Three years after a chance encounter at a cookout. Ashanti Bryan & Yanick Isaacs, guided by Reverend Ronald Grey, exchanged vows on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Boulevard Church of the Nazarene. A reception followed at St John The Baptist Church Hall.

According to Ashanti…

“Three years ago I was scrolling through Facebook, and I sent Yanick a request, thinking it was her mother. I knew Yanick’s mother, but I didn’t know Yanick. After going through her profile I realised this must be Miss Campbell’s daughter. About a week later, I was collecting some food at her mom’s cookout. It was there that I met the love of my life. She was helping out in the kitchen, and when she saw me, she asked, “Are you Elephant Man?” I found it a bit weird, but I replied, “No.” She told me her name was Yanick Isaacs from Facebook. I immediately realised it was Miss Campbell’s daughter,” Ashanti tells Tuesday Style Vows (TSV).

“I liked her vibe and her aura. When I got home I revisited her profile and scrolled through her photos. I thought she was stunning; her eyes, her smile, her body, her hair. I was captivated by it all. I sent her a message on Facebook and said, ‘You, me on a date, choose the date!’ She replied with her number, and the message: “WhatsApp me”. We began texting on WhatsApp. We got to know each other, we exchanged images; I was in awe. She sent a video of her dancing, and I was, like, wow! We met a few times before our first [official] date. I really loved her vibe. Our first date was at Hellshire Beach, it was amazing,” Ashanti continues.

“One thing I admired about her is how ambitious she was. Over the years we have grown together. She has been a pillar and we’ve built a life together. We had our firstborn child in 2023, but sadly he only lived for 10 days. It was extremely heartbreaking for us,” says Ashanti.

Yanick’s sentiments…

“I met Ashanti at church three years ago on my mom’s birthday. She was having a cookout sale and he came and ordered food. While serving him, I asked if he was Elephant Man because I thought he looked familiar. I’d always seen him pop up in my friend suggestion list on Facebook, but I’d always ignored it. He smiled and said, “No.” At that moment his handsome smile captured me,” Yanick tells TSV. “As I went to bed that night I kept picturing his cute smile, so I decided to send him a message on Facebook Messenger,” she continues.

But Ashanti was one step ahead of her.

“I opened Messenger and saw a message from him,” Yanick says.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“I knew from the start that he was my husband. He was everything I prayed and hoped for in a man. I don’t have to tell him anything, he knows what to do. He has such a charming personality; there is never a dull moment around him. He is funny, he makes me laugh, he listens, he never fails to make me feel adored, and he compliments me often about what I’m wearing and how I look,” says Yanick.

“He is definitely my soulmate… When I was younger I always told myself that I wanted to get married at age 25. Our son may not be here with us, but I see my son in him every day, and he will always be a part of us,” she says.

The proposal

“Ashanti proposed in December 2023, two weeks after we lost our firstborn child. It was a Friday night and he was coming home from work. He called and asked what I wanted to eat… When he got home, I was in the bedroom. He said, ‘Don’t come out, I’m going to share the food for you.’ He took a while and I was curious why it was taking so long. Little did I know he was planning a proposal,” shared an emotional Yanick.

“After a few minutes, he came into the room and said, ‘You may come out now.’ When I opened the door I saw lit candles in the shape of hearts… there was food and Champagne on the table. It was just beautiful. After dinner there was a covered plate on the table that we did not touch so I asked him what it was. He took off the cover and I saw the ring box,” Yanick recalls.

“He got down on both knees telling me how much he loves and appreciates me, then he said, “Will you marry me?”.

Yanick, of course, said yes!

The nuptials

“Our wedding ceremony was absolutely perfect. It was everything we dreamt of. I always hoped to walk up the aisle to Bless the Broken Road by Matt Bloyd.

And she did just that. Yannick, escorted by her mother Neteisha Campbell, walked up the aisle, crying tears of joy, as 100 family members and friends looked on.

“Seeing Ashanti smiling, waiting for me, was a wonderful feeling… it was the best moment of my life,” she recalled.

“We shared our first dance and got lost in the magic of love surrounded by friends and family to Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years.”