Bride: Amber Lee, 29
Groom: Garvin Forrester, 38
Occupations: Lee: owner of Kane & Couture; Forrester: owner of Calmar Holdings LLC
Homebase: New Jersey
Wedding Date: December 3, 2011; Civil Ceremony: April 21, 2011
Wedding Location: Grenada Grand Resort in St Georges, Grenada

Is This Seat Taken? “A college buddy had a friend that was an acquaintance of Amber’s and we all ended up at the same table in a restaurant one evening,” explains Garvin when asked how he met his wife Amber. “I said hi and we started talking business. We’ve been talking ever since,” Amber says. She continues, “I thought he was smart and I loved that he was an entrepreneur and an engineer.” According to Garvin, Amber was a winner in the looks and personality departments. ” I thought she was radiant and genuine.” The duo met in Miami where Amber, a Detroit native, was living at the time. Garvin was based in New York and happened to be visiting the Sunshine State. They had enough of a connection to stay in touch however. And their story began…

Traveling Twosome “Dating Amber was refreshing and sincerely a lot of fun,” recalls Garvin. “We had similar interests. We enjoyed traveling, trying new foods and family bonding. The inconsequential distance between us made it fun to see her face light up when we traveled to see each other,” he adds. Amber was pretty smitten early on as well. “He came back to Miami every weekend to see me. Two months after meeting, I took a cruise through the Caribbean with one of my best friends and it stopped in Grenada where his family came to pick us up for the day. I fell in love with his family and it was history after that,” she gushes. When explaining why she fell for Garvin Amber confides, “He’s honest and he gave me his heart. We complemented each other in many ways. He wanted me to succeed in my business and did so much to help me learn and grow. We’re both entrepreneurs and things are not as certain as they are for employees. We’ve supported each other through our growth.”

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[Images by Elton Anderson Photography.]

And Baby Makes Three During their whirlwind romance, Amber gave birth to the couple’s baby girl Jaana Joelle. Their new addition only brought the couple closer. “The birth of our baby girl has made us stronger — individually, as parents, and as a couple. More than we could have imagined,” Garvin shares. “She keeps us in the  house way more! I was a socialite,” admits Amber with a laugh. Adding, “I’m now a happy homemaker who occasionally makes it out on the town, but I love it. She is a great addition to our lives. And Garvin is such a great father. It makes me love him even more.” Garvin proposed to his beloved in her native Detroit at the Motor City Casino at Iridescence Restaurant on Christmas Eve after nixing his original elaborate plan to do the deed in Venice. “That would of just been us and I thought it would be best to include her family, so had a surprise engagement in her hometown,” Garvin says. After receiving a blessing from Amber’s parents, Garvin asked Amber’s hand in marriage, she happily agreed and the wedding planning began.

Caribbean Chic “I’ve always wanted a destination wedding!” beams Amber. The decision to wed in Grenada was an easy one since Garvin’s roots are there. “My favorite thing to do is to get people together for a good time.What better way than a vacation?!” adds Amber. The couple enlisted the expertise of New York City based Pink Pizza Events to help them pull their wedding together. Before 100 guests, with an elegant color palette of pearl, sand and amber, the couple said “I Do” in a picturesque beachfront wedding. “My favorite part of the ceremony was Amber walking down aisle and us taking our vows,” shares Garvin. Amber agrees saying, “Hearing my husband recite the vows he wrote was the best part of the ceremony for me.” Both agree that the good ole fashioned partying at their reception was unforgettable. After their nuptials the pair stayed in Grenada for three whole weeks but the still intend to take a traditional honeymoon at a later date. Explains Amber, “We want to go to the Mediterranean or South Africa. We’re taking it when our daughter turns 1 this summer so we can leave her with the grands!”

Amber’s tips for saving money on your wedding day!

The Hostess with the Mostess  “We planned and supplemented the cost of most activities so our guests would not have to spend too much,” Amber explains. Keep in mind that group packages/rates are almost always more cost-efficient than purchasing individually.
Native Tongue “Use your hookups! We tapped Garvin’s family resources and received discounts on alcohol and some other vendors,” shares Amber. When planning a destination affair, be sure to follow the Forrester’s lead whenever possible. Tourists are known to get “got”!
Budget Bubbly “Toast with a sparkling wine and save the champagne for the your wedding party,” advises Amber. “We toasted with Chando and saved the Vueve for the real champagne lovers and bridal party,” she adds.