A Moment Like This

When Ode Shepherd, accounting manager at Time Warner Cable in Queens, New York, met Nickesha James, business support analyst at JPS, two years ago, they fell deeply in love.

The two maintained a long-distance relationship frequently travelling between Jamaica and New York to keep the romance alive.

While spending some quality time together on an eight-day Caribbean cruise in May 2012, Ode popped the most important question of his live. Of course, a beaming Nickesha accepted.

On June 22, the two exchanged vows at the University of the West Indies Chapel.

Both bride and groom wore ivory. The groom wore a ivory Notch tux while the bride wore a Maggi Sottero Dynasty wedding gown with a red roses and calla lillies bouquet. The theme of the wedding was ‘romance’.

Nickesha walked down the aisle on the arms of her proud father, Godfrey James, singing Kelly Clarkson’s A Moment Like This. Her beautiful bridesmaids and matron of honour took their turn down the aisle too in apple-red one-shoulder gowns to Diamond, sung by the bride’s sister – bridesmaid Kimberley James.

The Reverend Earl Morgan brought their union together with the traditional sand ceremony.

Mother of the bride Henreece James and mother of the groom Pamela Campbell watched beamingly as their children exchanged vows, while father of the groom Leland Shepherd nodded in approval.

The reception followed at the Terra Nova All Suite hotel with Clive Savage taking over the proceedings as master of ceremonies.

The bride and groom were toasted by Nicole Gooden and Troy Stanberry, respectively.

The couple opened the dance floor with Michael Bolton’s That’s What Love Is All About.

The gorgeous four-tiered wedding cake was done by Ann-Marie Toomer-Gayle, while the bride’s flawless make-up was by Paul March.

The wedding was coordinated by Gina Tomlinson-Williams.

Mr and Mrs Shepherd honeymooned at Secrets Montego Bay.