There is no obstacle large enough to stand in the way of Ricardo Clarke and Shauna-Gay Fuller’s love — and certainly not a little tardiness. There he was, the bridegroom, standing composed, smiling with his groomsmen — his bride was on her way.

And, a few minutes after the appointed hour, her car rolled up to the pristine grounds of the University Chapel at Mona. Waiting for her at the chapel’s door was Shauna-Gay’s proud parents, Sonia Fuller and Steadman Fuller — she the statuesque beauty and he the Custos Rotulorum of Kingston.

The bridesmaids came in first — leading the way like a troupe of glittery emissaries in their sultry turquoise and chartreuse dresses. And then in she came on the arms of both parents, glowing in her flowing Alfred Angelo dress. The groom waited at the altar, still smiling. When the group met, he shook Fuller’s hand and took the hand of his bride. There were no signs of nerves, as he had waited for this moment from the day they met.

Ricardo Clarke met Shauna-Gay Fuller six years ago. Shauna was visiting the house of her cousin, retired Jamaican sprinter Juliet Campbell. Juliet is friends with and happened to live close to Davian Clarke, brother of Ricardo and another famous Jamaican sprinter. While visiting his own brother, Ricardo got to meet Shauna through Juliet.

“From there we started out as really good friends,” the bride tells Vows.

And they stayed as good friends for three years, keeping in constant contact, even though she was stationed in Jamaica and he was in the United States. They managed to keep in contact daily — through Yahoo Messenger, AIM and Skype — keeping their laptops going throughout the night.

“Night after night Mommy was like, ‘You on that thing again?'” the bride says, laughing.

When they met again three years ago, however, they knew they were meant to be more than just friends. The besotted couple started visiting each other more frequently — he would visit her in Jamaica in July; she would visit him in Atlanta in September.

A long-distance relationship, however, always presents its challenges.

“There were some hard times,” Ricardo admits gravely.

“But the thing is, with long-distance relationships,” Shauna-Gay chimes in, “if you want it to work, it will.”

The couple started talking about marriage before any serious thought was given to the idea.

“I think maybe we were feeling each other out,” the bride tells us, “just floating the idea out there.”

But soon tragedy struck. The bride suffered severe health complications; she had to be hospitalised, even undergo surgery.

“When he found out,” the bride says, holding Ricardo’s hand, “he was in Jamaica the next day.”

“I was by her side,” the groom continues. “When you go through something like that, the trifling things no longer matter; you put things in perspective and start to realise what you want.”

“That’s why,” the bride tells us confidently, “when the Reverend said to us ‘in sickness and in health’, we could say, ‘yeah, we’ve been there.'”

The ceremony was an ode to the traditional. Lovely bouquets of roses, chrysanthemums, calla lilies and orchids were strewn about the elegant University Chapel — they flanked the chapel doors and the altar and streamed from the standing candelabras that lit the bride’s path up the aisle.

The beautiful couple exchanged vows before a large crowd of friends and family who came from all over the world — Singapore, Italy, London and Africa — to share in their special day. Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie was there, as was friend of the bride’s family and Jamaica Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, along with his stately wife Lady Allen.

A gorgeous white tent was erected on the lawns of Sir Allen’s residence, the majestic King’s House, for the reception. Lovely crystals dangled from the tent’s roof as attendants from the Jamaica Pegasus moved between tables serving guests a delicious four-course meal: cream of breadfruit soup to start, with a stimulating serving of soursop sorbet serving as the intermezza. Chicken breast stuffed with plantain and cheese, grilled fillet of snapper florentine in a lime and ginger butter sauce followed and sweet servings of couple’s delight (a flaky cream pie with generous helpings of fruit) came in as the dessert.

While guests dined, certain family members and friends shared their thoughts about the bride and groom.

Best man and older brother to the groom, Daley O’Neil joked about the squabbles he had with his little brother growing up.

“We may not have done the best job [with him], but you have enough to go with,” he quipped to the bride to gales of laughter from the audience.

His Excellency Sir Patrick Allen had loftier words for the bride and her parents.

“The bride,” he said, “is a recommendation of and a testament to the type of parents [Sonia and Steadman] are.”

The most telling words, however, came from the groom who, overcome with emotion at the sight of his wife, said: “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life right now. She is everything put together in one perfect person.”