Couple marks 32nd wedding anniversary in fine style

WESTERN BUREAU:

In the early 1990s, Montego Bay, then known as the ‘Friendly City,’ was a place where love flourished. It was therefore in that inviting setting that Stephen and Diana Bowen met, fell in love, and became one through marriage.

Now, three decades, three children and four different wedding rings later, Stephen and Diana, both devout members of the Glendevon New Testament Church of God in St. James, are still happily married as their love has withstood the test of time.

On New Year’s Eve, the Bowens marked their 32nd anniversary in fine style, renewing their wedding vows before relatives, friends, and members of their church family in a glamorous ‘all white’ ceremony at the scenic Sahara Dela Mer Inn, located on the outskirts of Montego Bay.

With the beautiful ocean hugging the open lawn where the event took place, and the blue skies overhead creating a perfect blend with the blue, white and gold décor, the elegant setting added an extra layer of glitter to the radiance of the happy smiles and twinkling eyes of the Bowens.

For the attendees who were present when Stephen and Diana tied the knot back in the 1990s, it must have been a case of déjà vu as the couple’s pastor, Bishop James Lewis, guided them through the marriage ritual.

The ceremony entailed scripture reading, a prayer of dedication, the singing of hymns, the exchange of rings, and the much-anticipated ‘first kiss’.

When it got to the ‘first kiss’, the energy under the colour arch and among the attendees intensified as while Stephen and Diana were wrapping themselves into a tight embrace, some of the gleeful attendees were already positioning their cellular phones to capture still photos and videos of the big moment.

When the slow lingering kiss ended, Diana used the opportunity to explain how she ended up with all of four different wedding rings. She said that she was skinny at the time of her marriage, but outgrew the first ring when she began to gain weight. She somehow managed to misplace the replacement ring, which Stephen again replaced; and the other two rings came via the renewal of vows.

With the sun disappearing over the ocean, the Bowens serenaded each other in songs to the delight of the attendees. They are both accomplished singers and are the respective leaders of their church’s men’s and women’s ministries,

When the event moved indoors for the reception, the love continued to flow as random members of the gathering, including the Bowens’ three children, heaped praise on them for their exemplary family life, enviable Christian values, exceptional parenting skills, and being ideal role models in their Glendevon home community.

Asked if he could remember the song he sang for his wife on their wedding day, Stephen not only said ‘yes’, but proceeded to serenade Diana once again, adding his own twist to one of R Kelly’s classic love songs.

Following a scrumptious dinner and the cutting of the cake, the Bowens again delighted when their master-of-ceremony invited them to do their ‘first dance’. It was all grace, charm, and elegance as they timidly unleashed four or five quick dance steps to Shaggy’s ‘ Mr Bombastic’ before collapsing into each other’s arms.

At that stage, the married couples in the audience were urged to step forward and demonstrate their own versions of love and affection to music, which they did, much to the delight of the onlookers.

The near-five-hour-long festive-style event ended at 9 p.m, in time for the attendees to go home and prepare for ‘watch night’ service and other New Year’s Eve activities. It was all happy faces and satisfied looks exiting the building.