When Melanie and Bernard first thought about how they wanted their wedding ceremony to be celebrated, they had a common goal for the occasion: to remain as true to themselves as possible. That sentiment was demonstrated in quite a unique way.
Being the adventurous and spontaneous couple they are, the pair surprised their guests with a jump - literally - into marriage.
On the beaches of Galveston, as Melanie appeared in her wedding gown - a lace, off-the-shoulder A-line beauty with tulle flowing down to the sand, guests were taken aback as a small plane was heard high above and a parachuting groom made his grand entrance from high in the sky.
“No one but the wedding party knew about our surprise,” Melanie said. “Bernard randomly picked up skydiving and fell in love with it. He’s an avid skydiver and we wanted to do something really fun.”
As Bernard fell, a few minutes in total, Melanie waited on her groom with excitement growing. The ceremony was sweet and ended with an embrace right in the waves of the Gulf, which was completely okay with Melanie.
“We’ve always wanted this to be as ‘us’ as possible, and this was the way we always wanted to do it,” Melanie said.
After meeting in high school in Santa Fe, Melanie and Bernard decided to celebrate their union at the Sea Star Base in Galveston months after planning the event.
“It was the view that got us,” Melanie said. “It was just gorgeous and they also offered a ‘sail away’ moment at the end of the night before we stayed over at Moody Gardens.”
As for planning their unique wedding, Melanie has advice for upcoming brides.
“Not everything will go according to plan. Just remember at the end of the day, this is about you and your significant other. It’s not about anyone else.”