IT was fun and laughter for students of the Corporate Area-based Sts Peter & Paul Preparatory School on Monday as the institution staged a mock wedding for its grade one students.

Mock weddings are part of the primary school curriculum for Religious Education, and aim to teach students about some of the religious practices and traditional belief systems in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

The bride for this occasion was six-year-old Journi-Dior Johnson, with her classmate Xamaire Dickens playing the part of the groom.

The blue and gold wedding theme colours could be seen on entering the corridor that led to the classroom which was the setting for the ceremony and the reception with balloons used to form an arch at the classroom door.

The air was filled with excitement from children dressed elegantly for the mock wedding of their classmates, while smiling teachers and parents looked on.

The girls in the bridal party were regal in blue dresses with white pearls and hair accessories of blue and white ribbons; the boys were sharp in blue suits, with white shirts and ties.

The flower girl was dressed in full white with her wicker basket filled with golden flower leaves. The ring bearer stood outside in his suit of blue holding a small white heart-shaped cushion with the rings neatly attached, just waiting to be placed on the fingers they were intended for.

Then came the groom in his suit of blue, looking a bit eager to get the ceremony on its way.

The bride slowly appeared in her white Cinderella-style dress, layered in chiffon. She wore white pearls, her hair done up in a bun that was decorated with a headpiece of white flowers.

As they positioned themselves to start the wedding, the bridal party made their grand entrance to music from John Legend before the bride walked down the aisle to the traditional wedding instrumental of Here Comes the Bride.

The pastor looked dapper in a black suit and wasted no time in playing his role.

In his vow the groom promised, “To be your friend and also share my snacks with you”. In her vow the bride said, “I will always be there for you in fun and hard times, together we will have fun for ever and ever.”

Having exchanged rings, the pastor pointed out to the couple, “Xamaire and Journi-Dior, you made pretend-promises, to be kind and caring friends, with the power of imagination and play, you are now pretend-husband and wife. You can give each other a high five or a hug.”

The pretend-couple decided to give each other a quick hug leading to cheers and laughter from the guests — parents, teachers and classmates.

The school’s Principal Claudia Nugent told the Jamaica Observer that mock weddings are a standard part of the curriculum and are done based on how children learn at this stage. The event is a symbolic ceremony, designed to provide students with a meaningful and age-appropriate experience related to Christian marriage and its significance in religious life. The interactive activity allows students to gain a practical understanding of family structures, traditions and cultural practices.

She pointed out that mock weddings are a part of the hands-on learning practised at the school.

“I find it [the mock wedding] to be very important because of what we see happening in society, values are no longer being passed on to the children. Children are actually having children, so it is now a mandate for us, so when children leave Sts Peter & Paul, they leave being as sound as is possible, a human being moving on to the next level of their educational journey,” said Nugent.