Bride-to-be Emma Hislop was waiting for her fiance to bring her a cup of coffee when she opened the Caymanian Compass Friday and came across a full page notice that read “Emma, I can’t wait to marry you.”
The notice ran the day before she was due to marry 34-year-old Lynden John.
“I was sitting on the rocking chair at Cafe Del Sol waiting for Lynden to bring me some coffee and he brought me the paper. What a surprise! I started to leak out of my eyes and gushed,” said Ms. Hislop.
“Then my phone went crazy with everyone telling me our wedding is on the radio. It blew me away, what a lovely surprise and put me in an excellent mood for the big day tomorrow,” she said Friday.
The pink page addressed to Emma was inspired by the South African groom’s excitement to tie the knot.
“I am so excited for our wedding and looking forward to marrying Emma, I just wanted to shout it off the rooftops and the Caymanian Compass was the best place to do it,” said Mr. John, speaking the day before the wedding. “The ad did the trick and got everyone ready for a fantastic wedding.” Mr. John works as an associate director at DMS Offshore Investment Services, and said the couple met through work.
“Our paths crossed at work, I thought she was 26 so didn’t chase, but found out she was actually my age, single, never married, no kids, so I changed gears and chased [her]. We have been together now for two and a half years,” he said.
The proposal
Mr. John’s proposal to Ms. Hislop was equally as romantic as the pink newspaper notice and was inspired by the reality television show “The Amazing Race,” in which teams compete in a race around the world. Prior to popping the question, he organized an elaborate treasure hunt, decorated a penthouse suite, and showered his soon-to-be fiancee with sushi and champagne.
“We set up clues all around the island at our favorite and first date bars and restaurants. We started at Abacus, where Emma thought we were going to watch a movie and the server passed her first clue in a big bright yellow envelope,” said Mr. John.
He named the proposal the “Amazing Date,” after the show, and prepared hidden clues at significant locations where the couple made “first memories” together.
The treasure hunt concluded at Plantana condos on Seven Mile beach. “The manager allowed us to use their penthouse suite,” said Mr. John, who also asked Celebrations to decorate the suite with “flowers and candles, whilst Karma’s chef made us our favorite sushi,” he said.
After the mood was set and the champagne was flowing, “I got on my knee and asked her to marry me. She jumped up and down and said yes, yes, yes,” said Mr. John.
Beach-side wedding
On Saturday, the couple exchanged their wedding vows on Seven Mile Beach outside the Grand Cayman Beach Suites hotel.
After the wedding, the couple and their guests enjoyed a cocktail party followed by a reception under the stars on the rooftop terrace of Beach Suites.
The wedding celebrations ended with a “send off” on the beach where the couple walked down a candle-lit path, and their friends sent off Chinese lanterns and sparklers to bid them farewell before they left for their honeymoon.
Mr. John said the honeymoon destination was top secret. “I’m not telling [where we are going]. Emma has a list of what to pack and all she knows is Cayman Airways is taking us to start the adventure. Other than that she will only find out each day as our romantic adventure unravels.”
Related Videos
Oh, what a teary eyed romantic lovely story. This couple deserves a true blessing. Hope your honey moon is just as exciting and wishes that you live happily together forever.