When wardrobe stylist Calyann Barnett — whose clients include Dwyane Wade and Usain Bolt — and firefighter Sky Watson decided to renew their wedding vows in 2020, they jetted into Montego Bay, Jamaica, for the magical event.
How it all started…
According to Calyann the two met through a mutual friend in the summer of 2002 in South Florida, at Whole Foods [formerly Wild Oats].
A second encounter came later that summer, as fall semester at Florida International University started. “We bumped into each other as I was on my way to the parking lot to leave for the day. I was returning for my second year and he was a freshman, all doe-eyed and wet behind the ears. He asked me to help him find the bursar’s office, which I later found out was a ploy to chat with me. I wasn’t necessarily into him until my friends pointed out how cute he was, and at that moment it was like I was hit with Cupid’s arrow and fell head over heels for him,” related Calyann.
The two started dating but it lasted a mere few months. She moved to New York and Los Angeles whilst he stayed in Florida, in fact around the corner from her mum. It proved to be a temporary pause. Calyann ‘fessed up to chasing him. “Well, actually I chased him. Finally, in January of 2012, while on a trip to Miami from LA, we went out and decided to give each other [another] chance. June that year I moved back to Miami with the idea of temporarily staying at his house until I found my own place… and never left!”
The proposal followed and it was one for the story books. It was game six of the NBA Championship, the Miami Heat had just copped their third ring. Calyann continued, “As I made my way to the floor to celebrate with the team I looked around for Sky because we weren’t sitting together. With confetti and streamers all around I stood by the basket looking into the crowd for Sky and felt a tug on the bottom of my shirt. I turned around expecting to see a child but saw Sky instead down on one knee with a ring in his hand… I said yes, grabbed the ring and kissed him. Did I mention I was four months’ pregnant?
We are five years into our marriage but felt it was really important for us to celebrate our fifth anniversary by renewing our vows, especially with everything happening in the world. Love is so important!”
It certainly is!
How it’s going…
The theme of the renewal of vows was island adventure. The two are nature lovers. Their actual wedding five years ago featured three days of festivities and games held in the Redwood Forest of California. For their renewal they wanted to be in nature and capture that same vibe. What was great about Jamaica was that they got to explore the beaches, waterfalls, Blue Lagoon, go horseback riding, ATV-ing, and snorkelling.
The couple enjoyed an intimate dinner at Harmony Hill, a private villa at the Tryall Club. Arrangements for the renewal plus décor were handled exclusively by Shikima Hinds of Island Bride Jamaica.
For the renewal honeymoon, the couple enjoyed a rafting trip on the Blue Lagoon and visited Reach Falls after they exchanged vows.
The following day, they enjoyed horseback riding and ATV riding at Chukka Adventures in Sandy Bay.
Photos: Elite Media Concepts & Denise Mason
