Real Weddings in Jamaica: Yulonda & Kirby
Yulonda and Kirby met at work. Soon, their friendship blossomed into romance and they set their wedding date for December 11, 2021.
Having been to Jamaica separately many years ago and loved it, they knew they wanted to return.
They jetted to Jamaica with 20 of their nearest and dearest to share in their multi-day destination wedding celebration.
Fifteen of their guests stayed with them at Mais Oui Villa while five more stayed at another villa nearby for 4 nights.
They chose Mais Oui Villa because of its large size (8 bedrooms) and the abundance of on-site amenities, including the spa, that they knew would delight their guests. They also wanted a location where they could have a private and intimate experience where they could socially distance with their group alone. Plus, they wanted the wedding and the reception to be in one place.
On Thursday, once all the guests had arrived, everyone was treated to a welcome dinner reception on the front lawn of Mais Oui.
On Friday, they hired a van and driver service to get in a few excursions.
After breakfast, they did a tour of Hamden Rum Factory where they delighted in seeing the making of rum first-hand followed by a rum tasting.
In the early evening, just at dark, they did a private boat tour at Falmouth Mystic Lagoon where they experienced the unique phenomenon, bioluminescence, known to occur in only a handful of places around the world. Tiny organisms, dinoflagellates, live in the lagoon and produce an eerie blue glow when the water is disturbed. The fire dancing show rounded out the evening.
The wedding was on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
Picture-taking started around 12:30pm.
The ceremony was held at 3pm by the waterfall in the garden.
The couple exchanged traditional vows but wrote special messages to each other.
The decor was kept fairly simple to allow the natural beauty of the property to shine through.
The reception was held at about 5:30pm on the lower level of the roof deck facing the historic Rio Bueno Harbour, long thought to be the actual site of Columbus’ landing in 1494.
The bride’s love of the color purple was evident.
Guests feasted on a delectable 5-course menu prepared by a catering team headed by the villa’s chef.
The signature drink for the evening was “Diamonds are Forever” was inspired by the bride’s sister and prepared by Mais Oui’s mixologists.
In a wonderful move to be environmentally friendly, the arrangements from the wedding reception were recycled to create decorations for the dinner tables the following day.
One of the arrangements was given to an elderly local resident who lives nearby with her 90-odd year old mother who has dementia but adores fresh flowers.
On Sunday, some guests went shopping in Ocho Rios. Others enjoyed spa services.
Everyone indulged in a delightful Jamaican brunch under the trellis in the garden.
That evening, the guests had one last hoorah as they showered the bride and groom with best wishes.
On Monday, after thoroughly enjoying the wedding events and their stay, everyone said their final good-byes, each holding on to memories that will last them a lifetime.
The Team:
Accommodations: Mais Oui Villa
Wedding Venue: Mais Oui Villa
Catering: Mais Oui Villa
Cake: Sweet Spot Cakes
Decor & Rentals: Tropical Weddings Jamaica
Photographer: Too Cool Photography
Transportation: Triple S Tours
