Brent Ciurlino and his wife, Dr. Kim Brown.
-Contributed photo
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
IT WAS a number of years ago that international financial consultant, Brent Ciurlino, an Italian/American of Chicago, came to Jamaica to assist with the re-ordering and the restructuring of the financial sector, after its freefall and meltdown occasioned years earlier.
Indeed, years later, with the financial sector right-footed, Ciurlino found time to explore the island, and with his erstwhile charm and urbane air, soon became a social staple of St. Andrew and Kingston society, his expertise and financial skills, making him like a guru and a much sought-after personality.
It was during his latter days as a consultant to the Government, and the winding down of his duties, that he met the absolutely stunning Dr. Kim Brown a livewire of fabulous energy and a fabulous beauty.
GETTING ENGAGED
After nearly a year of courtship, the couple decided on getting engaged, and did so in fine style at a very swanky engagement dinner and reception last year at the simply fabulous Jacks Hills home of Rod and Nevine Heaven.
Now, my dears, with their engagement dinner and party out of the way, the couple decided on a March 4 wedding and so right after their engagement started shopping around for a swell location to celebrate their nuptials.
Daahlings, they choose Ravello, a quaint and oh so fabulously picturesque little town in the South of Italy, a ways up from the Amalfi, coast, and easily one of the world's best kept secrets!
Oh, my word! Dears, Italy, has long been considered if not the playground of the gods, then most certainly their footstools, and little wonder here, as indeed, the place in its entirety is a sensational ever-unfolding postcard perfect snapshot of all things beautiful, all thing fabulous, and all things grand! But back to Ravello, as dovecakes, here the gods dished out beauty on such a grand scale, the entire town and surrounding countryside is breathtakingly beautiful and
then some!
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
Sugarplums, we are talking heart-stopping, awe-inspiring beauty here of the most fabulous order, and as a choice for a wedding it was unapologetically romantic, unstintingly
fabulous; and oh so enchanting
suspended as it is as if in a medieval time warp, with all the trappings of a previous era, with mules and cobble-stoned streets to complete the picture! It was here, in Ravello, somewhere between the skies and the heavens, in swirling mist at the Villa Eva, that Brent Ciurlino and Dr. Kim Brown, exchanged marital vows two Saturdays ago.
The Villa Eva is located up the ways a bit from its more historically famous and oh so fabulous Villa Cimbrone, in the postcard perfect town of Ravello. A grand place, the Villa Eva is a bountiful property with simply grand lawns and gardens, its western side facing the mountains and valleys that provide the town with some of its charm; while the Eastern side of the property give way to a spectacularly magnificent view of the Adriatic Coast, and we are talking miles of sheer fabulousness here!
Anyways, it was here that a contingent of guests, jetted to from Kingston; Dallas, Texas; Washington DC; Palmyra, New Jersey; Moscow; Chicago; Toronto; Boston; New York City and Philadelphia, to join Brent and Kim, as they exchanged marital vows.
Doves, it was a class act of the highest order!
With guests gathered at the Villa Eva, sipping cassis, limon-cello and mimosas, awaiting the arrival of the bride for the midday ceremony, there was a rush of activity a few minutes after midday as guests rushed to the western balcony of the Villa, to witness her arrival.
And so, there she was, looking nothing but spectacularly beautiful, sporting a form-fitting Badgley/Mischka ivory gown that screamed fabulous as she made her way up the long pathway to the villa. Dovecakes, she looked absolutely stunning and then some! No trains here, just a simply fabulous frock that enhanced her beauty, masked by the suggestion of a cathedral veil as she joined her betrothed on the villa's eastern terrace, where, he looking like a GQ model in a Gucci number, awaited her.
TEARS OF JOY
Attended by her maids and flower girls, she made her way into the villa and up the staircase to the music of the charming mariachi-type ensemble named the Mandolino Chitarra, and when she entered into the marriage hall, there were tears of joy a-flowing freely from the eyes of many of the ladies present! Their tears notwithstanding, the bride was welcomed with gushing applause, and then some!
The wedding ceremony was brief and spirited, conducted by the Reverend Murray Grant, the Chaplain of the British Armed Forces stationed in Naples; with the bride and groom both reaffirming their commitment and love for each other through individual vows that caused even more tears to flow.
And then there was the dinner and reception!
Pumpkin-pies, it was style-perfect and a masterful indulgence of everything fabulous! Dears, the actual celebrations began with champagne cocktails, (Moét Chandon was the party elixir of choice, and it rained Moét); through to a lavish seven-course meal and the celebrations that followed, not only was the affair a virtual style-fest, it was one fabulous love-fest as well with toasts from family members and friends of the newly-weds making for a real tear-jerker of a celebration at times. But it a word, in was a social masterpiece! In fact, it was all that, and then some!
In fact, it was an experience that was to die for! As following upon dinner and the toasts and well-wishing fest, dears, it was party time in Ravello, and for my word, did the wedding party and their guests partied!
Dearly beloveds, on the life of this here Mont Blanc, Ravello rocked to the sounds and spirits of its international contingent, as the Mandolino Chitarra stuck up a musical fire that literally had guests on the Pianeta di Terra dancing like there were no care any where in the world and how!
From hints of reggae, to the traditional Italian love songs, the Italian operatic classics and a touch of American pop, it proved a musical extravaganza and beyond and guests ate it up and danced up one almighty storm for good measure!
Among those crossing the Atlantic for the occasion, included: mother of the bride, the charming and radiating Polly Brown; her twin sister Karen Brown (who toasted the newly-weds in songs) and her betrothed Andrew Chang; her brother Shawn Brown and his wife Christine Brown; the groom's mother, Mrs. Lois Ciurlino, looking flawlessly regal; his brother Rick Ciurlino and his charming wife JoAnn Ciurlino; the groom's aunt Mrs. Pat Wood and her daughter Amanda Wood; lifelong Ciurlino family friends Hugh and Constance Miller; Roy and Sylvia Collister; Ian and Brenda Wong; Evon Williams; the lovely Delrose Campbell all of Kingston, Jamaica; Mark and Julie Jones; Jim and Evone Bauer; Denton and Diane Wagner; the smashingly lovely Karen Williams; Paul and Cynthia Hanworth; Rich Altus; Genevieve Harman; Chris and Marlene Knell; Alex Falicov and his fabulous Russian wife Laura Fainzilberg; Bob Yayac; Shelly and Vilma Harman; Gary Greene; the charming Patrice Buee; Rich and Frankie Chuday; Simon Edwards; Firdosh and Carla Anklesaria; Petra Rattary; and the charming Janet Farrow, who worked
tirelessly as the event's
executive producer!
But what a blast!
Oh, and Ravello! Ravello! Ravello! Oh, the absolute beauty of it all!
