Looking into the eyes of her soon-to-be-husband racecar driver Doug Gore while reciting her vows, Mia Hair Artistry principal Shanice Witter said: “You give me a sense of peace that I’ve never known.” Cue: tears, including those of the groom.

Witter and Gore wed in a beachfront ceremony on Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Frankfort Villa, Prospect, St Mary. Officiated by Reverend Sheldon Anderson, the beautiful intimate ceremony was attended by family and close friends. Even the sky looked as if it, too, was invited to participate in the wedding, offering the bride ‘something blue’ for her big day.

The bride’s white lace gown from Salvadoran designer Francesca Miranda featured spaghetti straps and an alluring sweetheart neckline. The veil, worthy of a princess, was affixed to her hair with a stunning crystal bandeau. She was a vision and the epitome of timeless elegance.

The wedding party comprised three groomsmen — Gore’s son Tommi was best man — and three bridesmaids, the maid-of-honour being Witter’s best friend, Monique Myers. The groomsmen wore dove grey suits which complemented the blue undertones of the bridesmaids’ Bermuda grey dresses.

After exchanging vows, the couple performed a sand ceremony — an expression of the coming together of two people and two families into one new family. The bride and groom each had different coloured sand and took turns pouring it into a clear vessel. The layered effect is said to express the family’s harmony.

Tai Flora Luxe waved its wand across the grounds to create a rustic-chic setting using green foliage, natural wood, and white and blush pink roses and hydrangeas as the anchors. Meanwhile, wedding planner Shelle Parchment of Tie Di Knot kept things running smoothly; she and her team efficiently executed their tasks without drawing any attention. The cake from Tami Cake principal and cake artist Tami Hoyow was a three-tier semi-naked, vanilla flavoured masterpiece with cookie and cream filling and elegantly trimmed with cascading white roses. Christina Simonitsch catered the affair with her usual touch of elegance. From the passed hors d’oeuvres to the laden buffet, everything was a cut above.

Though there were many memorable moments during the event, the father-daughter dance stood out. Not only due to guests being able to witness a tender moment between the bride and her father Kirk Chin, but the song choice was unforgettable. Nary a whisper was uttered as the words of American country music band Heartland’s I Loved Her First enveloped the grounds.

The couple’s official first dance was to Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Either Gore and Witter spent considerable time enrolled in dance classes, or they are just that talented! The dance was so spectacular it looked like choreography on the finale of Dancing with the Stars. And, if that spectacle wasn’t enough, fireworks, set off as the song crescendoed, lit the night sky. Well-timed fireworks, especially at a wedding ceremony, is, as the kids say, a “strong move”.