Nancy & Tom Finn   March 24, 1983 & October 4, 2007

As a bride-to-be, you can only imagine the next 20 years together. But recent bride, Nancy Finn, lived the role of wife and business partner for 23 years before her recent nuptials to Tom Finn, the same man she believed she was married to all along. Confused? Imagine how she felt!

Twenty-three years ago, a minister married Nancy and Tom, even issuing the newlyweds a certificate of marriage. They lived happily together, built a life and travel business, Island Getaways, specializing in honeymoons and destination weddings.

In August 2007, Nancy started to research social security benefits and learned she needed to obtain a copy of her marriage certificate from the courthouse. Lo and behold, officials told the couple there was no license on file. Tom quickly went home, got their copy, and brought it to the courthouse. It was then they learned that twenty odd years ago, the minister did not file the appropriate paperwork, thus their marriage was not legally binding. Uh oh!!

"We couldn't believe it," Tom and Nancy recall. Given the couple's profession of planning destination weddings and honeymoons, it seemed ironic yet appropriate they could now plan their own. After ten years and over 400 destination weddings, it was their turn, however unexpected. "We never imagined it would be us," she says.

They weren't nervous about the planning though, because Nancy and Tom knew from years of experience with Couples Resorts that they were in good hands. Timing worked in the couple's favor, as they were getting ready to attend an annual celebration party at Couples Swept Away Resort in Negril, Jamaica. With only six short weeks to plan their big day, Nancy trusted the staff implicitly to select flowers, music, food, and manage all the other details.

As it were, Tom and Nancy had already invited their closest friends and family to the celebration cum wedding, so the guest list was set. On the day of their departure, Tom, Nancy, and about a dozen friends arrived at Chicago's O'Hare Airport at 4:00 in the morning. Upon reaching check-in, the couple realized that neither one had their passports. A momentary mix-up turned into an hour of panicked searching, while Tom and Nancy stood on the curb waving as their guests prepared to board.

"We were speechless," Nancy says of imagining their guests going to Jamaica for their wedding without the bride and groom. A final search of the car revealed the passports, which slipped below the console. The pair hopped a shuttle and rushed to the gate. 'There, the Air Jamaica crew and all their friends cheered when "we walked in at the eleventh hour," Tom says.

After a stressful arrival, their wedding day proved to be far more relaxing and romantic. Special people surrounded the couple at every turn including Nancy's daughter, Aimee, as maid-of-honor, their grandson, Kale, as best man. As word spread of Tom and Nancy's impromptu wedding, some guests made plans to surprise the couple. Long time business colleagues and friends including