Romance in Paradise - Miss Rena and Sighta’s extravagant wedding at Prospect Beach, St Thomas

Following a lavish exchange of vows at Prospect Beach, St Thomas, on Sunday, Ephraim and Rena Manderson are basking in the bliss of their honeymoon at a hotel in the parish, with plans for a three-night stay at a resort in St Ann later this week.

More than 10,000 guests witnessed both online and in person, as Ephraim, 72, and Rena, 85, were joined in holy matrimony.

Shortly after saying their 'I do's', Ephraim wore a wide grin. He told THE STAR that he was happy as a lark.

"Mi feeling very good and mi feel nice and comfortable," he said, as he and his wife skanked to Tarrus Riley's She's Royal.

Ephraim and Rena met two years ago via social media influencer Noel Young's TNation Facebook page. Young uses his page for charity purposes and often hosted an entertainment package where the senior citizens are featured. The atmosphere was ideal for romance and love at the beachside nuptials. The decor, which included wedding bells and balloons, was visible from the entrance of the lane that led to the beach. Love songs blasted from the speaker boxes and at one point, all the guests appeared to be entranced. The aroma from the tasty meals being prepared added to the mood.

As is seemingly the norm, the wedding got off to a late start, as the bride arrived almost two hours later than the 2 p.m. planned start time. But any feeling of frustration was quickly erased when the 12-member bridal party, who all looked radiant in their yellow-and-white outfits, danced down the beachside to take their spots. All phones were out.

Rena, who turned 85 the previous day, exited her balloon-decorated vehicle and made her grand entrance. Assisted by her maid of honour, Charlene Gayle, she waltzed to Ed Sheeran's We Found Love, showing off her off-the-shoulder, body-hugging, silver-and-white dress. She waved and smiled at her guests, who cheered her on wildly. Ephraim, known as 'Sighta', who is 13 years younger than his lady love, blushed as he watched her walk in his direction. He rested her head on his shoulder as the pastor offered words of encouragement and gave instructions. Following the formalities, it was time for their first kiss as man and wife, and Rena was left speechless for a few seconds after receiving a passionate kiss from her husband. This excited the guests, who echoed choruses of "Awwweees".

Only two years older than her new daughter-in-law, Ephraim's mother, Adassa Brown, beamed with pride. Following the ceremony, she planted several kisses on the Mandersons as a way of expressing her approval and love.

"Right now mi head big suh til, the way mi proud. Mi glad, because Sighta is mi only son and him is a good son. Mi don't know anything about his wife because she nuh live with mi, but mi proud a mi pickney, mi love him," she said.

Master of ceremony Markland Edwards said he first learned of the couple through THE STAR and was impressed by their love story.

"I instantly told myself that I would want to emcee their wedding free of cost. I loved their story, as it proved that love has no age, colour, class or boundaries. Someone then reached out to me and asked if I was really interested in being the emcee; and here I am, to be a part of this wedding. I am really honoured, and I do wish them a lifetime of happiness," he said.

The reception was entertainment-filled as not only did the Mandersons show off their dance moves, but they also bird-fed and kissed each other with the clinking of the wine glasses. The wedding continued until close to midnight as the guest partied on the shores of the beach.