Vows – Sea of Love
Love doesn’t ask why
It speaks from the heart
And never explains
Don’t you know that
Love doesn’t think twice
It can come all at once
Or whisper from a distance
– Love Doesn’t Ask Why by Céline Dion.
Tiffani Samms and Daniel Sharpe grew up knowing each other as mere acquaintances, oblivious to the future they would share one day as husband and wife. Like any great love story, everything happened spontaneously and unfolded in due time, and now the lovebirds can happily declare they are one in marriage after tying the knot in a beautiful September ceremony on Cooper’s Hill.
En route to the Altar…
Samms, director at Yamaja Engines Ltd, was a recent university graduate returning home to Jamaica after completing her studies abroad. It was the summer of 2009, and she was reconnecting with friends at a birthday party when she was reintroduced to Sharpe, director at Barcode Jamaica. The two had been casual acquaintances for several years; in fact, Samms had been a classmate of Sharpe’s sister at both preparatory and high school. Maybe it was meeting again as adults that did the trick, but something about their conversation that night sparked an interest that made them keep in touch. As they got to know each other over the course of several weeks, their relationship moved from platonic to romantic.
The proposal…
Five years later, Sharpe took the plunge and proposed to Samms last Christmas. Elated, she said yes to the best Christmas present any girl could hope for.
Here comes the bride…
On September 20, 2014, the family and friends of Samms and Sharpe arrived on Admiral Mountain, Cooper’s Hill, for a beautiful outdoor ceremony followed by a cocktail hour and reception. The verdant grounds of Cooper’s Hill set the stage for a picturesque wedding day with pink and orange as its theme colours.
Samms and Sharpe incorporated their mutual love of the sea in their ‘nautical and rustic’ wedding theme, which gave the wedding a fun and special twist. An easy-going pair, they wanted their wedding day to be untraditional by going with the flow of things instead of following a set format. On arrival, guests were invited to take a seat on one of the many plush seating options available and sip on a welcome drink until it was time for the ceremony. While the guests were enjoying a refreshing drink, music began to play — the signal that the ceremony was about to start.
The bride arrived on the arm of her grandfather, Louis Lee, who escorted her to the eagerly waiting bridegroom. The bride was a sight of timeless beauty in a strapless Ivory Trumpet Mori Lee design and clutching a bouquet of pink roses, orange Asiatic lilies and calla lilies. The structured bodice of the wedding gown was covered with light ruching, and fine tonal sequins were scattered throughout the garment for a perfect sparkle. The bride’s sole attendant was her best friend, maid of honour Bianca Clivio, who stood beside her in a pink Weddington Way dress with a bouquet of orange roses and orange gerberas to match the wedding colours. Although there were no official bridesmaids, the bride’s five closest girlfriends, who have supported her during every milestone in her life since childhood, were visions of loveliness wearing pink dresses in honour of their friend’s special day.
At the altar, her bridegroom awaited her in a grey suit and pink tie by local designer Carlton Brown, who also dressed the best man, the groom’s older brother Solomon Sharpe. There was a reading by the bride’s brother, Brandon Samms, after which the lovebirds exchanged vows and rings.
As part of their wedding ceremony, the couple, avid lovers of the sea, chose to have a knot-tying ceremony in lieu of a sand ceremony, as a significant demonstration of their unbreakable bond. The couple worked together to tie a true fisherman’s knot; one of the strongest knots used at sea, in a ceremony read by Sharpe’s sister, Kathryn. Pastor Martin Schade finally declared Samms and Sharpe husband and wife at the end of the charming 30-minute ceremony.
Cocktail Time…
Guests began to celebrate the nuptials during a cocktail hour following the ceremony. The newly-weds, Mr and Mrs Daniel Sharpe, took their first official photos during this interlude. Family photos were taken professionally, while a whimsical photo station with nautical and fun props allowed the guests to take unforgettable pictures to remember the special day.
At the Reception…
Wedding planners Petals and Promises executed an elegant evening with whimsical pops of colour. The bridal party sat on a high-backed ottoman at the head table covered in white petals adorned with bright floral arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and chrysanthemums.
The newly-weds were toasted by their closest friends:Traci Stewart toasted the bride, while Darren Bogues toasted the groom. The bride’s mother blessed the cake and the Patsy Lyn-catered fare.
Other formalities included the cutting by the couple of the three-tier orange and pink creation crafted by pâtissière Nyla D’Andrea. The cake was covered in white fondant and edible pink and orange flowers cascading down the layers of white, carrot and rum and raisin cakes.
The moment could not have been more surreal as guests released Chinese wish lanterns into the sky during the newly-weds’ first dance to Celine Dion’s Love Doesn’t Ask Why.
Main Event installed the stage, lighting and sound, making the dance floor the place to be for the rest of the night, where the family and friends of Mr and Mrs Sharpe celebrated their nuptials into the wee hours of the morning.
