The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

In the midst of what seemed to be a “wedding preparation nightmare,” one couple managed to remain humble and keep things in perspective.
Last year November when New York natives Lisa Seymour and Matthew Cohen were all set to travel to the Bahamas to get married, their plans were unexpectedly ruined after Super-storm Sandy ravaged their home in New York City. The couple, along with most of their guests, were unable to travel out of the city, forcing the postponement of their dream wedding in the Bahamas. 
With so many negative things happening around them, Lisa and Matthew still managed to pull themselves together, and the couple is now happily married. Their wedding took place at Compass Point last month.
In an interview with Tribune Woman, the couple said their wedding was a dream come true, as they always wanted a destination wedding that would provide them, their families and their friends, an experience they would never forget.

“Compass Point, Atlantis, and the Bahamas in general allowed that dream to come true,” said Lisa.
Speaking about the devastation surrounding Hurricane Sandy and their wedding challenges, Lisa said: “Not knowing what was about to happen to our home, business, wedding and life in general, our initial thoughts were of our friends in the Bahamas. We soon were told of the upsetting news that the beautiful pier at Compass Point ,where we were to shortly be married, was severely damaged.”
Lisa said the wrath of Sandy not only meant a change in wedding plans, but also a change in their lives. Within 24 hours, she said their home and business were destroyed.

“We quickly realised that our responsibilities to our community and to ourselves trumped our ideal wedding. Furthermore, difficulty in travel ultimately lead to the postponement of our dream day. We prioritised the needs of our community, family, friends and ourselves and shifted the emphasis of our dream wedding to survival and ultimately the rebuilding of our lives. Only after we were safe and sound, with the rebuilding process underway, did we attempt to refocus our energy and determination to see our dream wedding in the Bahamas come true,” said Lisa.
Matthew said they stayed focused on supporting each other.

“There have been numerous insurance issues and construction obstacles that demanded perseverance and strength in order to make our lives whole again. Other obstacles included building a temporary location to help the displaced children of Long Beach, NY, return to the teaching obligations that Lisa had made and find a temporary home,” said Matthew.
He said they gathered strength from each other as well as from their families, friends and community. Matthew said one of the most touching things they received was the love and support from their friends in the Bahamas, which includes their wedding planner Paulette Davis, Anita Wheeler at Compass Point, the staff at the Atlantis and the countless, selfless vendors that cared about them realising their dream wedding.

“Ultimately our love for each other was the greatest source of strength that helped us persevere and have our dream wedding in the Bahamas,” said Matthew.
Paulette said she was honoured to have met Lisa and Matthew.
“The fact that in November they were to have 100 guests and in May they still had 100 guests, speaks to who they are as people and a couple. The day after Sandy passed them, Lisa called me and told me how they had to escape from their apartment, and in the middle of the night she was passing her wedding dress out the window. They were still hopeful to get here and it was not until Wednesday afternoon they realised that flights were still unpredictable and it would be stressful. They decided to postpone.”
Paulette said not once did Lisa or Matthew complain or show any agitation. Due to the extreme power outages in New York, Paulette said she only heard from the couple every so often.

“I was responsible for all of the vendors who were to be apart of the wedding and I am so happy that every single one honoured the same contract, with no penalties,” said Paulette.
Matthew said the Bahamas has now come to be a second home.