Friends in love, some may call it, or destined to be. One thing we know for sure is that we are meant to be. — Mr & Mrs Anthony Calvert

Anneika Oakley and Anthony Calvert were primary school sweethearts. Both met at Boundbrook Primary School, Portland. “Being so young and having feelings like this was unexplainable. All I knew is we would look forward to seeing each other, whether it was after school or at church for choir practices. The crush was real. We made it official when we were 10 years old,” Anneika told Tuesday Style Vows (TSV).

Indeed, they still have and cherish the love letters they would write to each other.

As they grew their lives took different paths but their solid friendship remained. No surprise that eventually all roads would lead right back to a single but merged path. “There were two things we would always look forward to each year: the Christmas season where we would talk all night, and attending church service on New Year’s Eve. Once that clock struck midnight, we would find each other for that New Year’s kiss,” revealed Anneika.”We were kids at the time but the memories live on.”

As did the letter-writing, as 20 years later the two are still writing love letters to each other, only this time as a family. Countless overseas trips and conversations that would continue into the wee hours of the morning were the glue that held their relationship together. Their bond got even stronger when their little princess was born, and what better way to embrace the true definition of love than to tie the knot?

Anthony proposed on August 14, 2021, at a candle-lit dinner next to the beach at Royalton Blue Waters. During the hotel’s live band performance, he went up and took the microphone and waited for the waiter to get Anneika before he popped the question in front of an excited audience. She said “Yes!”

The two sealed their everlasting love on Saturday, July 9, in an elegant Shevanise Lee Wedding & Events Ltd setting that featured an infinity arch with floral arrangements and shades of blush pink and navy blue by the poolside at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel.

Anneika made a dramatic entrance in an ivory luxury mermaid gown with sweetheart neckline from Lux Brides Ja️. Her bridal look was enhanced with a zirconia crystal necklace, earrings and hair jewels also from Lux Brides Ja. She carried a bouquet of blush pink roses, lilies and hydrangeas and was escorted to her bridegroom by both her parents Upton and Phyllis Oakley.

At the final strains of Major’s Why I Love You, Reverend Robert A Phillips stepped forward to commence the proceedings.

From the poolside guests then repaired to the hotel’s Pavilion for the reception where wedding compère Tanecia Johnson introduced members of the bridal party who made their entrance to Ding Dong’s Happiness, followed by the newly-weds to Vybz Kartel’s X (All Of Your Exes) and Patoranking’s My Woman My Everything featuring Wande Coal.

Speeches followed dinner as, too, the unveiling and cutting of the three-tiered chocolate, vanilla and rum cake by Racquel Chen/@Bakehouseja.

During the first dance the groom surprised his bride with a performance from saxophonist Richie Sax, who played a few of her favourites.

Thereafter, guests joined the newly-weds as they partied into the night to the spins of DJ Genesis Entertainment.

The newly-weds spent their honeymoon at AC Kingston Hotel.