On June 21st, 2009 I married my best friend in what I believe is quite possibly the most romantic, picturesque ceremony in the history of weddings. Since so many people are asking me all about the wedding, I thought I would follow in the foot steps of the most fabulous woman that I know, someone I admire more then she knows, Christina and start a blog! What better way to start, than to use this story as my first post.
On November 23, what I thought was just a random Sunday, Eric proposed to me - sitting on our couch in our living room over a bottle of Lynfred Sparking Berry wine. We had planned for a May 2010 wedding. However, being the over acheiver that I am, I thought I should start my planning right away. While I was on weddingwire.com one day, I found a post for a contest. "Dream Wedding Give Away". All that was required to enter was to write a short essay on why you deserve to win the dream wedding and send a picture of you and your fiance! Simple. Done. So in late December, I sent in my essay and picture. Then I completely forgot about it, never mentioning it to Eric. Here is a little blurb from my essay...(another thing everyone wants to read....)
"Ten months ago, my best friend leaned over and kissed me, forever changing my life and beliefs in love as I ever knew them. Eight months later he knelt down on one knee in front of me and presented me with a ring and a proposal to be with him for the rest of his life. I immediately said yes! It has come to my attention over the past two months following our engagement that many people our age want a wedding, not a marriage. So many people these days walk down the aisle and have divorce in the back of their head as an escape route if things end up more for worse, than better........ It has always been my dream to promise my vows in front of my family and close friends in an intimate and beautiful setting. Nothing too elaborate; just simple, elegant and meaningful......Our love has everlasting power and we will not be a couple who becomes a divorce statistic down the road. The dream wedding would be going to a couple who believes in the meaning and value of a marriage, not just a wedding.
Our marriage will be beautiful regardless of how or where we get married. It would just be nice to have a beautiful wedding to match the beauty of our love and commitment to each other".
So, the week before valentines day, I received an email saying that Eric and I were chosen as one of three possible winning couples, to please come down for an interview...This is when I told Eric I had even written the essay! :) We went down, interviewed and found out two days later (on Valentine's Day) that we had won the wedding.
The planning had begun... full swing. I only had four months to put together this wedding. In late April, we had our engagement pictures taken on the same boat where we would marry two months later. 
I would be lying to tell you everything about planning a wedding was a fairy tale to me... Nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth actually is that it was really a stressful time in my life... but I will tell you that on that beautiful day in June, it was ALL worth it!
Since it was not a traditional wedding, I did not find it necessary to have a Rehearsal Dinner. Instead, we just gathered some fine folks who were in town and headed over to Cooper's Hawk for dinner.
Then we headed back to our hotel, and went our to our separate rooms for the night... I didnt sleep but maybe an hour!! Eric and I were texted eachother our excitement at 4 am! Finally, my alarm went off at 6 am... our big day had finally arrived!!
Part of the package included a private hair and makeup stylist who comes to you! Appease Corporation... simply fantastic! So I got ready, it was a very emotional, surreal experience that words just can not explain!
As I wrote out a letter on a card to Eric, my words just blended together... until they made absolutely no sense at all. My sister just kept asking what I was thinking... I simply couldnt put it into words.
Finally, after a few hours, it was time to go downstairs and see Eric. Wow, the most handsome man I had ever seen was standing in front of me, waiting for me to get in the limo, head downtown and marry him!
After a very quick limo ride downtown, we arrived at Navy Pier. We took hundreds of pictures... and then got ready to board the boat. (Just then it started to drizzle...). I know that they say its good luck if it rains on your wedding day... but not when you are getting married on a sail boat! :)
As luck would have it however, the boat had a canopy. - which looked just like a wedding tent. 
(our guests were protected from the sun, and drizzling rain... with a beautiful "tent like" canopy).
While the guests boarded the boat, Eric, our wedding party and I waited patiently in the captains salon. As everyone was getting on board, the boat began to rock... which added to the nerves I was already feeling, and I thought I was going to be sick. Nothing a little sip of wine wasnt able to fix! :)
The music started, Anthony - our wedding planner, gave us the go... and the ceremony began.
All the while, I felt like I was in a dream. The wedding ceremony started just as we reached a quite place in the middle of Lake Michigan with the skyline as a backdrop. The coolest part, was that the rain created this beautiful fog, which came up just over the water, really making it like a dream.
I made it through the ceremony, with only a couple of tear jerking moments... and then we were announced by our very good friend, Matt as Mr. & Mrs. Eric Luna! We were tucked a way for just a moment! A glass of champagne and the bustling of my dress... and we were out to make our toast... After our toast, we were presented with a beautiful oil painting of one of our engagement pictures, which now graces the wall above our living room sofa. - another gift from the contest.
The boat served as a receiving line, as we were able to mingle with our guests with romantic background music provided by the Marshall Vente Jazz Trio. Just after about an hour of sailing following the ceremony, the boat docked and we were sent off to our reception by our guests.
The rest is dinner and dancing... and now starting our life together as man and wife! Just wanted to share our story with all of our readers! ;)
Johanna and Eric Luna
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