“Do you have a pen I could borrow?” This simple question that Kerry-Ann Bennett asked of her colleague, Denmar Daley, became the catalyst for their romantic chapter written thereafter. No one could have imagined that these soulmates were only acquaintances one year prior and never exchanged a word with each other.
Kerry-Ann explained to Island Wedding, “We both worked in the BPO industry. I was a customer service agent and he was a part of the escalation team. Every time I’d get an escalated call, and he’d take over the call, I ended up getting a negative response from the customer. So for that reason, I wasn’t fond of him.”
But things took a turn for the better when they were both promoted and worked on the same team. “We started communicating more and that’s when I realised he was a cool guy. While on a work trip, we spent most of that day talking and getting to know each other on a more personal level. He made some kind gestures and made me feel really special. So I decided to ‘give di yute a chance’, as my friend would say,” he revealed.
Denmar believes that their connection was fate. “I always feel it was fated for us to meet and fall in love; like it was written-in-the-stars kind of thing,” he said.
“Fast-forward some months later, basically a year. I’d often see her walking the floor but we never corresponded, literally no communication at all! But I noticed she always dressed nicely,” he shared.
From the get-go, he could recognise that she was a no-nonsense type of woman who always knew her heart’s desires and didn’t mess around in achieving her goals. “My wife is focused, kind, intelligent, strong-willed, and loving. She is the glue that keeps us together, and instrumental in making our bond grow from strength to strength,” he highlighted.
As their connection grew deeper and they learnt more about each other, it was becoming pretty evident that they wanted to be together. On December 8, 2016, the pair made the relationship official.
“I can’t begin putting into words the impact this woman has had on my life. Recognising her standards and beliefs pushed me to be the best version of myself. I knew early on that I had to step my game up if I was ever going to be a part of her life. Since then, we’ve accomplished so many things individually and as a couple, which is a direct result of her. She’s the ultimate cheerleader for me,” Denmar revealed.
Describing her husband as handsome, selfless, intelligent, humble, supportive, and determined, she is happy that when she goes on the side of doubt and pessimism, he is there for her with encouragement and positivity.
“He’s undeniably the best man I’ve ever loved; the care and love he shows daily for me is massive, and he does it with so much certainty. His humility, drive, and overall love for people are true characteristics of who he is as a person,” she noted.
She knew he was the one for her when she discovered that she could not picture a life without him. And he shared the same sentiment, “I knew she was the one when I realised how I get moody when I’m missing her, taking notes on the impact my actions have on her, and ensuring that I’m representing her in the best way. I found myself doing these things subconsciously, and I eventually figured there isn’t anyone else I’d ever be like that for.”
Four years into their courtship, Denmar asked Kerry-Ann to marry him.
Although she had been anticipating a proposal, her beloved wanted to make the occasion extra special, so he asked for her hand in marriage after midnight on New Year’s Day. Seeing the fireworks on the waterfront in Kingston was amazing on its own, so he decided to bring the fireworks home with their son, Alek, present to see his parents take one step closer to becoming husband and wife.
“As Kerry and Alek played on the bed, I came over and just went on one knee. I began telling her how much she meant to me and how I thought about an extravagant proposal for everyone to see. But in reality, the only persons that mattered were already in the room with me. So it ended up being a proposal to the love of my life, with our amazing son as a witness,” he declared.
Kerry-Ann recalled the event being so intimate and sweet that she was moved to tears.
For the planning aspect of their nuptials, the couple enlisted the assistance of friends who happened to be in the wedding planning and catering profession. “They volunteered to help with planning and executing the vision we had. They made the process way less overwhelming and pretty much took care of everything, and for that we were immensely grateful,” she said, expressing gratitude to Shari Vanhorne and Rachel Greenland.
For the decor, Izmadesigns brought refinement and professionalism. The team, she shared, was also friendly in the approach to the big day. “They were the absolute best, executing everything we wanted.
“What gave me the hardest fight was finding the ideal wedding dress that said ‘yes, this was perfect for her’.” So, she customised her gown. That didn’t stop the stress from seeping up to the eve of the wedding, “The dress wasn’t finished until the night before the wedding; no fault of the designer, though. But I was still stressed. It ended up being beautiful, and exactly what I wanted.”
On February 18, the couple tied the knot in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at Alhambra Inn in Kingston. The lovebirds went on to take the festivities indoors with a wonderful reception.
“It was the closest thing to perfection,” the bride said, adding that although some things didn’t go according to plan, that didn’t stop her from smiling all day. “I think the part I enjoyed the most was the surprised look on his face when he found out I choreographed a dance routine for him,” she added.
The groom, who recalled smiling and laughing until it hurt, said that the wedding day was amazing. “Having all of our friends and family present in the amazing setup of our planners and decorators was incredible. Everything fell into place perfectly.”
His favourite moment was seeing his bride walk up the aisle towards him. “I was overjoyed, and it felt like a true culmination of our love over the years. I really couldn’t contain myself.”
For the official first dance as husband and wife, the newly-weds basked in wedded bliss to Music Travel Love’s cover of the Elvis Presley hit, Can’t Help Falling in Love. “At that moment, I felt a true sense of peace, holding on to the person I loved, while being surrounded by people who love us,” Mrs Bennett-Daley added.
