In my solar system, you are the sun

Feels like my life’s just begun

Girl, I love how you shine

And I’m so glad you’re mine, baby

I’d walk with my head in the clouds

My heart from the bottom, I vow

I’ll hold

Nobody’s hand but yours

You can believe for sure

I’ll be nobody’s man but yours, baby.

— Nobody by Brian McKnight

R&B crooner Brian McKnight’s dark and velvety lower register echoed throughout the High Mountain Ball Room as Shana Howard and Horatio Forbes shared their first dance as newly-weds, in front of approximately 30 family and friends, many of whom had flown to Jamaica to witness the couple take their first steps into forever on a glass aisle floating above crystal-clear waters at Sandals Ochi.

The May 1, 2025 nuptials was a full-circle moment for the couple who had met in 2007, at their first job at the Electoral Office of Jamaica. “We developed a friendship and had a special liking for each other. After a year, I got another job opportunity elsewhere, and even though we didn’t communicate often, we would run into each other occasionally,” Shana tells Tuesday Style Vows (TSV).

In 2014, Horatio decided to migrate to the United States, but not before calling Shana to let her know about his plans while encouraging her to take the same path. Shana eventually followed suit and moved to America in 2015. Being in a new country they were faced with several challenges and did not communicate as often as they would have liked. When they did speak, however, they encouraged and motivated each other that things would get better. He would always say, “Wait fi mi, enuh, mi a come marry yuh,” shares Shana. “I would always respond with a laugh.”

The two rekindled their friendship in October 2022. Shana was on a long drive from Orlando, Florida, and felt the need to check in on Horatio, with whom she longed to speak. That phone call, she says, turned into both of them meeting at a Starbucks in West Palm Beach. “The light bulb finally went off,” says Shana.

And just like that, the 17-year friendship began blossoming into a beautiful love story.

Within two years, they found a love like no other. “The years together have been nothing short of peaceful,” Shana tells TSV. “Even when we experienced a few bumps that life threw at us, our unity has caused us to overcome with grace.”

In May 2023, 33,000 feet in the air, and in front of 175 passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from St Louis, Missouri, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Horatio popped the question. Her eyes flooded with tears of joy and her heart bubbling with love, Shana said yes!

Now both flight attendants, the couple figured a destination wedding was fitting. “We love travelling and wanted our families and friends to experience staying at a luxurious resort, and for some of our friends who had never been to Jamaica to experience our home country,” explains Shana. They booked everyone through their travel agency, Forbes Travel Services.

Saying “I do” among Jamaica’s most breathtaking backdrops and stunning venues, at Sandals Ochi, was worth the trip! At 10:00 am, on Thursday, May 1, 2025, Shana was escorted up the aisle by her brother Kenneth Dennis, and mother Dawn Fisher to Forever by Jason Nelson. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Andre John.

The wedding celebrations concluded, they continued the excitement at a reception in the High Mountain Ballroom, where Mr and Mrs Horatio Forbes took their first dance to Nobody by Brian McKnight.

“Our reception was beautiful, we had all our favourite Jamaican foods… We danced up a storm with music played by our friend DJ Fyah Mike from Fyah Mike Entertainment, while our photographer Bryan Smith captured the moments. We are forever grateful for our Sandals wedding team who made our dream destination wedding a reality. Our onsite wedding planner, Michelle, was beyond amazing,” says Shana.

The newly-weds honeymooned at Sandals Ochi.