Hello Friends!
Wedding weekend extravaganza is officially over. Joe and I were married this weekend…
Or were we?
That’s right, we had a bit of a surprise during our ceremony.
But now the cat’s out of the bag, and you all can be in on it too! During the wedding, we showed a slideshow, and today I’d like to share it with all of you! (It’s 7 minutes long, so those wanting to jump to the really good part, should fast forward to 4:30ish.)
*All music composed and/or arranged by Joe Gantzer, except the Greek song, all vocals by Joe Gantzer and Jess Witkins. The Disney song has been rearranged by Joe Gantzer.
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 
Awesome! Congratulations twice! Simply, spectacularly, beautiful!
Thank you Dorie! Little did you know how close you were to discovering our secret.
Wow! Congratulations! What a beautiful bride and a beautiful setting and a beautiful video and beautiful music and a beautiful beginning for your marriage! Best wishes to you both.
Thanks Julie!!! So happy i can share with writer pals now!
What an amazing place to get married! I’m so happy for you both! You were a beautiful bride (twice!).
LOL. Thank you! Feels good to talk about with writer friends around.
You go Jess!! Congratulations, how very exciting! I wouldn’t have been able to resist a wedding in Greece either. So happy for you. 🙂
It was so beautiful! It felt like dream!
Love the slide show and the vocals! So happy for you guys…two weddings done your way! Perfection!
I feel like I got the best of both worlds! Private and romantic. Happy and surrounded by friends.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I loved this…beautiful. And you have such a sweet voice (I’m jealous). You two are THE wonderful couple. 🙂
Oh I dunno about the singing, but thank you! We’re excited to finally share with everyone.
My voice is banned in twelve states with emergency legislation being rushed to a vote in twenty others so appreciate the voice you have! LOL
Oh my! Too funny. I think I sound like a muppet, but oh well.
So happy for you! And what a gorgeous bride you are! Many blessings for a long and happy life together. Some years will be better than other years, but they will all be good in the end. *big hug* All the best to you!
I’ve heard that. That love is cyclical and the best hope is that with each cycle you fall more in love with the person traveling with you. 🙂
I’m sure you guys will be sharing your sandwich together at eighty. 🙂
Wow! That’s awesome! How romantic and beautiful :-).
Kelly
Thanks Kelly! We thought so!
Beautiful. Got me all misty-eyed. Hope the family was understanding. You’re a little stinkuh. 😉
Yes they were all wonderful and understanding, but my sis did call me a brat. Hehehe
I’m so very happy for you both!! What a spectacular setting for a memorable wedding. Many, many years of health and happiness to you. 🙂
Thanks Deanne! We couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place!
Congrats to you both! What a beautiful wedding you had, and you make a gorgeous bride, Jess! Love the wedding pics…it was indeed the perfect place to get married. So no one knew you were getting married in Greece? Did you do the ceremony again back at home?
You got it! Surprise surprise!
My hubby & I traveled to Germany for the wedding of one of his dear friends. A handful of us also went along for the honeymoon. We were sitting in this darling little Bavarian town when the bride and groom revealed the huge cathedral wedding was all for show. They’d gotten married several months before on a Caribbean holiday. And they had other news. A baby was on the way. Anything else you need to reveal?
Noooooooo!
Just checking! 🙂
My parents, Scott and I, and my daughter all got married before our “public” weddings. Love the music.
That’s awesome! I want to hear about that! How cool.
Congratulations! You look happy and beautiful in the video! I also love the bit about your awkward teen years. 🙂
Yah, yikes right! And we hid the acid wash jeans and fanny packs!
What a gorgeous backdrop! I don’t blame you for doing the deed when and where you did. Congratulations, you two!
What a gorgeous backdrop! I don’t blame you for doing the deed when and where you did. Congratulations, you two!
(Hey, two weddings deserve two comments).
Lol! Very clever Mark! You got me!
Congratulations!!! I am just so very happy for you and Joe. ❤
Aww thanks Tiff!
Your dress was amazing, Jess. Congrats and best of luck to you both for the future. Beautiful couple.
Thanks Emma! I loved my gown! I felt royal in it.
Congrats!! That was so fun to watch. I don’t blame you one bit. Gorgeous place, gorgeous couple. (So – just curious – were your parents mad??) Hope not!
No! Thankfully they were just so excited they were happy. My dad was a weepy mess though. He’s a softy. 🙂
Congratulations!
Thanks Kathryn!
What fun … and oh so romantic! Congratulations!
Oh it was! Relaxing and romantic!
The video is beautiful, Jess, and such a wonderful memory. Congratulations to you and Joe!
Thanks Sheila! So happy I can FINALLY blog about it! LOL
Well, rats! I’m in a conference and I can’t look yet! The comments gave it away, but I still want to see it. Maybe during a break…. Congrats!
Oooh enjoy! Sorry we spoiled the fun. 😉
Simply amazing! Was it killing you, keeping that a secret until now? So love it! Beautiful! A beautiful place. A beautiful you.
I kept wanting to blog about it and had to keep stopping myself! Finally, I’m FREEEEE! LOL
Yay!
😀
Simply thrilled and overjoyed for your happiness and bright, loving future! 🙂
Thanks Ginger! We loved every minute of our big surprise!
Congrats twice 🙂 My husband and I considered the double wedding idea because we had immigration to deal with. He’s an American and I’m a Canadian and he was immigrating to Canada post-marriage. You can’t start the Canadian paperwork until you’re married, but he couldn’t move to Canada until the paperwork was approved, and we got stuck with a wedding date almost 1.5 years after we got engaged. So we almost did a private ceremony so that we could get the paperwork underway and a public one where we’d get to celebrate with everyone. Different factors nixed the idea, but it’s so fun to know someone else did a double!
Ugh! The paperwork. That’s the worst part of it. We had to a ton of paperwork to make it legal in Greece and here and we’re from the same country. Another couple that got married there were from different countries though, so it can be done, but it requires a lot of planning and patience to get all the forms you need.
Absolutely lovely! How did your family respond?
My husband and I have been married 14 years this year, and although we didn’t have our wedding as private as yours, we were able to keep to around 60 people, in my in-laws’ front yard. Our “pews” were folding chairs that we made the wedding guests carry with them to the tables at the reception—in the circular driveway in front of the yard we were married in. It was awesome! Not Greece, but wonderful just the same.
I think it sounds beautiful, Kelly. I’m so happy we had our private ceremony. It was truly wonderful and romantic and more meaningful to us. Thankfully, all our family and friends reacted surprised but super excited for us. It helped that we still had a fun ceremony planned for them to see, so they could hear our vows and hear us sing. We made it entertaining.
I actually fought tears while I watched this video. So y’all had already tied the knot before you re-tied it? Congrats!
Awww, thanks Kim, that is so sweet. Yes, we surprised everyone! So happy I get to share it with my blog buddies now!
I cried the first few times I watched this. Now it makes me smile!
I’m glad we got to catch up and talk wedding fun this weekend!