While the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world apart with social distancing mandates, it serendipitously united Lori-Ann Brown and Chris Schade. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, they discovered a love strong enough to alter the course of their lives — culminating in their vows on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, at Borghinvilla in Discovery Bay, St Ann. The isolation brought about by Canada’s lockdown in 2020 made Lori-Ann particularly keen for human connection. She, like many, sought refuge on social media. Indeed, it was on Tinder that she discovered Chris’s profile and found herself charmed by his smile and clever, engaging bio.

Despite the screen separating them, their connection was immediate and conversation flowed effortlessly.

As restrictions began to ease, they eagerly anticipated their first in-person meeting. “There was something about his energy that was calming for me,” Lori-Ann shared with Tuesday Style Vows (TSV), a sentiment Chris echoed. “Our chemistry just seemed to click and it just kept building, date after date,” Chris said.

Over the next few years, as the world emerged from lockdown, their love flourished. They learned about each other, building a bond that convinced Lori-Ann that Chris was her soulmate. “I’d never met anyone as kind, soft, and gentle as Chris. He’s the one person around whom I feel completely free to be my weirdest, most authentic self,” Lori-Ann revealed.

Their love story reached a beautiful milestone at Christmas 2024 when, surrounded by Lori-Ann’s family, Chris seized the perfect moment to propose.

“After a lovely dinner out, we returned to Lori-Ann’s parents’ house and were enjoying a game of Uno. With her brother, sister-in-law, and their children visiting from the States, it felt like the ideal, heartwarming family moment to propose,” Chris said.

A proud Jamaican native, Lori-Ann had always envisioned her special day on the island of her birth. Two years later, that dream became a reality as family and friends gathered to celebrate their nuptials in paradise. Thora’s Elegant Design breathtakingly adorned the venue with vibrant local tropical blooms in vivid shades of orange, pink, and green. Lori-Ann wore a mermaid-style gown, while Chris honoured his heritage in a traditional kilt. To the tones of Sara Bareilles’ I Choose You, Lori-Ann gracefully walked up the aisle, escorted by her mum Lorna Brown and dad Junior, ready to pledge her future to Chris.

At the reception family and friends toasted the couple. After cutting their two-tier coconut cake with strawberry and white chocolate buttercream from Bake My Day JA, the newly-weds shared their first dance as husband and wife to Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things. It was truly a beautiful and unforgettable night as Lori-Ann and Chris celebrated the beginning of their new adventure.

The couple honeymooned at Excellence Oyster Bay Resort in Falmouth, Trelawny.

Lori-Ann is escorted up the aisle by her parents Lorna and Junior Brown. (Photo: Richie Rich Photography)