Vows – A Love Like Ours
Who recalls their first childhood crush? In fact how many have ended with the words ‘and they lived happily ever’? There were no furrowed brows when Ricardo Francis and Orpha Lee Smith both raised their hands. The two have known each other from high school. In fact, Orpha Lee went there with his sisters and cousin and was a frequent visitor to their home.
Ricardo admits to have been smitten from the get-go, while Orpha Lee ‘fessed up to playing hard to get. “I liked him, as well, but a girl’s got to play hard to get,” she coyly tells Tuesday Style Vows .
Thankfully, Ricardo understood the power of playing the long game. It would pay off! After a few months they were dating. They moved in together a few years later and gave birth to their first bundle of joy, a girl.
The proposal came a few years later on December 3, 2019, aboard the Jamrock Reggae Cruise. They were with his sister and a few close friends.
“There was an all-white dinner on the cruise,” recalls Orpha Lee.”We were all dressed and ready to have a fun night. After dinner, we gave our dessert order to the waiter. When dessert came my order was wrong. I was thrown off and a fracas ensued with the waiter. Little did I know that my fracas with the waiter was a distraction for Ricardo to get in position. When I turned around I saw him down on one knee. I was shocked and extremely excited. Truth be told, I did not wait for the actual words to come out of his mouth. I said, Yes!”
Another affirmation would follow on February 22, 2020. On terra firma this time around, minus the fracas.
The exchange of vows took place in a fairy-tale setting on the manicured lawns of Caymanas Golf Club, which were beautifully decorated in white by Shevanise Lee Weddings & Events Ltd/@slweddingsja. The dress code was also white.
For the big day the bride commenced her walk on the arm of family friend Peter Kelly to her dapper bridegroom. She turned heads in a custom-made mermaid Kayture Stylings gown that featured a fitted jewelled bodice. Her tight posy of white roses and diamond brooches as well as her tiara that held her chignon in place completed her look.
The proceedings were officiated by Pastor Yvonne Haynes-Earl and included a sand ceremony.
The fairy-tale theme continued at the reception and included billowy white draping, rose gold silverware, floating candles, and ivory roses.
Highlights included the newly-weds’ entrance to Davido’s If , the bridal party’s dance to the Afrobeat Fall complete with ‘money spray’, heartfelt speeches and the cutting of the three tiered @thesweetspotja wedding cake.
For the honeymoon the newly-weds rented a yacht in Ocho Rios with close friends and family for a day.