...and some private words...

We bought our rings in Cusco, Peru, and exchanged them the first time as we sat on a cliff overlooking Machu Picchu and the river valley. (You can never have too many celebrations of a good thing!)

The sunset was a bit hazy, but beautiful nonetheless. In the background to the left is Saviona, the good ship that brought our friends to Venezuela.

A few minutes after this picture was taken, the sky was pink and red.....a sailor's delight.

Bob, John, Judy, Stephen....

The band played typical Venezuelan music while we danced, dined and caught up on several years of cruising stories.

The first dance to "Besame Mucho".

The friends cut in....

This speaks for itself, no?

We were so happy to have Bob with us...

...and of course, Ashley and Stephen too. How could we have this celebration without them?

Karla, our waitron, serving the lomito (tenderloin in pepper sauce).

We got so busy eating that we forgot to take pictures of the feast....carpaccio de lomito, camarones de mariposa and brochettes for antipasti, fettucine carbonara, then the lomito above with potatoes in garlic, and finally, ensalata of avocado and tomatoes. You get the idea....

Then there was the cake....our first team project as a married couple...

Success!

A cigar, espresso with a shot of rum, and then good nights...