“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things; Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13: 7-8

Veterinarian Dr Denise Cole and Animal Scientist Dean Avril are still on cloud nine after tying the knot on November 28 at the Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Vows introduces Mr and Mrs Dean Avril. College sweethearts… As fate would have it, St Luciaborn Dean Hervé Avril met Denise Carlette Andrea Cole in 2008 at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, where he was pursuing a degree in Animal Science and Agriculture, while she studied Veterinary Medicine; their friendship was inevitable.

After four years, the relationship grew beyond the ‘just friends’ label. Two years later, they were making plans for a wedding. “Dean proposed on his birthday, October 20, 2014, days before my graduation ceremony,” Denise recalls.

“We were in Tobago. Dean decided to give me a tour of the island, and introduce me to one of his favourite spots overlooking the coastline. He popped the question at sunset. I was surprised, but not so surprised, and ecstatic at the same time. I said yes immediately. We started planning a wedding in Jamaica for convenience, and because Dean planned to move here eventually.”

Before the ‘I Do’s’… Guests were greeted with a cooling station on the outside with personalised water and handmade programme fans. The interior was as gorgeous as it was picturesque with a stunning backdrop of waves crashing onto the shoreline just behind the altar. The KW Events & Rentals team led by Kerry-Ann Wedderburn made Dean and Denise’s dream wedding into a reality.

There were floral arrangements at the entrance of the aisle in silver metallic urns on a white pedestal containing hydrangeas, roses, baby’s breath, chrysanthemums, spider mums and cremons.

The wedding colours were blue, lime green and purple. The pews were lined with hydrangeas and baby’s breath wrapped with white satin ribbon. Approximately 100 of the couple’s family and friends from Trinidad, Canada, the USA, Guyana, St Lucia, Barbados, and the US Virgin Islands witnessed their nuptials which were officiated by Father Howard James. A nervous Dean stood at the altar awaiting his radiant bride. He was dapper in an indigo Giovanni Galli threepiece suit with black piping and trimmings, a purple paisley tie, purple and blue pocket square and purple boutonnière with purple lisianthus, baby’s breath, and green hypericum berries. In groups of two, the bridal party made their way to the altar. Unique Bridal & Tux in St Ann’s Bay provided the groomsmen’s outfits.

They wore black tuxedos with silver satin ties and pink rose boutonnières, while best man Marc-Anthony Phillip wore a blue satin tie. The women wore delicate chiffon dresses in an indigo gradient and carried bouquets of fuchsia roses, hypericum berries, baby’s breath and lisianthus tied with a sheer purple ribbon. Denise’s niece and nephew Zahra and Zachary Philbert were the flower girl and ring bearer. John Legend’s All Of Me signalled Denise’s entrance. She was escorted up the aisle by her mother Claudette Cole, her gown grazing the 35-foot ivory runner. It was a white strapless Sottero and Midgley A-line gown with a ruched bodice, a diamondencrusted waistband and layered tulle skirting.

Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun with curls along her cheek, covered by a rhinestone-trimmed elbow veil. She carried a bouquet of white roses, baby’s breath, calla lilies and hypericum berries tied with a sheer white ribbon. The lighting of the unity candle commenced the formalities, while the hymn O Perfect Love played. A ceremonial prayer by Father Howard followed. The two exchanged vows and rings, then signed the wedding register while Julie Rogers’ The Wedding played in the background. After a second unity candle ritual, Dean and Denise were presented as husband and wife. They left the altar to the hymn You By My Side, and made their way to the reception in a black ’87 Rolls Royce. The wedding party was ushered to the falls for photographs during cocktail hour.

The reception…

…followed at the Konoko Falls at Shaw Park, overlooking the North Coast. Cocktail hour had bistro tables in the wedding colours and lounge furniture with throw cushions. The signing table had floral arrangements as well as love quotes on mini easels. There was also a six-foot-long dessert station loaded with mini desserts by KukUp Kreations. Almond Tree Restaurant catered scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and Ocean’s 11 Seafood and Watering Hole handled the bar service.

The head table was on a one-foot riser with a half-moon table covered by a white pin-tuck tablecloth. The guest dining tables had royal purple tablecloths with lime green table runners anchored by silver Chiavari chairs and charger plates.

The centrepiece comprised three cylindrical vases in tiers, with floating candles on an octagonal mirror platter, surrounded by votive and tea light candles. The duo of DJ Wacka and emcee/Denise’s aunt Claire Robinson announced the arrival of the wedding party. They danced their way into the reception to Bruno Mars’ Marry You. Everyone rose to their feet to welcome Dean and Denise, who entered in step to Sugar by Maroon 5.

Denise had changed into an ivory laceoverlay halter dress with an open back. Dining took place under a clear-top tent draped in white. After a scrumptious dinner, the duo opened the floor for toasts. Patricia Braham, Denise’s “halfmom” and mother of her friend Michelle Braham, had everyone in stitches when she revealed her expectations for grandchildren from Denise and Dean. Marcia Thompson created the fruitcakes and miniature cupcakes which stood on glass pillars in a floating display.

The newly-weds hit the floor for their first dance to dance mixes compliments of DJ Wacka. Following this, Dean, who is also a part-time deejay, took over the DJ booth, declaring the dance floor open.

As the newly-weds put it, “The reception was amazing.” There was only one request, “…if we could have it our way, we would have been delighted to party until sunrise.”