A very happy occasion!

Saturday, October 29 was a joyous one in the lives of Claudenne Hammond who works at the Ministry of National Security and and Michael Lea who works at Incomex. Their 10-year romance culminated in marriage at the University Chapel, Mona, St Andrew, followed by a lavish wedding reception at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Family and friends journeyed from around the island and overseas to witness the teal and fuchsia-themed nuptials. Carl Hart executed the bride's wishes to his usual perfection, using white dendrobium orchids with shades of pink heliconias as well as bird of paradise and ferns. For the reception area, he used elevated centrepieces with more of the same colour scheme, with strobe lights, and beautiful table covers.

The wedding vows were officiated by the Reverend Ulric Wilson and when he asked the groom to repeat the popular "for better for worse and for richer for poorer" lines, the groom loudly stressed "for richer, for richer and for better, better" eliciting loud laughter before he said the famous lines.

The formalities ended with the increasingly popular sand ceremony and a musical performance by Doneith Fray.

The five-tiered wedding cake was baked by the groom's aunt, Patricia Mullings, who came home from New Jersey to perform the labour of love. The beautiful arrangement of sugar flowers was the work of Claire Moore.

Master of ceremonies Ian 'Ity' Ellis set the stage for a night of fun and as Mr and Mrs Lea arrived for their reception, the sound of I Got a Feeling filled the room and the newly-weds took to the floor in their first dance, delighting their guests.

Claudenne and Michael met ... while she was still a student at the University of the West Indies. She had gone to the Pepper's nightclub to sell fund-raising raffle tickets for the guild. She asked him to buy one but after striking up a conversation, she ended up getting his phone number which she wrote on the back of the ticket book.

"I forgot about it until we were checking off the tickets and the book with his number happened to be in my pile. I wrote it down again but still did not call him," she told Outlook. Months later, she was delivering clothing to her niece, who was participating in a fashion show at school, when she heard her name. It was Michael. They struck up a conversation and again exchanged numbers but he said, she'd have to call if she was serious.

"I phoned him that night and our relationship began," she said. He proposed on Valentine's Day this year when he took her to Japanese Restaurant Cocoro. "They had none of the dishes I ordered and I began to get upset, but Michael went to great lengths to calm me down.

"He began to ask me if I loved him; why I had stayed with him so long, and I told him to stop asking stupid questions," she said. At that point he got out of his seat, went by her side, took a box from his pocket and went on his knees. "I asked him what he was doing and he said, 'I love you, will you marry me?' Claudenne said she began to scream so loudly, everyone was staring but she just kept shouting, "I'm getting married!"

She managed to compose herself and told him yes!

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com