Audley and his love say 'I do'

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

Finance and Public Service Minister Audley Shaw, and his fiancée, Susan Duhaney, tied the knot a week ago today, after a whirlwind engagement, in a small and rather intimate ceremony at their St Andrew residence. The pride and joy of their union, baby Kristiana Shaw, was the belle of the occasion.

Shaw and Duhaney make for a very charming couple: he the ebullient charmer, quick of wit and ready to to add laughter to any occasion; she a petite woman with a stately bearing, with a very warm and sincere smile. She gave up her nursing career in New York to be with her prince charming, in the face of many challenges.

The two met some years ago in Christiana, Manchester, while she was visiting from New York, and then struck up and maintained a friendship that eventually blossomed into the love. It is instructive to note that the couple's first-born is named Kristiana, symbolic of their first meeting. While Sunday's nuptials were relatively short, not so for the reception that followed.

fabulous outing

Hosted at the poolside of the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, the affair was as fashionable as it was chic, boasting all the hallmarks of a fabulous outing. With the invitations requesting guests to be in attendance by five, by half past four, many began streaming into the spacious grounds of the hotel and, for the most part, were pretty much in attendance and awaiting the arrival of the bridal party! And at the appointed hour, guests were ushered into the lavishly decorated reception area where, upon entry, each was presented with a cocktail of choice.

The area reflected café-styled seating; traditional placements and settings around the poolside; with the preferred colours being gold, beige and white. There was a mega bar serving premium libations. Everywhere one looked, there were members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party, and a number of leading businessmen, personalities and a smattering of political constituents drank in the ambience and shared in the air of conviviality that permeated the occasion.

Around half past five, the event's compere, attorney Harold Brady, announced the arrival of the bridal party, and as they made their way along the 'red-carpet', with baby Kristiana (held by her nurse) leading the party, those gathered welcomed them with rapturous applause, as friends and colleagues rushed forward to greet them and offer words of congratulations and support! It was star time as the bride, looking absolutely stunning in her bridal ensemble, train, veil and all; the groom, looking positively Saville Row; were not only greeted by a rush of friends but also by the photographers who recorded the moment.

Welcomes and individual greetings out of the way, it was then on to the official ceremony, which saw a number of family members, colleagues and friends sharing greetings and anecdotes, as well as toasting the newly-weds. They all praised the couple, before the bride and groom responded, and then opened up the dance floor with their first dance.

With dusk falling, the beauty and grandeur of the occasion, the decor and application, became that much more amplified as the blazing bamboo lanterns, fire lights and the recessed pool lights all combined to create a true fantasy island!

Among those out sharing in the festivities included Prime Minister Bruce Golding and wife Lorna; House Speaker Delroy Chuck and wife Pat; Security Minister Senator Dwight Nelson; Attorney General and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne; Transport Minister Mike Henry and wife Dawn; Labour Minister Pearnel Charles; Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange; Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett; Housing Minister Dr Horace Chang and wife Paulette; Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton and wife Neadene; Information Minister Daryl Vaz and wife Ann-Marie; Energy Minister James Robertson; Junior Minister Dr Laurie Broderick; Junior Minister

PLEASE SEE love, 4