End of love’s dream

A Maltese couple managed to wiggle themselves out of a “crazy” wedding after they got married on the spur of the moment at a dream Jamaican resort.

It had all the ingredients of an epically romantic start to a happy-ever-after marriage. After a whirlwind romance of a few months, the couple decided to fly to Jamaica for a romantic break.

I couldn’t believe till the very end that we were actually getting married. I felt it was crazy- Woman

Once there, at a Sandals hotel – an all-inclusive beachfront estate – the atmosphere, the white sand and the pristine aquamarine blue of the Caribbean Sea all conspired to have both in a trance of sorts.

A poster in the hotel, advertising wedding ceremonies, tipped the scales and he proposed. She was thrilled and in just half an hour they settled their plans.

On the day, the couple walked down to the beach with the wedding organiser and the official photographer, who had to double as witnesses in the absence of relatives or friends.

Just 20 minutes later, on September 19, 2005, the ceremony was over and they were officially husband and wife.

The honeymoon was idyllic but the cracks in their union started appearing as soon as they returned to real life in Malta.

The woman, who filed for civil annulment, told Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri she knew from the outset that it was a “crazy” idea to get married like that.

“I couldn’t believe till the very end that we were actually getting married. I felt it was crazy,” she said, admitting to falling for the “dreamy” environment.

Trouble started practically as soon as they landed back home.

The judge noted that “it was clear that they did not want to continue their life together based on reciprocal love and procreation”. In fact, after a short period of time, the couple went their separate ways.

In court, the man declared he supported the woman’s request for separation and corroborated her version of events.

“The court believes this marriage was a non-starter when the couple got married without even knowing each other and on the spur of the moment, so much so that (the woman) couldn’t even believe that they were actually getting married,” Mr Justice Cuschieri said in his judgement.

He, therefore, upheld the woman’s request and declared the marriage null.