Birthday celebration sparks unexpected romance for Adriel and Danielle

Some of the most beautiful love stories can begin by accident, like at a party for someone you have never met. For Danielle Reid and Adriel Morgan, their meet-cute took the form of a birthday celebration in December 2022 for a friend of Adriel’s cousin, who remains a mystery to them both to this day. In a room full of strangers, Danielle noticed a man who seemed quiet and reserved. “I joke that I was catfished,” Danielle tells Island Wedding, “because Adriel is actually an extreme extrovert. He claims he was just tired that night, but if he had been out in the crowd, I likely wouldn’t have noticed him.”

Adriel saw something special in Danielle immediately, noting her striking looks, “quirky personality and good sense of humour”, traits that would later be complemented by an intelligence and loyalty he came to admire. It took a month of careful direct messages before Danielle finally shared her number, leading to an improvised first date at The Pub in January 2023.

They later uncovered a shared connection to rural St James, though no blood ties linked them. That quickly accelerated their bond. After a rafting trip in Ocho Rios, Adriel officially asked Danielle to be his girlfriend on July 15, 2023. “I had wanted to go rafting for some time, and he made it happen,” she shared.

As their relationship deepened, the couple found that their contrasting personalities were actually their greatest strengths. Danielle credits Adriel with being her emotional anchor. “He brings out a level of calmness in me that levels out my overthinking and anxiety very well,” she shared. In return, Adriel treasures the perspective Danielle brings to his life. “I love that she brings more emotional awareness to my thoughts and decisions,” he said. “She notices things that I do not and isn’t afraid to show them to me.”

Beyond the deep emotional work, it is the unexpected quirks that keep them smiling. Danielle admits to being charmed by how “shockingly nerdy” her Adriel becomes over anime, history, and video games, not to mention his firm stances on umbrella etiquette and seatbelt safety. “He just doesn’t look like the type to me,” she joked.

THE PROPOSAL

When it came time to ask the biggest question of his life, Adriel knew he had to balance the grand with the intimate. On March 29, 2025, Adriel was intentional with choosing Moon Palace in Ocho Rios as it was home to Danielle’s favourite sushi restaurant, providing the perfect cover for a sunset walk.

Adriel’s plan was almost disturbed when Danielle accidentally felt a ring box while lifting one of Adriel’s bags days earlier. “I have to admit, I almost ruined it,” Danielle recalled. “I tried hard not to think about it ... but I was in a state of hyper-awareness until the actual day.”

As they approached a gazebo overlooking the Caribbean Sea, decorated with ‘MARRY ME’ balloons, Adriel played it cool, pretending the setup was for someone else. “She almost wanted to turn around,” he said. But as the photographers clicked into action, the ruse ended. Adriel dropped to one knee and read a handwritten speech he had prepared. “I made sure to write it by hand because she loves that,” Adriel noted, a small detail that speaks volumes about his admiration for the love of his life.

For Danielle, even with the ‘box’ discovery and having gone ring shopping together, the reality was overwhelming. “I was shocked into stillness … I knew the exact date he went to speak to my parents,” she said. “I was moved that he set up a beautiful proposal at sunset on the coast. It was perfect.”

The engaged couple opted to go forward without a planner, creating the wedding of their dreams. “Friends and family helped to execute parts of the plan here and there. However, it was largely me on the phone with vendors, negotiating prices and requesting deliberate terminology on invoices and contracts. The process was the most mentally strenuous undertaking of my life, and I went to law school,” she confessed. But she appreciated the creative element, and she was all too happy to utilise her skills as a lawyer to negotiate and advocate on her own behalf.

The wedding was held on December 13, 2025, at the Annual Gazebo at Hope Botanical Gardens, marking the beginning of their new chapter together. Danielle walked down the aisle to a soulful rendition of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love, covered by a blusher veil. “The groom cried as I walked down the aisle,” she shared. “In my book, that means the dress was a win.”

For Adriel, the day marked the beginning of a new life. “The most emotional moment was seeing her walk down the aisle. It was the moment we were working so hard for,” he said. The couple’s “unorthodox” approach to their nuptials was reflected during the reception, also held at the Hope Botanical Gardens. The newlyweds chose to ditch the official first dance. This wasn’t the only tradition they cancelled. “We also didn’t have a bouquet toss, cake unveiling, open toasts or unity ceremony. The food was served before we returned from our outfit change. It was a day tailor-made to our liking,” Danielle shared.

When they did enter, they did so with a bang, literally. Entering the reception to the sounds of Bunji Garlin’s Today, the bridal party stormed the stage. Recalling one of her best moments, Danielle said, “We even had a sparkler machine go off, which none of them knew about.”

The most profound moment occurred when Danielle’s sister-in-law surprised her with a family legacy. “The best moment of the day had to be when my sister-in-law gifted me her mother’s heirloom ring as part of her last wishes,” Danielle recalled. “The groom didn’t even know about this.”

To celebrate their union, the couple had a mini-moon at Moon Palace to spend the rest of the holidays with family. The Morgans are preparing for their European honeymoon this spring.

Additional reporting by Krysta Anderson.

ruth-ann.briscoe@gleanerjm.com