Island Wedding
#2Become1Briscoe picking out the ‘Best Part’
Published:Tuesday | December 14, 2021 | 12:09 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Once upon a time, there was a girl and boy who loved each other. Unlike most fairy-tale movies that start out that way, Dennay Haughton found her real-life Prince Charming in Tyreese Briscoe, who she says knows how to treat her like a princess.
“From our first date – the occasion was actually my birthday – he went all out to make it all about me. He is always ensuring that my simplest of needs are met. A man had never done something special for my birthday, not like Tyreese does, and it was just us sharing in laughter and lunch,” Dennay told Island Wedding.
She resides in Florida, and while studying forensic science at Broward College, he was a marketing student at the Montego Bay Community College, yet he would not miss a call. “He would be up with me all night to help me revise for exams.” But the long distance, though challenging, made them stronger. Every chance she got to travel home to Jamaica to see Tyreese became a celebration.
She said, “On one of these visits, he told me he was going to make me his wife. I was taken aback because we never discussed marriage prior to him saying that. He gave me a ring, not an engagement ring; I guess we can call it a promise ring. I believe that was the moment I realised he was serious about our future; I really admired that he would always use the word ‘we’, and it made me realise he was one to spend forever with.”
Dennay and Tyreese were officially engaged on March 5, 2020. She would receive the actual ring, thinking it belonged to one of his friends. He did not want the excitement of an audience nor to do it the traditional way, but staying true to his ways, Tyreese made certain his future wife was pampered, because “she told me if I ever planned to propose, [I am] to make sure her nails were done, and that’s exactly what I did”.
“By the time all that was done, it was late at night. We were up talking and I asked what her dream wedding was. When she told me, I told her she would have it, leaving her a little bit confused. I could tell she was not surprised at all – it was like a magical blur – she was just happy,” Tyreese continued.
The planning for the wedding of both their dreams began the next day. She even formulated their wedding hashtag #2Become1Briscoe from their original wedding date, which was to be November 21, 2021, but to be changed to one day before. “It was all Dennay,” he said, “though she never left me out or did any of the decision-making by herself.”
He expressed that working together to create wedding favours, adding personalised labels to sanitisers and stationery printed by Xpress Designz, a company they established together during the pandemic, was “bonding time they shared and enjoyed immensely”. It involved a lot of DIYs, but it also took the expertise of wedding planner Shevanise Lee and her team, who saw the pair’s vision of a romantic occasion really come to life.
BEST PART
Enchanting and chic, the Briscoes’ wedding radiated romance. The ambiance of the green space at the Pineapple Beach in Montego Bay was enhanced with lit candles and Christmas string lights. Sticking with their favourite colour, red, and warm shades, the floral arrangements included roses, peonies, dahlias and orchids. While there was no theme, the use of clear acrylic chairs and glass tableware mimicked the ‘glass slipper’ concept and created a whimsical fairy-tale with a modern twist.
From the décor to the speeches given by family and friends, it was unforgettable; but like any wedding, there is always a best part.
“The wedding was perfect, minus the part where she made me wait two hours,” Tyreese said jokingly. “The moment I saw her I knew I was ready to take on a new journey in my life. It was everything we imagined it to be. I especially loved when our MC, Domain Gordon, opened the floor for our guests to make speeches. They were all beautiful, and it was amazing to see all the love we were surrounded by. Our first dance as ‘1 Briscoe’ was my favourite part of the wedding because that was the first [time] I danced like that in public, and it just felt good with us moving in sync.”
The couple expressed that the rhythm and lyrics of Best Part by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. could definitely be the soundtrack of their love story. The line ‘If life is a movie, then you’re the best part’ stands out for the both of them. “It perfectly describes our relationship. It is an accurate composition of the feelings we wanted to express to each other,” The Briscoes said.
“We’re looking forward to more firsts, our future; to start our own traditions, first holidays, first vacation, and our first child being married. To continue growing our business together, and picking out the best parts of life with each other, making the little and big adventures we have planned in our minds a reality,” they continued.