The Bible says; 'Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and the Lord will strengthen thine heart'. Well that was exactly what Jennifer Sylvia Lewis, had been doing until she decided to get married to Phillip Roy Thompson on Saturday July 14, at the Sanguinetti New Testament Church of God in Clarendon.

The two who have been members of that church for many years, decided to tie the knot after becoming engaged earlier this year. Family members and guests packed the church as they gave Jennifer and Phillip their blessings for a long and happy marriage.

The Good Book states that when a man finds a wife he finds a good thing; and officiating Minister Reverend Dr Roy Owens who skillfully and ably conducted the short wedding ceremony echoed that sentiment.

comfortable atmosphere

Decorated benches, a plethora of colours among other things, all added to the ambience inside the church and created a comfortable atmosphere.

It was 1:59 p.m. when the bride marched up the aisle to meet her groom, who asked for her hand in holy matrimony; but that happened after the bridal party completed their marching at 1:50 p.m. Men dressed in white suits and ladies in attractive gold dresses and carrying green bouquets, all complemented the bride and groom.

When giveaway father Charles Bogle took Jennifer to Phillip, she beamed in her traditional white wedding gown, decked with glittering pearls. Her headpiece covered her face and she sported an attractive pearl necklace, as she carried a white and green bouquet to add to her radiance. Phillip who sported a grey suit, gold shirt and a dark tie complemented the bride well.

At 2 p.m., Reverend Owens in his opening remarks said; 'When one is a child one acts like a child; but when one becomes a man, one acts that way'. The congregation was asked by the pastor to join him in singing the well known hymn O perfect love, before Deacon Paul Cohen was asked to do the opening prayer. That cleared the way for the officiating minister to ask who brought Jennifer Lewis before him to be married to Phillip Thompson.

Without hesitating and with a loud voice, Charles Bogle shouted, 'I do', to much laughter from the over 120 guests on hand. By 2:11 p.m., Phillip Thompson pledged to forsake all other girls and stick to his mate Jennifer, who also said she would stick to Phillip as her lawfully wedded husband, while forsaking other boys.

The two exchanged vows thereafter, while looking into each other's eyes, under instruction from Rev Owens. They calmly followed the instructions and did fine in the eyes of the witnesses; but when Reverend Owens asked Jennifer if she knew how to hold a man, she did so skillfully to much laughter.

The pastor asked for the rings after they had said their vows, they were blessed by Reverend Ralston Sinclair, pastor at the Bullucks New Testament Church of God in Spalding, and they exchanged slowly.

As is customary at weddings, Jennifer and Phillip were prayed for by Rev'd Owens and at the end of his prayer he asked all to say the Lord's Prayer, following which they were pronounced Mr and Mrs Thompson, to a loud round of applause.

Mr and Mrs Thompson emerged from signing the register at 2:34 p.m. When they reached the altar Mrs Thompson was handed the marriage certificate by Reverend Owens, who was officiating his first wedding at the church since his arrival two years ago.

The couple received words of wisdom from Reverend Owens, on how to make their marriage successful. He told Mrs. Thompson never to watch her husband but to trust him. Rev'd Owens told Mr Thompson that he should tell his wife each day that he loves her.

After announcing that their wedding was the wedding of the century, Mr and Mrs Thompson along with the members of the bridal party, marched out of the church at 2:49 to their picture-taking moments at the Spalding High School. They then went to their reception at the St Paul's Anglican Church at Sanguinetti, where master of ceremonies Churchill Vilroy Johnson did a wonderful job.

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