'You may kiss your bride': 1 couple gets married, 5 renew vows at Maritime Days

MARINE CITY — Framed by a white arch and backed by the bright blue St. Clair River, the soon-to-be Josh and Ashley Skinner were married early Saturday evening before a crowd of strangers.

He wore all black with a backward cap and dark sunglasses, holding their 2-year-old daughter Luna at the hip, while she wore an informal light-cream dress with two small braids set in her hair and son Kylar, 4, at her side. Nearby, 12-year-old daughter Mackenzie held a camera phone to capture the scene.

The ceremony, officiated by Marine City Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche, lasted just a couple of minutes at Nautical Mile Park before she told Josh, “You may kiss your bride,” and a host of onlookers clapped in mass — a few whistling out in congratulations.

In more way than one, the young couple said it was just what they wanted. Getting “Married at Maritime Days”? It was Josh’s idea.

“I didn’t even see the event until the last minute and was like, ‘Oh, what a great idea,” he said afterward. “We literally did all this in like two days.”

The romance continued moments after the Skinners’ public riverfront ceremony, as five couples gathered in a semi-circle around Vandenbossche to renew their vows.

Vandenbossche said she’d been looking for a way to help and support Maritime Days, Marine City’s annual community summer festival.

“Thinking kind of like events and things to happen, it just hit me. I could do weddings. What if somebody would want to get married at Maritime Days?” she said, motioning to her husband. “… Dave happened be at home, and I was talking to him because when he was mayor, he officiated weddings. Several. And I used to actually like going to them with him and watch him officiate things. So, I talked about the idea and said, ‘What do you think?’ He thought it was a good idea.”

And so did everyone else.

Josh and Ashley, together for six years in all, had moved to the area three years ago from Arizona.

They said they’d long intended to get married but were held up with family matters, such as the death of Josh’s mother. “The whirlwind that came,” he said, “we never got the chance.”

But when they heard about “Married at Maritime Days,” he said they thought it was the perfect opportunity.

Without any close friends and family nearby, Ashley said being included in a two-part marital ceremony was a big draw, too, with couples renewing vows after decades of marriage.

“We found it a really good time to get married because we finally have Kenzie, and we finally are really happy,” Ashley said. “We’re at a good moment right now. We were like, ‘OK, we can get married.’ And like I said, three’s my lucky number. I felt like it’s a really good day.”

And being married in sight of the river didn’t hurt. “The main reason we moved here was the water,” Josh said.

'Just gives you a good feeling': Five couples celebrate years — or decades — of marriage

Vandenbossche said she’d taken care of the marriage application costs for the newlyweds and were giving renewal certificates to the other five couples.

Before the latter, she shared a brief message about the nature of marriage to start the second part of Saturday’s ceremony.

“A lot of people believe that entering into a marriage is the final step in a passionate relationship,” she said. “… But the final step in a couple’s relationship isn’t marriage. It only marks the beginning of a grand adventure that will be long and fruitful for each couple. You share the joys and blessings, and yes, the challenges of married life for many years, and this day, it’s your wish to reaffirm your commitment to working together to make your marriage grow and blossom in the years to come.”

Then, one by one, the Marine City mayor asked each pair to affirm their love and that they’d continue to love, honor, and cherish each other.

Those couples included Deb and Abbas Abdulhussein, Rae-Lynn and Jaret Budd, Matthew and Marisol Zammit, and Leslie and Jake DeMeulenaere — who’d been married 10, 18, 20, and 21 years, respectively.

East China residents Cheri and Bill Musial were renewing vows after six decades together — 61 years next month.

When asked what piqued their interest in Saturday’s ceremony, Cheri said, “We were sitting in the front room on a Sunday morning reading, and all of a sudden, he saw something posted (online), Jen put it out there, and he goes, ‘We’re renewing our vows.’”

Bill quietly chimed in, “Just gives you a good feeling.”

“You’re getting emotional, babe,” Cheri said with a laugh.

The duo said their biggest piece of advice to married couples was respecting each other. But they agreed, they had two great kids, ages now 60 and 57, who’d raised kids of their own, and enriched their lives.

“Some people will go, ‘How did you manage it?’” Cheri added. “You know, it’s not hard. Love them. Love each other. Respect each other, and the rest is easy. Takes care of itself, I think.”

Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: 'You may kiss your bride': 1 couple gets married, 5 renew vows at Maritime Days