TALLAHASSEE — It appeared as if a marriage.
Sixty or 70 visitors at a luxurious Caribbean resort, like the governor and an old Tampa gran. A beaming bride in a white dress with a flower in her hair. A photographer flown into bring photographs of cheerful few with aqua drinking water behind them.
But Attorney standard Pam Bondi claims no ceremony occurred at Ritz-Carlton large Cayman on Saturday. And many inquiries continue to be about when and just why Bondi produced the last-minute choice to not ever become hitched.
Did Bondi bend to traditional critics which felt this lady jaunt across oceans is politically tone-deaf? The 46-year-old today claims she will be wed in a small, private service at a Tampa-area Baptist chapel.
Performed leakage on news blogs and social media sites cause the partners to scared from the visibility? A photograph of Bondi offering cocktails throughout plane journey towards the Cayman countries easily generated the rounds online.
Or perhaps is something most personal and heartbreaking present? Bondi along with her fiance, 62-year-old ophthalmologist Greg Henderson, spent the weekend enjoyable friends and family and therefore are however on a break with each other. But which includesn’t ended folks from wondering whether one of many two got cold legs or if perhaps there seemed to be a prenuptial disagreement.
From vacation, the couple emailed the Times/Herald to state the speculation is actually inaccurate. Stated Henderson: “we have been enjoying a pleasurable and endowed trip and they are fond of each other.”
Bondi has become planning the woman wedding to Henderson for period. In November, she advised the Tampa Bay Times that she is hoping for a spring event. Governmental insiders at some point caught wind that a destination wedding ceremony was actually in the offing for Memorial time week-end, but information had been restricted together with invitees record had been special.
The most important details discussed publicly came from a not likely provider: county Sen.
Paula Dockery, who coincidentally was for a passing fancy industrial flight towards the Cayman Islands on Thursday. She snapped a photo of Bondi offering cocktails into main wedding party and posted it on her behalf fb webpage.
“She looked thus pleased and I also questioned permission to need an image and blog post on FB,” Dockery told the Times/Herald in a-twitter trade. “My intention was to show the woman delight with other people.”
South Florida writer Jose Lambiet caught wind of Dockery’s article and adopted up with a call on the Ritz-Carlton. He mentioned a staffer affirmed the important points.
“She mentioned the wedding was at 5 o’clock on Saturday and they comprise at rehearsal” in the period he labeled as monday, Lambiet said.
Issues changed 24 hours later. Hotel workforce declined Bondi or Henderson comprise friends when Lambiet known as once more so there got don’t mention of a ceremony.
“Saturday I got to thinking, there will be something cooking there,” he stated.
Bondi affirmed into Tampa Bay occasions on Saturday the marriage was actually postponed for a few months but won’t state why. She expressed the week-end as a “celebration of coming nuptials.”
Even a number of the friends asked to become listed on the happy couple in Cayman failed to discover the alteration in plans while they embarked when it comes to Caribbean. Former Tampa Mayor cock Greco said he or she isn’t positive as he learned there won’t end up being a wedding, perhaps in the plane trip there.
“Some know, plus some failed to,” stated Greco, just who moved together with his girlfriend, Linda McClintock. “But people know before Saturday.”
There clearly was however hanging out and even helpful terminology when it comes to bride and groom, but no conformity, Greco said. “they’d a prayer and a couple of Bible scriptures and asserted that is exactly what they’d made a decision to do.”
Greco said he knows when the partners conformed that a service in a church near home might possibly be considerably installing.
“That doesn’t shock me once you understand Greg so long as I known your,” Greco mentioned. “He’s an individual who lives their faith.”
The unique encourage checklist incorporated Gov. Rick Scott and his partner, Ann. Not one of this some other case users or the lieutenant governor are talked about among the friends.
A number of the pals and associates contacted because of the Times/Herald declined to comment. Requested whether the guy considered a marriage was going to take place, Scott answered vaguely on 
Wednesday: “I moved for Pam’s celebration.”
As Scott spent Saturday within the Cayman Islands, Tropical violent storm Beryl threatened northeast Florida. Scott’s workforce mentioned the guy administered the violent storm closely and returned to Fl for planned activities on Sunday and Monday.
“I remained in addition to it the entire time,” the governor mentioned. “whenever we went along to an even 1, I happened to be right here.”
Bondi provides faced by far the most feedback across the weekend, not only when it comes down to secrecy encompassing the girl event ideas nevertheless the facts by themselves.
Greco, that has had his share regarding the limelight, bristled at some negative remarks visitors fond of the attorney general. The girl first decision in order to get married at a Caribbean resort in place of a Florida chapel got private, perhaps not political, the guy mentioned.
Dockery, who is nevertheless vacationing in Cayman, in addition said she was actually surprised from the effect and known as they “absurdity.” She got rid of the image from the girl Facebook wall surface, however it was already copied onto various sites.
“If I had understood this could be anything besides a tremendously happy and lighthearted moment for Pam, I truly won’t posses provided despite her consent,” stated Dockery, a Lakeland Republican.
But Lambiet believes Bondi produced what the guy thinks a publicity catastrophe.
She ended up being naive to think that Floridians would not become interested in the lady event, he said, and must have-been additional forthcoming with what she in the offing.
Past Gov. Charlie Crist first got it in his very publicized 2008 event to Carole Rome, relating to Lambiet. Fascinated residents obtained outside of the St. Petersburg church to brighten regarding the partners, and Crist made sure the media got all the images they desired, the writer mentioned.
“I think she were unsuccessful miserably at a potential PR coup,” Lambiet mentioned, creating note that Bondi’s title has become floated as another gubernatorial candidate. “assuming you simply can’t handle this, how could you handle a campaign?”
Except that the couple’s e-mail belated Wednesday nights, Bondi will not be viewed or read from. We realize this woman is on vacation with Henderson however much else.
Nonetheless, something is clear: It isn’t really a vacation.