This page (top to bottom): Wooden, hand-painted signs pointing the way to the ceremony; Tineke getting styled at Red Lane Spa. Opposite page (clockwise): Sunlight through island palms; Love reaching towards the sky; Detail of couples' rings; Sunset aerial view of Pirate Island Water Park overlooking Caribbean. “I just wanted it to be fun,” Tineke recalled. “We didn’t want any- thing stiff or serious — we wanted a party.” When she reached the altar and met Antoine’s eyes beneath the floral arch, the noise faded. The two exchanged vows as the sun sank lower, painting the water in rose gold. There were tears, laughter, and a visible sense of relief — six years of love distilled into one easy moment. The reception began at twilight. As the first stars appeared, guests clinked glasses filled with the evening’s signature cock- tail, the Sunset-Tini, a golden-orange blend created in Tineke’s honor. Long tables glowed under strings of light. Plates arrived with jerk chicken and pork—the couple’s chosen featured dish- es—alongside tropical sides and plantain chips still warm from the pan. “It felt like everyone was part of it,” Tineke said. “Not just watching, but really in it.” The couple shared their first dance to Miley Cyrus’ “When I Look at You,” a song that once played in the background of their early friendship. “He used to sing along to that sound in the car when we were still just getting to know each other,” she said. “It made me laugh then, and it made me cry at the wedding.” For the father-daughter dance, Tineke chose another Cyrus fa- vorite, “Butterfly Fly Away,” and the two held on through the first verse before giving in to tears. Antoine and his mother followed with Coldplay’s “Yellow,” swaying under string lights and the warm hum of guests singing along. Dessert arrived with a flourish. A rich chocolate fountain stood beside the wedding cake — a design split between timeless el- egance and the couple’s shared love of Marvel superheroes. “The cake was my recipe,” Tineke said proudly. “The pastry chefs did an amazing job — it tasted exactly how I imagined.” As the evening wound down, a few guests jumped into the sea still wearing formal clothes. “It was that kind of night. No one wanted it to end,” she said. The next morning, the couple exchanged another set of vows — this time in private, still in bed, sunlight streaming through the curtains. They read from their phones, not to post, but to re- member. “I’m bad at saying emotional things in front of people,” Tineke admitted. “That was our real moment. Just us.” In the days that followed, they stayed in the easy rhythm of the island. Mornings meant paddle boarding or long beach walks; afternoons melted into hours by the pool or slow meals with friends. “I love all-inclusive life,” she laughed. “I can eat, have a drink, pick up after myself, and not think about anything else.” Her usually reserved brother became the social one, striking up conversations with strangers. Antoine, who hadn’t traveled much growing up, couldn’t stop smiling. “He was amazed by everything,” she said. “Seeing him that happy — it was worth everything.” When it was time to leave, Tineke wasn’t ready. “I told my team I was extending my out-of-office,” she said. Back in Georgia, she found herself scrolling through photos of then ceremony: the circle of flowers, the bare feet in sand, the laughter frozen mid-motion. “I still can’t believe it happened,” she said. “It was perfect — not perfect like a picture, perfect because it was us.” SANDALS | BEACHES
