Vows: Two hearts beat as one
We were friends first,” recalled Astill. “Her smile and beauty captivated me. Then I discovered that she had all the qualities I was looking for in a woman — God-fearing, wonderful and caring,” he continued. Having met at Jamaica Broilers in June of 2004 and worked together for years, the couple fell in love.
Taking romance to the next level…
September 10, 2012 — Juliet’s birthday.
Astill arranged dinner at a popular restaurant to celebrate her birthday. During dinner, he asked the waiter to place the ring in her drink before bringing it to the table. She spotted the ring! He went down on one knee and proposed. A surprised but elated Juliet said “Yes!”
The Wedding
The couple tied the knot three months later, on December 15. The theme of the wedding was ‘Twin Hearts’, which was expertly portrayed in the lovely décor done by Joni Harrison of Writes Creation. The bride walked up the aisle — strewn with white petals, designed in the shape of twin hearts — to Marry Your Daughter performed by Dwight Richard. She was escorted by her son Fidel Jones, her mother Bagmarnie Nicholson, and the groom’s brother Cary Francis. The bridal party had their hair styled by Donna Campbell, with make-up delicately applied by Candice Williams. The bride stunned in a white mermaid gown, which she sourced from David’s Bridal. Her bouquet of roses was beautifully arranged by Cynthia Beckford.
Her bridesmaids wore pink dresses sourced from Beautiful Brides & Mr Tux. The matron of honour, on the other hand, wore a Malibu blue dress accented with a pink band, which was specially designed by the team at David’s Bridal. As they walked up the aisle, they clutched fuchsia chrysan-themum bouquets. The groom was dapper in a cream suit, which he paired with a burgundy vest and tie, while his groomsmen wore grey suits designed by Andrew Brown, with vests and ties by Beautiful Brides & Mr Tux.
To cement their new union, the couple performed a unity candle ceremony with the assistance of the groom’s mother Jennifer Campbell and the bride’s mother Bagmarnie Nicholson. The ceremony was officiated by Bishop Robert Ellis of North Kingston Pentecostal Church.
The Reception
The reception continued at the same venue. Joni Harrison did the décor, with floral arrangements — which included blue spider mums, fuchsia carnations, baby’s breath, chrysanthemums and burgundy carnations — by Cynthia Beckford. Their cake was another spectacular creation by Selena Wong.
Let’s Dance!
They shared their first dance to a medley of songs, which included: This I Promise You by *NSYNC, Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy Tell’em, Gangnam Style by Psy, Settle down by Mavado, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyoncé, and Years From Now by Dr Hook. Though the tradition is to have a father-daughter dance, the couple opted to do a mother-daughter dance. During the heart-warming dance, the groom joined in by inviting his mother to dance with him. The couple then exchanged dance partners to
highlight the new union, not only between them but their families as well. Guests also enjoyed the musical abilities of the emcee Errol Lee, who performed the Larry Graham classic One In A Million You.
The couple enjoyed a two-and-a-half week honeymoon at Strawberry Hill, the Wyndham Kingston hotel and Sunset Jamaica Grande.
