Top stories for 2022

From new wedding trends to making the first move and reconnecting after years of separation, Island Wedding topped the list of Lifestyle stories for 2022. This comes as no surprise. Who doesn’t love, love? Rounded out with extraordinary life moments, including fulfilling your dreams (congratulations, Dr Denville Myrie), dominating your career path (we see you, Sekou Clarke) or making a big lifestyle change (you go, Elizabeth Taylor), these are your top Lifestyle stories for 2022.

1. Tisha and Orville tie the knot in sneaker-themed wedding

When love walks into your life, there’s no turning back. It was 12 years ago that a friend introduced Orville McKenzie to Tisha Lee. The two tied the knot in July 2022 at Medallion Hall in Kingston with an out-of-the-box sneakers theme.

2. Jamaican celebrity chef ties the knot in New York

New York-based Jamaican celebrity chef and event promoter Omar Walters beamed a million-dollar smile as he proudly proclaimed ‘I do’ to his blushing bride Sade Brown, a registered nurse by profession, at the posh Estate at Florentine Gardens in River Vale, New Jersey. The nuptials took place before 200 family members, friends and well-wishers. As expected, the menu tantalised guests and featured a combination of offerings for vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, including crab-crusted fillet of salmon; French-cut breast of chicken stuffed with spinach cheese, Chateaubriand of beef, New York-style cheesecake, and Tahitian vanilla crème brulée.

3. ‘You Have His Eyes’: A powerful documentary on adoption and mental health

Adopted at three months old, actor, model and basketball player Christopher Wilson wanted for nothing while growing up with his loving parents in the United States, yet he still had a curiosity to identify his roots and find out who his biological parents were. On a mission to unearth his ancestry, he discovered that his birth father is Lionel Scott, a green- and hazel-eyed Jamaican man who set the national record for the steeplechase in 1985 and then seemingly disappeared, and creates a powerful feature-length documentary titled You Have His Eyes.

4. Dream House | Doctor’s childhood fantasy materialises

Trauma surgeon and neurocritical care specialist Dr Denville Myrie was born in unprivileged circumstances in a place known as Red Ground, Negril, Westmoreland. As a young boy, he had a dream to build his fantasy abode on Negril’s legendary seven-mile beach . He held on to this cherished hope dearly and finally realised his long-held desire with his wife Courtney, a nurse, on the very same seven-mile beachfront, buying a three-quarters of an acre property in 2017 and building a house in 2019 on the extremely valuable stretch of seafront.

5. Family values with YouTube sensations, The Carters

The Sunday Gleaner caught up with popular and beloved YouTube family, The Carters, while on vacation in Jamaica and spoke to Juliann, better known as Crissy Carter, about family, their incredibly popular YouTube channel, and her role as entrepreneur, influencer and now ‘momager’. Carter offered sage advice to parents, new or otherwise, during the interview, encouraging parents to give their children a voice and to listen to their concerns. “Take them out with you. Schedule playtime and shopping excursions; include them in the kitchen. That will help to strengthen your bond. Never let them step out of bound. Remind them that parenting comes first, then slowly give them responsibility. I promise, you are going to have a child you are proud of.”

6. The Gayles meet halfway to marry

Rochele Spencer and Dale Gayle first connected via Facebook over a decade ago, before meeting face-to-face a year later. Destiny would soon see the dashing Dale offering her chance at a whirlwind romance, and the ravishing Rochele, in return, designing her way into his heart. On July 21, 2022, Dale And Rochele had a regal wedding at the Manchester Horticultural Society, which saw the fashion designer stun her specially invited guests with her curve-hugging, original design as she walked up the aisle to meet the man who would become her husband.

7. Former Jamaican sprinter Sekou Clarke now laying down the law

The name Sekou Clarke conjures exciting memories of talent, determination, inspiration and dominance. Son of Calabar coach Michael Clarke, the former sprinter championed his way into the spotlight, making an indelible mark on the sports scene. So where is he now? The athletic star traded in the track for the courtroom, and he’s running his own law firm, practising immigration and personal injury law overseas.

8. Brianna and Romane – From primary school to ‘I do’

Some spend an entire lifetime searching for their one true love. That was not the case for Brianna Ragbeer and Romane Cameron, whose paths crossed in primary school. As fate would have it, the pair matriculated to the next level together, becoming high-school sweethearts in grade 10, and, on August 6, tied the knot during a private ceremony in Portmore, St Catherine.

9. Jah Bouks and wife open the doors of Casa Angola in St Thomas

‘Angola’ is a word that conjures up many pleasant memories for Jah Bouks. In 2013, his very first recording, Call Angola, morphed into a smash hit that put his name in the spotlight. The reggae singer has taken the name and made it his own, diving deep into entrepreneurship with investments in a fishing vessel, a restaurant and seaside cottages in his home parish, St Thomas, and dubbing it Casa Angola.

10. Dream House | Russell Heights tiny house is home away from home

In the salubrious neighbourhood of Russell Heights, in Upper St Andrew, surrounded by large, affluent housing types, is an audacious, miniature cottage, built in a ravine and camouflaged completely by shrubbery, flowers and a canopy of trees. The compact structure on stilts, built in 2017, empowers and rewards you with an invaluable life experience. It occupies a total of 400 square feet, with walls, floors, and ceiling beams exquisitely assembled entirely from wood, and a roof covered in zinc sheets. The owner and house designer is Claire Requa, an internationally celebrated artist and designer of lighting, interior pieces, and jewellery, and this tiny abode is her home away from home.

11. Micheal Ward fills void after visiting father’s grave on trip to Jamaica

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward visited Jamaica for the first time in 20 years in 2022 and made up for lost time in a big way. In a sit-down interview with The Gleaner, the 24-year-old, who was born in Spanish Town, St Catherine, lost his father at the age of two and subsequently migrated with his mother and sisters to the United Kingdom (UK) when he was four, spoke about returning to the island. Leaving at such a young age, Ward said he considering this trip as a fresh start in his relationship with Jamaica and appreciated finally being able see his father’s grave as an adult. Accomplishing that goal, he admits, was “super emotional”, but “it was just good to finally do [so]”.

12. ‘ Heaven-Bent’ on marrying each other

Weeks leading up to their nuptials, Alan Bent and Vanessa Wadsworth would jokingly talk about a rainy day actually being good luck for their wedding ceremony, which was originally planned to be an outdoor affair. As luck would have it, the date of their ‘I dos’ was greeted with torrential rain, which the pastor identified as God’s way of blessing the marriage, shared Alan Bent, who was unbothered by the weather as nothing could dampen his spirits for what would be the first day of the rest of his life.

13. Love under construction – Chung gets full approval and plans ‘destination’ wedding

Two hearts beating as one in synchrony and harmony, that’s the love story of Jeremy and Debbie Chung. But it’s never a done deal until you receive full blessing from those closest and dearest to your heart. Older daughter and bridesmaid Danhi took centre stage at her parent’s wedding in Ocho Rios, St Ann, and eloquently made proud remarks of becoming a Chung before her mother. It was a decision made by their younger daughter, Sarai. Chung approved; the couple and family returned home from the United Kingdom and tied the knot in the tropics among loved ones.

14. Behind Nadine Sutherland’s dreamy lavender ‘Pass the Mic’ look

The performances weren’t the only thing that dominated conversations around DJ Cassidy’s reggae-dancehall ‘Pass the Mic’ showcase. Singer Nadine Sutherland also stunned in an ensemble comprising a lavender tube top adorned with feather boas; glamorous, blue diamond earrings; and her signature braids, complete with blond and brown highlights by her stylist Neko ‘Bootleg Rocstar’ Kelly.

15. Moya and O’Shane Davidson go the distance to say ‘I do’

They say parting is such sweet sorrow because sometimes it takes saying goodbye to bring about an unexpected hello. On Tuesday, July 15, 2013, Moya Henry’s friends invited her to a going-away party for their friend, O’Shane Davidson, who had made the decision to migrate. While in attendance, she met the man of the hour, who would go on to be her friend, lover, and happily ever after.

16. Go to Abeokuta for peace and a piece of history

In 1980, Steadman Banhan bought 15 acres of property at Mount Pleasant in Dean’s Valley, Westmoreland. Two years later, the property fell under the ownership of Owen ‘Bredda Man’ Banham, one of his sons. It was a thick ‘jungle’, which took several months to clear, but when it was all cleared of trees, Banhan and his wife chanced upon the ruins of the 18th-century Dean’s Valley Water Works Estate, including the great house. It turned out that an African village named Abeokuta (Bekuta to the locals) was also located on the 2200-acre property settled by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, who had come to Jamaica as indentured labourers after Emancipation. Banhans transformed the ruins of the estate into an ecotourism retreat called Abeokuta Paradise Nature Park, a laid-back place where visitors can camp out and enjoy the clean and fresh night breeze from the hills in the north.

17. Kimeika and Sean reunited in 2020

Timing was everything for Kimeika Fairclough and Sean Burgess, who first met as neighbours living in Gordon Town, St Andrew, back in 2006. Casual glances and thought-provoking conversations led to a crush, which soon grew into something more. Break-ups and make-ups later, 2020 came, and the vision became clear. The couple wasted no time reigniting their love, getting engaged less than a year later and tying the knot in June of 2022.

18. Monique Francis made the first move

It was all fun and games for Monique Francis, who met the love of her life while visiting the office of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in Spanish Town. There, Tommy James, the security guard, was minding his own business when Monique entered the premises. Monique made the first move and Tommy secured their love and took it to the nuptial level by asking her to be his wife. On June 11, they said ‘I do’ in a private wedding ceremony.

19. Laughter and love unite Drs Danielle and Arillon Chrysostom

Laughter was certainly the best medicine for Drs Danielle Levy and Arillon Chrysostom, who first met in 2013 while on duty at the Cornwall Regional Hospital. The medical practitioners took their love all the way to ‘I do’, tying the knot six years later in cool December.

20. Meet the neighbour: Ashley Campbell and Lamar

You never know where love might find you: in a vehicle heading home after a long and hard day at work, perhaps? Or maybe making a refreshing discovery in the same neck of the woods. For Ashley Campbell and Lamar Whittle, going from strangers to neighbours seemed like a mere coincidence. But changing in the direction of true love was kismet. On April 9, close family members and friends were invited to witness Ashley and Lamar tie the knot in regal fashion. The garden wedding at Boone Hall Oasis provided the idyllic backdrop for the exchanging of vows and saying ‘I do’.

21. ‘Taylor made’ for fitness: Jamaica-born beauty entrepreneur loses 250 pounds

After her health began deteriorating quickly, celebrity make-up and hair artist Elizabeth Taylor was left with no choice but to fix her mental and physical state. Starting her journey at 394 pounds two years ago, Taylor did just that and lost close to 250 pounds.

22. From strangers to lovers: Nichelle Fiddler and Omar Vanzie tie the knot

When Omar Vanzie first laid eyes on Nichelle Fiddler at a party, he was sure of one thing: he wanted her. But they were nothing but strangers at the time. With patience, determination and promise, he won her heart and the two became lovers, forming a bridal party 16 years later for the best event they have ever attended: their own wedding.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com