It was an intimate 4:00 pm ceremony at the Tropical Beach in Montego Bay on May 18, for Kenton Burrell, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall event coordinator, and his fiancée Michelle Morton, platinum director at DFI/Coastal Travel. Vows shares their love story.

How They Met (as told by Michelle)…

We met at Beaches Negril where Kenton was employed. I was here on vacation from New York. The minute I saw him I knew there was something special about him, something so intriguing that added to his charm, which he’d usually express in song. Kenton is a performer; he loves to sing. His voice would soothe my soul each time I heard him; I knew we were meant to be. We would talk via text and FaceTime for days on end after I returned home. It became harder and harder each time to leave him behind. I travelled back and forth six times within the year until I finally decided to live with Kenton in Negril. In February we moved to Montego Bay, and I’ve never been happier.

The Proposal…

I remember it like it was yesterday. We had been dating for over a year when he proposed. It was my birthday, March 17. He took me to dinner at Facebaar Restaurant in Montego Bay. Apparently his plans were in the works days before my birthday, because as soon as I started having my meal, I found a ring. I immediately knew what was happening and started smiling from ear to ear. He went down on one knee, but, before he said a single word, I said yes!

The Ceremony…

Silver, pink and white were the colour scheme for the seaside wedding decorated by Chic-Events Jamaica event manager Sadeki Watson and her team. Seating for 40 guests included silver chairs adorned with stems of fuchsia and white roses, as well as stems of white dendrobium orchids. The orchid theme continued at the altar where white and pink dendrobiums and palm leaves adorned the sheer four-post chuppah canopy. The strains of Wagner’s Bridal Chorus amid the whispering breeze signalled the bridal party’s entrance. The bridesmaids were stylish in strapless grey chiffon gowns from Allure Bridal and matching silver necklaces with pearl pendants. Their bouquets comprised white and fuchsia dendrobium orchids. The groomsmen looked spiffy in grey pants and vests with pink and grey ties and grey shirts, while Kenton opted for a pink shirt, and polka-dot bow tie to complement his grey pants and vest ensemble, completing the look with a pink rose and white orchid boutonnière.

The bride entered, escorted by her son Collin and daughter Ainsley to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. Make-up artist Rashel Edwards created a fresh-faced look for the blushing bride. Her curly auburn hair was pulled back, dotted with clusters of rhinestones, and secured with a beaded bandeau. She wore an ivory sweetheart-neckline ruched mermaid gown from Allure Bridal, designed with a chapel train and exquisite beading along the bust, which accented the hip and flared to the hem. When Pastor Easton Lawrence declared the couple man and wife, they sealed it with a kiss, and left the altar to Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years. Post-nuptials, the bridal party made their way to the Aqueduct, Rose Hall for wedding photographs.

The Reception…

LED lights illuminated the clear-top tented reception area draped with sheer white fabric. Fancy pink and white table settings lined the U-shaped dining area surrounding the dance floor. Cylindrical vases of varying heights, containing floating orchids and candles, formed the centrepieces. The sweetheart table had heart-shaped votive candles and a hanging crystal backdrop.

The newly-weds danced their way into the reception to New Flame by Chris Brown featuring Usher and Rick Ross. Kenton then led his wife to the dance floor where they danced for the first time as husband and wife to Celiné Dion’s Because You Love Me. Cake-cutting duties followed with the two cutting their two-tiered wedding cake created by Cakes by Noida.

Formalities handled by emcee Neisha Jones commenced post dinner with toasts to the bride and groom by the maid of honour. DJ Asarie Crowl’s (now deceased) master-mix of 2015 pop hits signalled party time. The newly-weds and their guests partied into the wee hours of the morning.