Scores of elegantly clad guests were escorted into the air-conditioned gazebo erected in the gardens at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, on Saturday, July 4, where Jessica Hylton, attorney-at-law and founder/editor of vegetarian/vegan food blog Jessica in the Kitchen would exchange vows with entrepreneur Gavin Leckie. The arrangements, from the accomplished duo of Paulette Bellamy on violin and Jon Williams on keyboard, ranged from Handel’s Water Music to the Marriage of Figaro and found favour with many, as did the exquisite Ingrid Peralto statement clusters of vanilla, quick sand, mini white, chocolate white and creme de la creme roses, blue and white hydrangeas, white berries sprayed gold, chrysanthemums and blush peach carnations, which left no doubt that we were all in Jessica’s garden of paradise, or rather, her themed Gatsby setting. Bottles of water and fans made the affair even more comfy.

To Make You Feel My Love…

The strains of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel signalled the arrival of the bridal party. The groomsmen in bespoke Carlton Brown afternoon grey suits escorted the groom, dapper in a black Carlton Brown tuxedo, to the altar where officiating minister Reverend Dr Webster Edwards was already in place. The bridesmaids 0 picture-perfect in Adrianna Papell sequinned dresses, as was the flower girl Angelica Hylton. The ring bearer Grailin Simmons, who signalled the bride’s imminent arrival with a sign, was absolutely adorable. The excitement was almost palpable as maid of honour Ashli Hew parted the draped chiffon curtains and the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner heralded the bride’s arrival. Jessica looked exquisite in an Oleg Cassini sheer silhouette gown with intricate beading along the bodice; her blusher veil covered her hair, styled with curls and tucked at the nape into a chignon. Escorted by a proud and sartorially elegant dad Lance Hylton and clutching a bouquet of white mikado roses, chocolate vanilla white roses, blush peach roses, sprayed peach roses, akito roses and two gold brooches (something old courtesy of her beloved mum). The bride radiated joy as she flashed a megawatt smile and continued her walk up the aisle to her groom.

Who gives this woman away? “We do” was the response from both Lance and Judy Hylton. Tears and laughter would punctuate the wedding ceremony. The single hymn Be Our Chief Guest, Lord (sung to the tune of Morning Has Broken) and the words … “Bless all who brought us up from our childhood, caring, forgiving through the long day” spoke to the couple’s heartfelt affection for their respective families, a theme that would be brought once more to the fore as Rev Dr Webster Edwards spoke of the sanctity of marriage and the example their parents had set. Brianna Leckie read a lesson while Ana Strachan, the wedding cantor, performed Adele’s Make You Feel My Love during which the couple signed their marriage certificate.

Pronounced husband and wife the couple exited to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.

This Will Be An Everlasting Love

The exquisite garden setting was a mere taste of the many wow factors of Gavin and Jessica’s special day. Cocktail period over, guests stepped into a Gatsby-inspired, glitz-and-glamour-transformed Grand Jamaica Suite for a flapper soiree. Ingrid Peralto, Francine Bingham, along with their family company Sparkles Productions, pulled out all the stops for this one.

The newly-weds entered the ballroom to lusty applause and to Natalie Cole’s This Will Be (an everlasting love) and joined members of their bridal party at the 10-foot-long head table — the head table riser was 24x12x2 feet high — draped in flowers — chrysanthemums and blush peach carnations with black and white ostrich feathers, white local orchids and crystal candelabra with blush-coloured candles. Guests sat at tables each with a unique setting like gumball-sized pearls and crystals and Champagne buckets of Moët & Chandon. White and red wines were poured ahead of an elaborate executive chef Mark Cole and team-created dinner that commenced with lobster bisque. Guests would then move from live pasta stations, to the carvery, seafood and poultry station ahead of an array of desserts.

This wedding will long be remembered for its formidable musical styling and Bellamy, Williams and Strachan made a smooth baton change to Harold Davis and Marie Myrie whose impressive repertoire from Roberta Flack’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face to Nat King Cole sprinkled with Bob Marley kept all in a mellow mood.

The evening’s master-of-cermonies Alecia Moulton-White handled the proceedings with aplomb and kept the formalities moving at a smart pace. A toast to the bride came from maid of honour Ashli Hew, to the groom from his best man Daren McGregor, the bride’s parents from longtime family friend and Minister of Science, Technology, Energy & Mining Phillip Paulwell and the groom’s, Keith Baker. The groom’s response elicited laughter as he recalled how he met Jessica and his reaction “to that little slice of heaven”… Jessica’s Baileys cheesecake at a Superbowl party hosted by mutual friend and acclaimed matchmaker Christopher Henry. It took all of one forkful for Gavin to declare that he would marry the woman responsible for creating the dessert… It would prove no idle boast! Gavin heaped praises on both sets of parents for their love and support. The newly-weds were then led through the cutting of their five-tier Selena Wong masterpiece, which was draped in pearls and dotted with rhinestones and white carnations.

An emotional father/daughter dance followed with Jessica shedding tears as she waltzed in her father’s arms to T Carter Music’s Daddy’s Angel.

The timing could not have been better (for there were few dry eyes) as a flash mob decended on the dance floor where they danced to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk. Soon joined by the bridal party for the performance of a lifetime it took little time for the dance floor to fill and stay filled, thanks to DJ Smoke, until the wee hours of the morning.

The couple are enjoying their honeymoon in the City of Lights ahead of Italy.