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Home • Weddings

Bridal Bliss: Martha and Joe’s Vow Renewal Ceremony

Just two months after they met at a dance club, Joe asked Martha to be his wife. She thought he was kidding, but eighteen days later they tied the knot at a local courthouse. For their fifth wedding anniversary they celebrated with a dream vow renewal ceremony aboard a romantic cruise liner. Share their love!
Bridal Bliss: Martha and Joe’s Vow Renewal Ceremony
Eric D. Fernandez Photography
By Charli Penn · Updated October 27, 2020

Bride: Martha Luna-Medina, 31, Editor/Fashion Blogger

Groom: Joe Erick Luna Martinez, 26, U.S. Army

The Big Day: September 18, 2009

Vow Renewal: September 19, 2014

Location: Starlight Lounge on the Ecstasy Carnival cruise ship

Theme: Vow Renewal At Sea

You’re The Only One For Me
When Martha went out dancing with friends one evening in July 2009, she had no idea that that night would forever change her life. As she arrived at the salsa club, she greeted the deejay, who just happened to be her good friend Joey. She asked him to play a great salsa song and to take her out on for a spin on the dance floor. Since Joey was a little tied up spinning tunes at the time, he promised her he’d send a friend over who was an equally good dancer. “That’s when I saw this cute guy walk past me and I wondered who he was,” Martha recalls. “I told my friends about how cute I thought he was, and they agreed.” Little did she know, the gorgeous guy who had already caught her eye was Joey’s friend Joe—the guy he’d mentioned to Martha earlier in the night. Joe walked over to her table and Martha began to feel shy. “He was very polite and a true gentlemen,” Martha shares. “We danced all night long and I even forgot that my friends were sitting at the table. They were so excited for me that they just enjoyed watching us dance.” They ended the night in a daze, both realizing that something special had just taken place. They exchanged numbers and made plans to see each other again right away.

Just Go With It
A little over a month later, Martha and Joe were returning to her apartment after a romantic movie and dinner date. As they sat in the living room together exchanging life stories, Joe said the very last thing Martha ever would have expected: “Let’s get married!” Of course, she thought he was joking, so she replied, “Of course. Let’s call my mom!” To her surprise he did just that and told her mom that he intended to marry her daughter. Her mother asked that he meet her first, and Joe eagerly agreed. The next day he showed up to Martha’s job with a ring. He was seriously ready to make her his wife, without a doubt in his mind. That night they celebrated with a limo ride to a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant and the following day they went to see her mom. “Thankfully, mom liked him and she approved of our engagement,” Martha recalls. Even though it was all happening so fast, Martha and Joe knew they were making the right call. Eighteen days later they said “I do” at a courthouse. This year, to celebrate five years of marital bliss the happy couple renewed their vows on a romantic cruise before their closest friends and family. See their dream wedding and share their love!

Photos: EDF Photography

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