If you ask me, the "former"Jacob is like most men out there, including myself....practical. We're also caring, thoughtful, and always accused of being unromantic. I wanna speak to the men here for a second. Did you know that the word romantic can be defined as being impractical, unrealistic, or even imaginary or fictitious? Does this mean I can describe my woman as getting romantic with my wallet every weekend? But we men know that women define the term "romantic" by an entirely different set of rules. To them, "romantic" means doing things to and for them, that would make their heart flutter. Am I right?

Now a woman can view a man as being romantic when he least knows it. It can range anywhere from running in the pouring rain to get her car, to showing up to her work with flowers for lunch, to a private sunset dinner on the beach, to...a surprise wedding?

That's what Jacob had in mind when he called me.

"Steve", he told me. "I wanna surprise my girlfriend... with a wedding!"

When I heard this, the bad sirens were already going off in my head. Out of all the ways to get on the bad side of a woman, surprising her with a wedding was one of them.

Jacob clarified, "She thinks I want to get married in a courthouse, but I want to surprise her with a wedding on the beach."

"I see...", I said like a mad scientist

I quickly thought up of a clever plan to pull this surprise off. Predicting that all women would not want to attend their own wedding unless they were dressed for the occasion, we had to think of a great cover so Emily would show up in wedding attire. The photo shoot, that was the perfect cover.

So the trap was set, and the surprise wedding was on. Emily was the only one who didn't know what was happening. And she also didn't know that Jacob's mother and her mother, would also be there to witness. To her, Jacob was just being his normal, practical, unromantic self, who was trying his best. At this point, Emily thought Jacob had booked a photographer to take pictures at a beach, and then they were off to get married at the courthouse without her parents. Pure unromantic Jacob...as always....

As planned, Jacob and Emily arrived (a little late though) and I quickly took them to different portions of the beach for photos. I did this not only to take great photos, but to also conceal Pastor Stan's and the mothers hiding spot that was behind a tree not very far away. I slowly inched my way down the shoreline while snapping photos, making sure Emily would not look towards the trees. Then, when my unknowing bride was close enough to her mothers-in-hiding, I had Jacob and Emily face the ocean for a "looking out to the ocean" shot.

I told Emily, that whatever she did, it was important that she did not look around or else she would ruin the shot.

Of course, that was all a lie.

On my signal, Pastor Stan Ponz walked up from behind me and whispered a new plan into my ear. He had a great way to introduce the mothers. I agreed. He then snuck himself around Jacob and Emily, and broke the news to her.

"Hi, I'm Pastor Stan Ponz and I am a minister here in the State of Hawaii. I realize that you thought you were going to get married in a courthouse, but Jacob here, wanted to surprise you with a wedding on the beach...", Stan said with confidence.

Emily, began to cry.

He continued. "Now I just want you two to keep looking at each other because this is truly your moment. But before I begin, I would like to ask...who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"WE DO!" yelled Emily and Jacob's mothers!

Emily, already in tears, swung her head around, saw her mother. She could not believe it.

The wedding service, as you could imagined, went perfect. Stan performed a perfect Christian ceremony for this couple. This happily married couple met while on a mission trip, and soon after, fell in love for each other.

This was truly a special wedding. It was a cheaper wedding for me as Jacob only bought the patriot package, but that didn't stop me from doing my best. I just wish he had purchased the ceremony package because I wish there were a video to document all of this. It was really cool.

So I just want to know now if Emily still considers Jacob, Mr. Unromantic. I think this wedding right here, earns him an all-time Mr. Romantic lifetime title. What do you think? In not a lifetime pass, at least let him off the hook for a couple of decades.



Steve Young
The Hawaii Wedding Report
http://www.dreamweddingshawaii.com