WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland — Time stood still on Jamaica’s south coast as Christine Carroll Rhodes prepared to walk down the aisle. Beyond the sound of her heavy breathing, she could hear the gently crashing waves, the symphony of island birds and music … yes, there was a sweet, soft music coming from somewhere.

In the distance she could see her destination — the Overwater Wedding Chapel, a unique wedding location at Sandals South Coast and the first of its kind in Jamaica. With its spectacular panoramic views of long reefs, it would have been easy to get lost in the moment, but then she saw him — Arthur Lawrence Kuntzman, the love of her life.

This moment had been 37 years in the making for Christine and Arthur, both from Collierville, Tennessee.

“We were high school sweethearts,” said Arthur.

“And you’ve probably seen our storyline on the silver screen,” Christine added. “I was the high school cheerleader and he was the football jock.”

It had the makings of a perfect love story, but fate willed otherwise. Christine married twice and became a mom to three wonderful children, while Arthur fathered four children of his own from two previous marriages.

Coming from a small town, Christine and Arthur would always see each other around, particularly at weddings and funerals.

Arthur admits that he always loved Christine, but the time just never seemed right. Two years ago, however, that all changed.

“A friend of mine came to me one day and said, ‘Guess who’s single again?’” said Christine, who was also out of a relationship at the time. “I reached out to Arthur via Facebook and that eventually led to a date.”

After that date, Christine and Arthur were inseparable.

“I’ve never been quite so happy”, said Christine, “and I didn’t think it could get any better.”

But it did. It was January 25, 2016. Christine and her girlfriends were out dining in Memphis, Tennessee, when Arthur strolled in casually.

“I was a bit surprised to see him there”, Christine recalls, “and then he popped the question.”

Arthur says they both cried.

Christine notes that after the proposal they were both excited to start planning the wedding. Both had already had big weddings and this time they wanted something different. “We just wanted it to be about us,” said Christine.

A DESTINATION WEDDING

Stephanie Garner was a travel agent for Travel Leaders and, most importantly, a trusted friend of Christine’s.

“Stephanie was the one who suggested a destination wedding,” said Christine. “She gave us three options, one of them was Sandals South Coast in Jamaica, and after looking at the pictures we were hooked.”

Stephanie also mentioned to the couple that a new Overwater Wedding Chapel was being constructed at the resort, and she felt it might be a good location for a wedding if it was ready by the time they visited.

“Lucky for us, it was completed right in time for our visit, and the minute we saw it, we knew that was where we wanted to exchange our vows,” said Christine. “We were also thrilled to learn that we would be the first couple to wed at this magical little chapel.”

Vowing to keep it simple, the couple selected the Sandals WeddingMoon beautiful beginnings wedding package, and opted for a customised bouquet of bright red roses. They also met a couple at the resort who stood in as their witnesses.

“We loved everything about our Sandals WeddingMoon — from the amazing sunsets at the resort’s Latitudes Bar, to the large pools and daytime activities, and, of course, there was the convenience of having our personal butlers, Devaughn and Kemar, attend to our every need,” said Arthur.

“It was indeed a one of a kind, stress free experience, not to mention a lot more cost-effective than a wedding back home,” Christine added.

The beautiful Overwater Wedding Chapel where Christine and Arthur tied the knot is located just off Sandals South Coast’s Italian Riviera, a picturesque chapel that can seat up to 20 family members and friends for a truly intimate ceremony. The seaside décor within the chapel includes a driftwood altar, polished with a silver leaf finish, and an aisle of tempered glass panels allowing guests to view the marine life below. The chapel’s open-air design also features glass doors on all four sides that can open all the way up to really let the outdoors in.