Dearest reader, by now, you’ve undoubtedly heard the chatter, among the ton, about the Trident Castle nuptials of attorney-at-law and councillor for the Duhaney Park Division Lady Michelle Alexis Thomas and building contractor and entrepreneur Lord Patrick Nelson. A wedding even Lady Whistledown would approve of!

It’s no secret that Bridgerton has stolen the hearts of nearly everyone with a
Netflix subscription. And though fans are enamoured with the tantalising plotlines and high society gossip, it is the romantic Regency aesthetic that anchors the love affair. Michelle, a self-proclaimed Bridgerton fan, says her love for all things royal began a few years before the series’ December 2020 debut.

In 2018, she was part of the delegation of 50 young people who travelled to London for the Commonwealth Youth Forum. “I met the Duchess of Sussex Meghan, and her husband, Prince Harry. It was just something I was never exposed to, and that experience really transformed my outlook,” Michelle tells Tuesday Style Vows (TSV). A subsequent trip to Azerbaijan, a country divided partially between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, where she attended a lavish dinner party that included knightsmen and sword fights, also inspired her love for pomp and circumstance.

“When I got engaged — Patrick proposed on May 27, 2023, at Michelle’s 32nd retro-themed birthday party — Bridgerton was trending at the time, and I had always said I wanted a European-style wedding. I decided to marry the concepts and make it mine,” she explains.

And so it was that, with the help of Avant Garde Media, the couple sent out scroll invitations with personalised calligraphy that looked like it came straight from the 1800s.

Planning took a year. And despite a change in wedding planner four months into the process, finding out they were expecting and subsequently changing the wedding dresses, Michelle and Patrick emerged as wedding season’s diamonds with an enchanting celebration curated by Franciene Foster of Jamaica Wedding Concierge. “My parents have been married for 40 years. I was raised in a family where you get married, and you stick it out. There is no room for divorce. So, I said, I’m only getting married once, and I’m going to make this big and grand because this is something that I have to look at forever,” Michelle tells TSV.

The ceremony…

And so, on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with the historic Trident Castle as a scenic backdrop, Michelle got her dream. She said “I do” to her love, Patrick, in a Bridgerton-themed ceremony attended by Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby and over 100 close friends and family.

But the grand entrance came first! At approximately 5:35 pm as Enya’s Sail Away permeated the air, and Patrick stood in wait, cameras clicked as Michelle traversed the Turtle Crawle Harbour towards Pegg Point. The bride — dressed in a US$20,000 custom Brides by Nona stunner — exited the boat and made her way up the castle’s storied back steps. She was then escorted up the aisle by her father Errol Thomas to the Accel String Quartet’s rendition of Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years. Damion Austin from On Call Weddings Ja officiated the ceremony. After the exchange of vows, rings, and a record-breaking, minutes-long kiss, the couple was now husband and wife! “It is with the greatest honour and delight that I present to you Lord and Lady Nelson,” said Austin as the couple headed down the aisle to This Will Be by Natalie Cole.

Cocktails…

As photogs captured the newlyweds on the iconic grounds, guests were escorted through the castle for a tea party cocktail hour by the poolside and back lawn. Chef Jerron Green crafted the most exquisite charcuterie board served in tandem with with ornate, gilt-edged china tableware.

The reception…

From a show-stopping entrance, the couple first dance as newly-weds to Giving Myself by Jennifer Hudson, a tender father-daughter dance to New Birth Wildflower’s Let Her Cry For She’s A Lady, and live performances from reggae crooner Ghost and the couple’s favourite artiste Lila Iké, the reception was as entertaining as it was epic!

Now, more than a week after their nuptials, the couple is still on cloud nine. “It was exactly how we expected. A wedding with class, high attention to details… a fairytale experience. We spared no expense and we are happy with the results as the experience will be etched in our minds forever. We have a hand-painting, loads of photos and even just the thought of our favourite artiste Lila Iké singing to us made this experience for both of us breathtaking,” shares the Nelsons.

The couple are set to honeymoon in Indonesia in December!

CREDITS

Venue: Trident Castle

Event Designer: Franciene Foster, Jamaica Wedding Concierge

MC & Officiant: Damion Austin, On Call Weddings Ja

Make-up: Gabrielle Waite, @gabbyglamco

Hair: Elizabeth IV Touch, @elizabethivtouch

Catering & Bar: Trident Castle

Signage & Props: Dwayon Construction, @builtbydwayon

Florals: Fresh Flowers

Cake: Sweet Mischief, @sweetmischiefja

DJ & Lighting: Kofie Simpson, @djkofie876

Photo & video: Negus Multimedia

Orchestra: Accel String Quartet