Having lived abroad for several years, it was a heartwarming welcome home for Tessa Saunders when she returned to Saint Lucia for her nuptials with fiancé Michael Schreck, a native of New Jersey, USA.

The sunny setting was a natural choice for the long-time lovers, who also wanted a traditional church wedding. “I always wanted Tessa to get married at home because the cathedral in Castries is just beautiful and I wanted her to get married in her childhood parish and where she grew up,” says Michael . Tessa remembers, “about 4 years ago we were at walking down the shore and we were talking about weddings and I told him I want to get married at home. ‘

At home it was as the two joined Tessa’s family for what was to be the first introduction to her lifemate. “I was very nervous,” Says Michael, “Besides being an inter-racial couple, I am 13 years her senior, older than her oldest sibling. But from the first 30 seconds when we reached up Pavee Hill it felt right and I felt at home.

Tessa’s mother was just very endearing and the whole family, her brothers and sisters, Nigel, Francis, Maria and Dylan, really accepted me and didn’t judge me.”

 

The meeting was no less warming than Tessa’s first with his family. “It was a little intimidating,” Tessa says in turn, “Because the first time I met Michael’s family his dad had passed away. We were already going out for a year but the first time I met them was a couple of days before his dad’s funereal. I walked in expecting everybody to be sad and upset but everybody welcomed me and it felt right from the beginning.”

There, as in Saint Lucia, the difference was accepted but still noticed. At Michael’s urging Tessa recounts, “It’s funny because the repast, which we call the wake here, was in Wisconsin which is like, farmland. Everybody was coming up to me saying ‘hi, you must be Tessa, Michael’s girlfriend’ and I was asking myself ‘how does everybody know I’m Michael’s girlfriend?’ and I realized I was the only Black girl there.” Their peals of laughter ring out together at the seven-year-old family joke.

Michael, currently a chef working at the Indy Race League, and Tessa, who now works in accounts receivables at Hilton hotel, first met on the job. “I was manager on duty one night at the hotel we were both working at and Tessa was working at the front desk. I saw her smile just light up the lobby and I knew right then that I just had to meet her. There’s also a glitch to that because she thought I was an ass when she first met me,” says Michael, and Tessa quickly agrees, “Yes I did.”

<img src="schreck-300x225-1.jpg" alt="St Lucia wedding photographer" title="Tessa & Michael"/>

Posing in the garden

More than seven years later, the first testy meeting has resulted in Tessa’s first and Michael’s second marriage. Michael says it was down to the wire in 2008 for a very patient Tessa . “I was teasing her because she was like ‘if you don’t marry me in December…’, that was in June, and I was like, ‘is that all it takes? I can last till December’.”

<img src="schreck4-300x225-1.jpg" alt="St Lucia wedding photographer" title="Tessa & Michael"/>

Wedding album page

The June wedding saw the couple sticking to the religious theme and using the Benedictine Centre at the Morne for their special occasion. They were more than satisfied with the service provided by the nuns who run the place. Michael, who always believed nuns to be guarded and cloistered from attending weekday mass as a child in New Jersey, was pleasantly surprised.  “When I got there Sister Emmanuella, who we had talked to over the phones, and all the other nuns were all so sweet and welcoming.”

The stunning views (the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other), the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the food service, had even Chef Michael impressed. “It’s just very warm and friendly. You feel like you’re at home.”

<img src="schreck3-300x225-1.jpg" alt="St Lucia wedding photographer" title="Tessa & Michael"/>

Various poses for wedding album

Tessa saw the magic from the start. “As soon as we walked in and saw the church, the archway was like wrought iron and there were initials ‘M’ and ‘T’ and that just sold it for us.”

Although there were rules to follow, such as keeping the music down, the ceremony was for Tessa, “More than I imagined it would be.” So enjoyable, kids a jovial Michael, “I still had my hand up one girl’s dress when I was after the garter. So I was happy.”

 

The real joy however was being surrounded by family and friends, even with the limited number from overseas. “We never would have been able to get our wedding done without the help of our family. And it’s wonderful that our family got together for Tessa and I and everybody had a good time.”

The guests list was fitting for the two who met in a hotel, with twenty-five people flying in from England, America, the Philippines, Ghana, Portugal and Haiti, the only thing missing was international flags to welcome everyone.

 

Guests also got to enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds of Saint Lucia with a round the island boat trip replacing the traditional New Jersey post wedding brunch. The full day trip, “It was fun from the moment we got on the boat until we got back,” included stops at the famous Sulphur Springs, swimming and snorkeling at Anse Cochon and lots of local eats.

<img src="schreck2-300x225-1.jpg" alt="St Lucia wedding photographer" title="Tessa & Michael"/>

Having fun with photographer Bill Mortley

In typical style Michael ends with the cherry on top, “We should have had the boat ride before the wedding because by that time I would have learnt to dance a little more Lucian style. By Sunday Tessa’s brothers and sisters had given me some pointers and I had loosened up my hips.”

Don’t worry Michael all the dance steps were caught by my snappy professional lenses and the high quality memories will remain with you and your guests for generations.