Island Wedding | Dwayne and Dawna-Kay find love in the right aisle

A chance Black Friday encounter in May Pen put Dawna-Kay Williams and Dwayne Hylton in the same aisle. Nearly four years later, she walked down another aisle to meet him, this time as his bride. Against the lush foliage of The Pavilion Garden at Hope Botanical Gardens in St Andrew, the couple exchanged vows on July 25 before approximately 60 relatives and friends. Officiated by Pastor Owen Desgouttes, the intimate garden ceremony reflected their faith and incorporated touches meaningful to the couple.

It was November 25, 2022, when their paths first crossed at H&L Rapid True Value in May Pen, Clarendon. Dawna-Kay was shopping during the Black Friday sale while Dwayne, the store’s warehouse supervisor, was at work. He tried to strike up a conversation as she was being assisted with her purchases, but she was not interested. She left, believing that would be the end of their encounter, until she discovered that some of her purchases were damaged and called the store. She was transferred to Dwayne. The two exchanged numbers to arrange the replacements and, with Dawna-Kay involved in construction at the time, she soon began calling him whenever she needed to make a purchase or wanted advice about what to buy.

“Much to Dwayne’s delight, he was always quick to assist me. Even if he was dealing with other customers, somehow, I became a priority. What began with hardware purchases and telephone calls eventually developed into a close friendship,” Dawna-Kay recalled to Island Wedding.

Their friendship grew as they encouraged each other through personal challenges, prayed together, attended church and had regular Bible discussions. While Dwayne remembers sensing from their first meeting that there was something different about Dawna-Kay, she took more time, eventually drawn to his kindness, patience, caring nature and genuineness.

“Dwayne came into my life at a time when I was lonely and needed love, comfort, companionship and a shoulder to lean on. Looking back, I truly believe that God knew exactly what I needed, and He sent Dwayne. I remember telling Dwayne, ‘I am comfortable’. For me, that meant I felt safe. I felt that I had found a space where I could simply be myself,” Dawna-Kay shared.

WITH THIS RING

Marriage eventually became an intentional conversation for the pair. They saved together and purchased their rings, but Dwayne kept the timing of his proposal a surprise. On September 27, 2025, as Dawna-Kay entered their bedroom, he went down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

“What made the moment so special wasn’t the setting; it was the sincerity in his eyes and the reassurance that I felt from him. His presence and the look in his eyes seemed to say, ‘I got you, Dawna-Kay’,” she recalled.

After she said yes, they prayed together and asked God to bless their union. Ten months later, the wedding Dawna-Kay had personally planned and coordinated while working full-time as a police officer came together in shades of brown, blue, burnt orange and touches of black, gold and beige, with Ten/10 Events and Rentals executing her vision.

DOWN THE AISLE

Wearing a princess gown from Exquisite Bridal Boutique, complete with a long train, veil and crown, Dawna-Kay entered to Ryann Darling’s I Choose You. Her mother, Carmen Roberts-Wright, escorted her down the aisle, a particularly meaningful moment for the bride, whose father is deceased and whose mother had filled both parental roles for many years.

“I was very nervous as I walked towards Dwayne, but when I saw him waiting for me, everything became real. I had always prayed to become a wife to a God-fearing, loving and family-oriented man. I had prayed for a family of my own that would be firmly built on Christ. And, in that moment, I could only think, ‘Look what the Lord has done! What I prayed for has come to pass’.” Dawna-Kay shared.

Waiting at the altar in a royal blue three-piece suit and a burnt orange tie, Dwayne was having an emotional moment of his own.

“Beautiful, special, awesome, breathtaking were some of the words that came to mind, but to sum it all up, I could only say, ‘Here comes my queen’.” Dwayne recalled.

At the altar, Dawna-Kay’s nerves persisted, and she began shaking. Dwayne gently squeezed her hand and whispered, “Breathe, I got you”. She took a deep breath, and the shaking stopped, a small gesture that reflected the sense of security she said had characterised their relationship.

The couple exchanged vows they had written themselves and incorporated a three-strand unity cord representing Dawna-Kay, Dwayne and God. Looking beyond the wedding day to the home and family they hope to create, Dwayne promised his bride faithfulness, honesty, patience and kindness.

“I promise to make our home a place filled with love, laughter, forgiveness and God’s presence. Every day I choose you, and I will continue to choose you for the rest of my life,” Dwayne vowed.

A TOAST TO LOVE

The celebration continued at the reception, where Events by Debbie provided the catering and a white-and-gold three-tier cake, while DJ Ricardo Wright handled the music. Relatives and friends travelled from England, Canada and the United States to celebrate with the newly-weds.

The Hyltons shared their first dance to Teddy Swims-Beyoncé mashup Deeper Than I Thought. With both of their fathers deceased, they also honoured their mothers with separate mother-daughter and mother-son dances. Dawna-Kay’s younger sister, who serves in the United States Navy and was unable to attend, joined the ceremony and reception virtually and surprised the couple with a speech.

With a honeymoon in Panama ahead, the pair are looking forward to building their life together.“We want to grow together spiritually, emotionally and personally while keeping God at the centre of our marriage. We look forward to creating memories, supporting each other’s dreams, experiencing life’s beautiful moments together and standing beside one another through the difficult ones,” Mrs Williams-Hylton shared.

nyoka.manning@gleanerjm.com