Dear Captain Arnold,

We both wanted to thank you so much for marrying us last month.

Finally being together after years of a transatlantic relationship meant we just wanted was to be married; we didn’t need a fuss, we didn’t need lots of guests and we didn’t need to throw lots of money at it. We went to City Hall in Manhattan to get our marriage license on Friday but as soon as I stepped in there I knew I couldn’t get married there. It was cold, unromantic, a conveyor belt for weddings. I was a bride that didn’t want a fuss, but it still had to be special. I went into panic mode-my Mum had flown over for the wedding and Matthew only had a few precious days booked that he could take off work.

I got home and got straight on the Internet. I called a few places and they didn’t seem to be listening to what we wanted, insisting on overpriced ’packages’. Then by chance we found your website and I called imagining it would be too late. However, you were not at all phased by arranging a wedding in the less that 48 hours. You handled everything with a calm, unshakable organization and recommended the stunning location of the Ladies Pavilion in Central Park.

When the day came the sun shone for the first time in weeks, the autumn gold of the trees reflected over Central park and the skyline of Manhattan peaked behind them. It was like a movie set.

Your ceremony was just what we wanted; you incorporated both my father and Matthew’s mother-who are no longer with us- with dignity and grace. The ceremony had humor and character and was the perfect length. You spoke about love with the wisdom and conviction only a man married for decades can do. We got some fantastic pictures afterwards to remind us for always.

Thank you again for being the one person that made two people in love very happy on the autumn day the sun came out in New York City.

Emma & Matthew