Mercy-Ann and Brandon designed for ‘ever after’

The beautiful tapestry stitched together to make the Robinsons’ love story begins at Peter Forte’s tailor shop in the Half-Way Tree Arcade. Mercy-Ann Copeland, fashion designer and owner of Mercy J Fashions, was only there to meet a friend, but formed a new friendship with Brandon Robinson. In the middle of getting his clothes altered, he turned to the tailor and asked, “Who is that, Peter?” as Mercy-Ann entered the shop.

Brandon’s gaze must have been noticeable, and the tailor quickly responded, “Who she? She nuh wah yuh,” recalled Mercy-Ann. But she, too, was attracted to the unmistakable air of confidence about him. “Peter kept that sentiment that I did not want Brandon until he passed away. Sadly, he never got the chance to see us make it to where we are today,” she shared.

The pair did indeed hit it off, but kept it platonic, even though persons within their immediate circle, and strangers, would refer to them as husband and wife. They did not date for long either; they remained friends for a good period after their initial meeting in 2015.

Mercy-Ann shared, “Our initial outing was a picnic at Hope Botanic Gardens. He planned and executed the date, and at the end of it, handed me a gift and a card – I thought everything he did was so sweet. Over time, I saw how he dealt with his family, especially the way he treated his mother, also how well he blended in with my family, and I started to think of him becoming more than my friend.”

It remained a friendship filled with constant jeering about who loved the other more. It’s a fact Mercy-Ann would deny, and he always replied by saying, “Yuh gwaan, man, God a show yuh, yuh husband and yah push him weh,” followed by laughter, leaving the both of them in stitches.

He finally proposed during a camping trip at Holywell Park in the Blue and John Crow mountains, surrounded by a few friends. The occasion was Mercy-Ann’s 32nd birthday, and during a toast, a very anxious Brandon managed to muster up the courage to ask her to finally accept the title of wife – it was a day the two of them will never forget.

When it came time to choose a wedding location, the couple knew they wanted it to be meaningful and settled on having it at the site of their first date. As for Mercy-Ann’s wedding vision? “I started planning the wedding right after Brandon’s proposal to me, on the ride back from Holywell Park. Inspired by the lush greenery, I envisioned our wedding as a rustic garden fantasy exuding glamour, and went with a colour scheme that consisted of shades of greens, browns and burnt orange, with hints of gold,” Mercy-Ann said. Two days before Christmas Day, the ceremony was held in the Sunken Garden, while the reception was set in the semi-closed Pavilion Garden on the property.

Dark clouds hinted at a chance of rain, but “Brandon has taught me to not worry so much, and that things will eventually fall into place once you believe,” the bride said, noting that while she was calm most of the day and handled all the challenges she faced, including a broken zipper on one of her bridesmaid’s dresses, “my heart sunk at that moment”.

“I then asked God if Him really ah guh mek rain fall after mi tell everybody seh mi nuh wah nuh tent. By the time I arrived, the weather was picture-perfect,” she continued.

The aisle could also be described similarly; it was decorated with framed images of the couple, taken over the years, placed in wooden boxes. Instead of a traditional unity sand ceremony, jumping of the broom, tying of a knot, or butterfly-and-dove release, the two tied balloons together and with their bridal party, made a colourful display when they released them into the air.

Brandon shared that having the wedding at the Hope Botanic Gardens was the best decision they made.

“The clouds in the sky had also given me the chills. It being outdoors, I worried it would rain, but the weather was just right by the time our ceremony was about to start. The grounds were well kept, and it was a transformation for a wedding venue, which was almost as beautiful as my bride,” he said. “My favourite part of the wedding, aside from us saying ‘I do’ to each other, was the reception. Our master of ceremonies, Kenroy Rowe, really had the audience and myself entertained.”

However, planning and executing a wedding wasn’t exactly easy during a global pandemic. The bride’s sister, Priscilla Copeland Allen, who helped her with the plans, could not be part of the actual celebration, and several of their close friends were not able to attend due to the gathering restrictions. But it all came together.

Brandon’s wedding-day look perfectly tied in with the wedding’s palette. He donned a custom-made, emerald green tuxedo, burnt orange bow tie and brown shoes. He shared that the colour coordination between the groomsmen and bridesmaids, down to his suit, was Mercy-Ann’s idea, though she did not make the actual tuxedos. “My role was really to be in sync with all that was planned,” he said, laughing.

She had enough on her plate. More than a dozen brides have sought out the designer to have the gown of their dreams made a reality, and she has also stitched over 150 bridesmaid dresses throughout her career, so it was thought that there was no one better than Mercy-Ann to make all the dresses for the wedding, including her own. Dubbed the ‘Goddess of the Garden’, Mercy-Ann’s gown involved lots of research; she searched for lace with embroidered flowers, added over four thousand Swarovski crystals on to it and created the classic silhouette she wanted. On the day, the bride wore a crown made with baby’s breath and a cape which flowed from her shoulders into a long train as she walked down the aisle, leaving Brandon near breathless.

“Mercy-Ann is a beauty, and having found out that she was also a conscious person when it came on to her life goals and decision-making, it sealed the deal for me. If I could do one thing in 2022 to make her happy, it would be to surprise her with a physical store location for a bridal boutique business,” Brandon said.

“My wife and I both share a conscious mindset towards life. This strengthens our relationship and helps us make better and more practical decisions. We tend to analyse situations and adjust in ways that may even affect our freedom just for the bigger picture. I look forward to designing a life with her and for us having a child or two, travelling the world, and building our little empire as a family,” he continued.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com