All Aboard: Marissa & Wil in St. Michaels, MD
When COVID-19 derailed their original wedding plans, these childhood sweethearts took it in stride and planned a picture-perfect intimate affair on a yacht.
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The happy couple originally planned on a big wedding in 2020, but COVID-19 derailed those plans. With the help of their family, they reimagined their dream wedding and discovered an intimate affair on a boat, with a reception at Inn at Perry Cabin, was exactly what their hearts desired.
Marissa and Wil's love story began when they were just 8 and 9 years old, respectively. First introduced by their families on Bethany Beach, DE, they lost touch over the years but reconnected at a party thrown by Wil's family, where they spent the night catching up and learned they'd be attending the same college in the fall.
It only took five weeks to pull together their picture-perfect wedding day. "Once our perspectives shifted from planning our biggest party to a small ceremony and really focusing on the moment that we will spend the rest of our lives together, the whole process became easier," recalls Marissa.
The bride stunned in a gorgeously understated off-the-shoulder wedding gown.
A sunflower bouquet provided a bright and cheery touch.
The bride was escorted to the yacht by her parents.
Joined by their close family members, the couple set sail on Inn at Perry Cabin's 55-foot luxury Hinckley yacht, The Five Star, for their ceremony.
A nod to their nautical theme, the couple tied the knot — literally — by incorporating an old tradition that symbolizes the beginning of their life together.
One of their favorite moments was a blessing of the rings in water. "Our families brought water from Bethany Beach, where Wil and I had met; from Maine, where we reconnected; from each of our hometowns; and from Hoboken, NJ, where we were living together," says Marissa. "We poured each water together in a bowl — combining them was a symbol of our love story and something I will never forget."
