NEGRIL, Westmoreland — New Jersey residents Leah Keiser and Nichelous “Nick” Caparaso are fun and carefree individuals whose beautiful love story was sealed in matrimonial bliss at Beaches Negril recently.

The newly-weds, both 27 years old, were high school sweethearts, meeting each other for the first time at age 16 when they became neighbours.

Leah was the typical girl next door who caught the fancy of a vibrant and fun-loving Nick. The two had an on-and-off relationship before becoming official four years later.

Leah is from a family of Sandals and Beaches loyalists who have been vacationing at the Luxury Included® resorts for many years. She started vacationing at Beaches when she was 14 years old. The family has attained the emerald status in the Sandals Select Loyalty Programme, having racked up 53 paid nights over the years. “My siblings have been going to the Beaches Kids Camp since they were months old. Beaches vacations are just an annual thing in my family,” she shared.

When Nick decided to pop the question in 2019, he thought there would be no better time and place to do it than on vacation at Sandals, and in Jamaica. So, on November 16, during the Keiser family vacation to Sandals Ochi Beach Resort and Nick's very first time to Jamaica, he popped the big question. They decided that exact night that their wedding would have to be at the over-the-water chapel at the resort where he proposed. However, they later realised that Beaches Negril would be ideal for their 70-people guest list that included children.

With COVID-19 just starting to rear its ugly head in December 2019, the couple booked their wedding for February 1, 2021. Little did they know that the pandemic that was to come would have such a distressing impact on people's lives and especially the travel industry.

Their wedding that should have had 70 guests dwindled significantly as relatives and friends started to experience flight cancellations or were uncomfortable with traveling during a pandemic.

“We were adamant that we were sticking to our wedding date. We did our research and we saw that many guests were lauding Sandals, Beaches and Jamaica for the COVID protocols, and they all shared that traveling to the resorts was safe,” shared the couple.

With 37 people in attendance, the couple tied the knot on February 1, 2021 at Beaches Negril in a dreamy, fully customizable wedding, which, to them, could not have been more perfect.

“I was a little stressed before arriving; my photographer and hairdresser cancelled on me last minute and I was just obsessing over every detail,” shared Leah.

“But, Nickay and Yanique in the weddings department at Beaches Negril eased my mind after we met to go over our wedding day details. They explained the Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness specific to weddings and we were happy with it all. They made sure the décor, the food, the DJ, the photographer, the wedding overall was flawless.”

“I sat back on my wedding day, tried thinking if there was anything I would change and I came up with nothing. It was by far the best wedding I've ever been to,” she continued.

The couple also shared that their guests were blown away; their parents, who are returning visitors, as well as friends who were first-timers to the resort, all agreed that they needed this trip.

“Everybody needed this trip. Just because of the year we've had. We needed a place to feel free and at ease. Beaches Negril was definitely that place. I want to say to persons who may have their vacations booked, for any particular reason, just do it. Everyone is capable of giving you the vacation you dream for, I got the wedding I wanted, my guests had the time of their lives, and I am pretty sure they all will be coming back to Beaches Negril,” voiced Nick.