Vows – You were my dream… a dream come true
You were my dream… a dream come true.
The sun has come, the mist has gone; we see in the distance our long way home. I was always yours to have and you were always mine; we have loved each other in and out of time.
— Maya Angelou
December 27, 2014 — the bridegroom’s birthday — will now be equally celebrated as the day “dreams came true” for Anna-Kay Christian and Damion Dwyer.
The atmosphere brought comfort, joy, and warmth inspired by love. VOWS joined in on the fun and caught every smile and joyful tear displayed by the couple.
How They Met…
The two fondly recalled how they met in 2006 at the University of Technology, Jamaica. It was close to love at first sight, but neither of them suspected that what sparked their initial mutual interest would eventually lead to lasting love.
As an adolescent Damion yearned to find a woman who could understand the culture of Calabar (High School) and this he found in Anna-Kay when he met her.
Although she expected his proposal, Anna-Kay had no idea what Damion was arranging, so she was truly blown away when he went down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.
They shared this charming comment: “We met in 2006, our first kiss happened four years later on January 1, 2010, and four years after came the engagement on February 14, 2014.”
The Ceremony…
The intimate ceremony was held at the Church of the Open Bible on Washington Boulevard, where the guests were greeted with a welcome sign that read “Today… two families become one, we ask that you please pick a seat, not a side”, reflecting the couple’s genial nature. While the intimate gathering of guests waited eagerly for the bride’s glorious entrance, the groom could be seen entertaining himself, perhaps in an attempt to mask his jitters.
The guests assumed their positions and watched as the bridal party marched to the altar before the bride gracefully took the hand of her father, to be escorted up the aisle to When I First Saw You from the Dreamgirls soundtrack. Guests were moved to tears by the obvious love between the bride and groom when they greeted each other. They later affirmed their vows and reinforced that they would “love each other in and out of time”.
The couple performed a symbolic tradition representing their unity by the pouring of green and blue silver sand, and sealing the ceremony with a kiss.
The Groom…
Damion looked sharp in a custom-built grey three-piece Daniel’s Tailoring suit.
What She Wore…
Anna-Kay stunned in a sweetheart neckline mermaid wedding gown by Maggie Sotterro, which was delicately beaded and belted at the waist. The ruched ivory design accentuated her curves with a beaded appliqué, flaring into a ruffled train.
The Bridal Party…
The bridesmaids were elegant in green satin designs by Clay. The bride selected a royal blue strapless tube dress for her maid of honour. The groomsmen, meanwhile, looked dapper in two-piece Daniel’s Tailoring suits in hues of grey.
The Reception…
The bridal party and guests headed to Cecile’s Garden & Wedding Centre to celebrate the nuptials. Anna-Kay and Damion had their alma mater colours of Ardenne and Calabar High School — blue and green respectively — infused in the décor to create an elegant yet relaxed ambience in the Mykea Shanee Banquet Hall which hosted the elegant affair.
The guests awaited the bride and groom as the bridal party showed off their dancing skills to the intro of Bring ‘Em Out by TI ft Jay-Z.
As the last couple reached the top of the banquet hall the Dwyers flaunted their two-step to Marry You by Bruno Mars, while the guests and staff clapped and cheered them on.
The First Dance…
The guests watched in awe as Mr & Mrs Dwyer took their first dance to Adele’s Make You Feel My Love. The lyrics of the song serenaded guests who witnessed the intimate moment between the newlyweds as they slow danced in each other’s arms.
Whilst the guests were still love struck by the display of affection by the bride and groom, their jovial nature came shining through as the song selection switched and they started to do the hustle to Ne-Yo’s One In A Million.
Shortly after the first dance, the guests and bridal party enjoyed a sumptuous dinner.
The unveiling of the cake…
Both mothers of the bride and groom had the honour of unveiling the beautiful three-tiered wedding cake prepared by A Likkle Slice Of Heaven.
The cake, sitting atop a blue rhinestone-studded base, was smoothly covered by green fondant, each layer delicately accentuated with white vines, cream-coloured roses, blue daisies and other dainty edible flora.
The groom’s birthday cake, sheathed in the Calabar High school crest, sat handsomely beside the wedding cake, as this was his day in more ways than one.
During his jovial handling of the formalities, master of ceremonies Richardo Aiken recounted how numbers played an important part in the newly-weds’ lives: Their mothers’ birthdays being the same day; the day they first met in 2006; followed by their first kiss four years later; the proposal, another four years later; and lastly, the wedding on the groom’s birthday.
These numbers and dates are significant to Damion and Anna-Kay Dwyer, but nothing is more momentous than infinity that started at Their Beginning Of Forever.
