Snapshots from several of these events stood in a loose pile at the bar by the pool. Then we saw the view from the tile porch attached to our room, and the seed of an idea began to take shape: instead of us going to city hall to meet John, (the major), would John come to us? Lisa lunged for the phone. John, always agreeable, said yes without hesitation.

Another phone call to Dimitri at the front desk secured a bouquet of yellow roses and matching lapel pin. Hotel employees treat you kindly when you elope.
It's one of the perks...



...A rap on the door revealed John, briefcase in tow, now dressed in a sharp suit and wraparound shades. We recruited a hotel employee to serve the dual role of witness and photographer, rearranged the chairs on our deck to maximize our backdrop, and got married.

The ceremony was short and literally sweet - his prepared vows were specially touching. John was a pro; though he'd performed this ritual many times before, nothing felt perfunctory. A small crowd of fellow hotelguests, who gathered by the pool to view our ceremony from below, erupted in applause when we kissed...
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