Bride: Miesha Iman Lowery, 31
Groom: Jon Suber, 30
Occupations: Lowery, real estate agent; Suber, supply chain analyst
Homebase: New Jersey
Wedding Date: December 4, 2010
Wedding Location: Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Maho, Saint Maarten

I Have This Friend I Want You to Meet… Miesha was not pressed to meet the young man named Jon who their mutual friend Brandon kept telling her about. “Brandon kept trying to introduce me to Jon but I wasn’t interested,” Miesha says. But a chance meeting at a New Year’s Eve party gave Miesha a change of heart. “Jon and I exchanged numbers and went out a week later. I was immediately impressed by his intelligence. He was well-read and up on current events,” she explains. Jon says of Miesha, “I thought she was cute, easy to talk to and funny.” And from there, the love affair began…

You Are the Sunshine of My Life Although the couple got off to a slow and rocky start, once they started dating it was as though they had known each other for years. “We were always laughing. We just kept it light and enjoyed each others companionship,” Jon recalls. Miesha echos that sentiment, “Once we got together we never separated. It almost felt like we were married before we actually got married.”

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[All images by Leonard Poteat.]

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough The smitten couple may have felt like their love made them inseparable but life has a way of shaking up plans. “In May of 2008, Jon graduated from business school,” remembers Miesha. “He ended up getting a job in New Jersey and we were both living in Maryland at the time. I told him I don’t do long distance relationships,” says Miesha. Still the couple managed to keep the fire going with weekend visits. Yet, when they finally seemed to have their situation in a surmountable place (they were only three hours away from each other by car), Jon’s job transferred him to Atlanta. “He still came home to Maryland for visits but not as often,” Miesha admits. But the resilient duo made their love work. “I already knew I wanted to marry Miesha by then. I had her ring before I even moved to Atlanta,” shares Jon. And when he did pop the question after seven years of dating, Miesha said yes.

An Island Affair The jet-setting couple who have traveled to places like Portugal together chose to wed to St. Maarten because it is one of their favorite destinations. “It is such a simple and beautiful island,” explains Miesha. She adds, “We had visited together three times before and fell in love with it!” The couple was overwhelmed by support they received during their four-day wedding weekend. “It is an extremely humbling experience to have 70 people travel out of the country to party with you and celebrate you and your spouse,” says Jon. And party they did! Guests continued the celebration in a local club after the reception and danced until 5:30 in the morning. Jon concludes, “It was by far the best week of our lives.”

View this heartfelt video from the couple courtesy of their photographer Leonard Poteat.

Miesha’s Money Saving Tips for Future Brides:

Trip Advisor “If you’re going to have a destination wedding create an organized itinerary for your guests at least two weeks in advance,” Miesha advises. She adds, “Email them in advance and distribute hard copies as guests arrive. It cuts down on people having to use the phone.”

Think Ahead “We made our own favors and shipped them to St. Maarten. Shipping packages internationally in three days or less is expensive. If we had shipped them a few days earlier we would have saved hundreds of dollars,” admits Miesha. Future destination brides, take note and act accordingly.

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