Both avid travelers, lawyers, and motorcyclists, the Cayman-based couple, Jarrod Farley, originally from England, and Caymanian Arikka Ebanks, couldn’t be a more perfect match. After meeting at work in 2011, they hit it off, and now, they’re married and ready for a lifetime of adventure. .

Jarrod’s casual proposal sounds unplanned, but in a comical way, it suited the laid-back couple. “I think we should get married,” Jarrod said to Arikka before going to sleep in their New York City hotel room.
“I had been traveling on a business trip with the ring, and I was desperate to ask her when we met up in New York,” Jarrod explains.
Once they got back to Cayman, the planning began with the help of Juliette Ebanks at Five Star Events. Wanting a more intimate, Caribbean wedding, Juliette helped the couple choose Sunset Bay, a gorgeous Mise en Place property.
“We immediately knew this was the right spot,” says Arikka. “It was beautiful—the perfect location for a spring wedding.”
On March 26, 2016, the couple pulled off a romantic bohemian wedding by the sea. The non-traditional, family-oriented ceremony took place on a grassy lawn overlooking the water. In just 15 short minutes, Jarrod and Arikka were husband and wife.
“We wanted a short and sweet ceremony, so we cut out much of the verbiage,” says Jarrod. “We wanted to go straight to the fun part—the party.”
During the ceremony, the bride looked elegant in a two-piece ball gown and a flower crown with hypericum berries, craspedia balls, and a single pink peony. Her bright and whimsical bouquet matched with peonies, roses, lilies, and greenery.
Arikka had what she calls “a small army of bridesmaids,” with eight girls, including Jarrod’s daughters Ceridwen, Arielle, and Leanda. They all wore teal convertible dresses with comfortable flats.
Jarrod and his best man, a friend of 20 years, wore casual linen suits. Jarrod’s daughters stood next to him as he said “I will.”
After sealing their vows with a kiss, the guests were led to enjoy Pimm cocktails, an English summertime favorite; fresh watermelon juice; and hors d’oeuvres by the pool.
Jarrod’s eldest daughter, Ceridwen, and her band, Below the Deck, serenaded the guests during cocktail hour with a variety of indie songs. Following a quick dress change, the pair joined their guests in a magical tent reception for dinner where the DJ played a mix of classic jazz tunes. They danced their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” and after the bouquet toss, the DJ got people up and moving with fun, upbeat calypso and disco music.
The food, provided by Mise en Place, was divine; Arikka, a self-described foodie, would have accepted nothing less. In keeping with the Caribbean vibe, guests enjoyed their choice of jerk smoked beef brisket or saltfish and ackee for their main dishes, and various sides served family-style like mac and cheese, rice and beans, and fried plantains.
When it came to dessert, they decided to depart from the traditional, opting for a more affordable and delicious Oreo tower cake, inspired by Pinterest, which Jarrod himself assembled the day of the wedding.
In addition to Oreos, guests enjoyed local favorites: rum cake, mango mousse, and sticky toffee pudding.
Following the wedding, the newlyweds traveled to South Africa, where they attended their friends’ wedding and went on to an adventurous safari honeymoon at Madikwe Hills in Kruger National Park.
“It was all perfect,” says Arikka. “Everything from the wedding to the honeymoon was wonderful.”