…Next time I fall in love

I’ll know better what to do

Next time I fall in love

It will be with you.

Next Time I Fall In Love by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant

Love was hardly top of mind when Early Childhood Education Officer Lesley Ann Wedderburn met veterinary technician Ricardo Miller. This chance encounter would evolve not only into a second chance at love but the happy ending she unknowingly longed for. The two tied the knot on October 20, 2024, at 23 Tucker Avenue in Kingston.

Ricardo was introduced to Lesley Ann in 2016 by a mutual friend who thought that she would be a suitable match for him. When they did meet for the first time, Ricardo admitted that she was not initially receptive.

“She wasn’t open at first because in her head she wasn’t looking for anybody,” Ricardo told
Tuesday Style Vows (TSV).

However, with both of them being single parents and his daughter attending the same daycare as her children, they would have a mutual connection that opened the door to friendship. That friendship would build over time, as their conversations, in between the daily challenges of parenthood, would become longer and impactful.

It was months into their meeting when on a night out, Lesley Ann would challenge Ricardo to write down his feelings for her. His note was the key that opened the door to her heart.

“What I was looking for at that point in my life was a sense of purpose, having someone there to make me feel appreciated… I needed a safe place. She gave me that feeling that this is my happy place and this is where I want to be for the rest of my life,” Ricardo said.

The note piqued her interest! Plus, Ricardo’s relentless drive and ambition not only enticed her but gave her the confidence to give love a second chance.

“He was a man who knew what he was about. He had goals, he had ambition. He put my interest first. And I think all of that made me gravitate towards him, because having come out of a long-term relationship that didn’t work out, he would have proven to me that there is still hope,” related Lesley Ann.

Two years later, in 2018, they would seal their commitment to each other in a far-from-traditional manner. Ricardo proposed to her with a promise ring, pledging their futures together. While blending both families was challenging, their determination to make the relationship work would eventually unify them.

“I was quite surprised and from there I think it was just because of all of the obstacles that we would have had to go through on each side, because with him being a single father and me being a single mother, I would have had children that would be at the stage where they only knew me,” Lesley Ann said. “So the challenge was them accepting him. We would have been together for eight years before getting married. But what I did know was that, no matter what, we’d do whatever was needed to be together.”

Lesley Ann insisted that they would wait for the right opportunity to celebrate their union with their family and friends. The right time came last October, during an intimate gathering with only their close family and friends present. The venue was elegantly decorated by Paulette Sutherland. Escorted by her father, Sydney Wedderburn, Lesley Ann walked up the aisle in a mermaid dress by Unions Bridal to A Thousand Wishes, ready to seize her happy ending with Ricardo. The pair pledged their futures towards each other under the guidance of wedding officiant Rev Paulette Wright, before sealing their union with a kiss to the cheers of their loved ones.

The reception held at the same venue was a festive affair, with guests enjoying a delicious spread prepared by Denise Cargill. Additionally, Cargill created the wedding cake, a layered tiramisu and cheesecake. Among the toasts given, Lesley Ann was particularly touched by the one delivered by her friend Keriene Collins-Salmon, who not only celebrated who they were as a couple but was thankful that they treated their relationship as a partnership.

In keeping with their fun-loving nature, the couple’s first dance was a mash-up of the iconic ballad Next

Time I Fall In Love by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant. The tempo picked up as they grooved to Shenseea’s
You’re The One I Love, Lesley Ann’s favourite. The finale was Chris Brown’s Forever.

The couple later honeymooned at Couples Tower Isle.