No ordinary love - An Afrocentric union

After being together for five years, Marlon Campbell and Justine East finally tied the knot on Saturday, March 25, 2017.

Forgoing scattered rose petals or the possibility of choking out a surprised 'yes' because of an engagement ring placed carefully in a glass of champagne, the journey to their wedding began with a ring, snuck on during sleep and a resulting 'yes' screamed into a pillow.

Mint green, pale pastel yellow, coral, and hints of African print perfected the simple yet elegant decor as guests arrived at Laughing Waters, St Ann, with some amount of curiosity. They were instructed to dress comfortably and instead of the traditional blenders or dinnerware, asked to take with them their coolers.

The wind from the nearby sea blanketed an air already punctuated with much warmth and happiness, Justine was escorted down the aisle by her father. Tears flowed down Marlon's cheeks. "My heart and breathing stopped ... she was so beautiful, everything ... from her hair, to her smile, to her dress," he told Flair. He later explained that a lash fell in his eyes, hence the tears.

"I don't think Marlon and I are a traditional couple. We wanted a wedding that represented "us" rather than what we think people may have expected of us," shared Justine.

"Marlon had suggested a slight African theme when I asked him about it, and it had already crossed my mind, and I jumped at it. The dress was important to me so I immediately spoke to my girl from Na'mae and I showed her a few pictures to give her an idea of what I wanted and she gave me a few drawings of her designs and I told her what I loved and after a long journey, we arrived at the amazing dress I wore on my wedding day. I truly was Marlon's Afro-Jamaican queen," she added.

The African theme continued into the reception, with the two entering to swift and soulful afrobeats. For the reception, the couple chose to go the relaxed route. "We are not the type of people sit and look pretty at a head table for the whole night," said Justine.

"We decided that we wanted it to be more like a party, so we officially entered the reception to an Afrobeat song, sat at a head table at intervals, cut a cake, had mummy and son, and daddy and daughter dance, and the rest was like a party, hence the coolers. It was really great being surrounded by friends and family and laughter," she said.

Justine said she is quite sure she made the right decision and is ready to spend the rest of her life with Marlon, despite the fact that he makes weird noises when he eats, shuffles a lot in bed and is annoyingly popular. She is in love with his loyalty and charismatic, jovial, and easy-going personality.