Kim & Michelle

Photography by Brad Fowler Photography

For Houston couple Kim and Michelle, marriage wasn’t their focus when they set their eyes on a Provincetown vacation two years ago—what was initially meant as a sightseeing trip quickly turned into one of the most special and memorable moments of their life together. 

When looking for places to stay in Provincetown, the couple stumbled upon the Salt Box Inn, as well as their extensive collection of wedding photos. “We had no clue that Provincetown was a gay town,” says Kim, laughing. “When I looked into it and saw the wedding packages the hotel offered, I was like ‘Oh we should get married there.’ We wanted to elope and keep it really small and intimate.” 

While the couple’s intention was to elope, their decision to get married was anything but spontaneous; Kim and Michelle dated for four years. They met through a mutual friend, and quickly hit it off. For Kim, as a mother of three, stability was crucial. “I didn’t want to bring somebody into my life that was going to bring chaos. I didn’t want to be disruptive to their lives,” says Kim about her children. 

Together, Kim and Michelle gradually built a family. “We would commute,” says Kim. “But eventually we moved in together. I got a new job closer to Houston. I moved my kids to a better school district, and we met halfway and found a house that we rented for about a year. That’s when we said, ‘okay, it’s time.’”

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Both Kim and Michelle are fond of the coast, Michelle as an avid traveler and Kim having grown up in the Virgin Islands. They decided that an intimate ceremony on a charter boat would be a magical way to celebrate everything they love about each other and their lives together. Moment Sailing seemed like the perfect fit. An accommodating sailing charter captained by Chris Bartick, who also officiated their wedding aboard a classic Sparkman and Stevens 47-foot sloop, appropriately named Moment the company offered the perfect backdrop for this couple’s love story—a day off the shores of beautiful Cape Cod.  

After telling their family, Kim and Michelle’s plans to elope began to unravel. “My parents came, and her sister and brother came, but we were still the only two on the boat with Chris,” recalls Kim with a laugh about their tenacious loved ones. “We were going to stick to something simple and we ended up in full wedding dresses.” 

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Tricky weather caused the couple to shift the wedding preparations and ceremony last minute, but luckily, everything fell into place thanks to the dedication and commitment of Kim and Michelle’s team of local vendors. “It was a matter of everybody in the whole of P-Town being so accommodating,” says Kim. “Everything was easy and relaxing. It was the first time we actually kissed in front of my parents or anybody else.”    

After the sail, Kim and Michelle were picked up by a pedicab that delivered them to the family dinner they had in lieu of a reception. “Everybody cheered us on as we went through the streets,” Kim recounts fondly. “Michelle doesn’t really like drawing unnecessary attention to herself. She considers herself an introvert. I’m the exact opposite of that. Her phrase is ‘opposites attract.’ We definitely balance each other out.” 

Read about Jennifer & Chad Meyer’s wedding at Chatham Bars Inn

Read about Louise & Justin Adomunes’s reception at Dreamland Theater

Read about Amanda & Max Mancuso’s wedding at Beach Plum Inn