Wedding Photography

Etajh and Zayne Johnson’s Wedding Photography may have lacked the drama normally associated with the day but for them it was exactly as it should be. “What made our wedding so special was that it was so intimate,” says Zayne.

“There was nobody there we didn’t know. The most important thing was having family there. Family and close friends.”
Officiating was Pastor Charles, also known to Zayne and her family from her church, Castries SDA.

The young bride, turned 24 the day before her July 4th wedding, making it easy, says her husband Etajh, to remember the wedding date. Zayne is a recent graduate of the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), where she met Etajh. Also 24, he is an interim pastor in St. Maarten and works with the North Caribbean Conference of Seventh Day Adventists. Etajh graduated a year before Zayne but they had already formed a strong bond.
“The very first time I saw Zayne was on the steps of my dorm… looking lost. She was a freshman and I had been there before. First time I spoke to her? She was walking from the library to the female dorm and I said hi.” Etajh says there was a mutual interest in each others unusual names; Zayne doesn’t remember the encounter.
She agrees that their friendship sparked a week later when he saw her reading under a tree. “The first time I remember Etajh I was lying under that tree feeling homesick. I didn’t have anybody I was close to so I was hanging out by myself. He came over and said hi.”
Their friendship blossomed through the drama club, where Zayne says “We used to tease each other constantly. I didn’t realize it used to get to him.”
Friendship turned more serious months later in January. “He called me across campus and handed me this map with an X marking the spot. It was actually his back pocket and he gave me these gummies; I really like gummies…I still have that map..”
“He told me that he liked me and I was a little nervous about that.” On Valentine’s night Etajh presented Zayne with his labour of love, a chocolate cake he had baked. Zayne acknowledges, “The kitchens aren’t that great, so for a guy to bake is a pretty big deal.” But she still wasn’t all sweetened up.
Etajh continued to prove himself and at a missionary camp together in Tobago, Zayne finally sent a text that she wanted to get to know him better.
“I went through a depressing time at the end of the last semester and Etajh was there when I was crying my eyes out; comforting me. That really sealed it.”
While Etajh laments, “That took a while you know, that took a while,” he always knew she was worth it. “Zayne is not the average USC girl.”
His graduation meant time apart as he went back home, and lots of ups and downs as they spent whatever free time they could between their families in Saint Lucia and St Maarten. After Zayne spent Christmas and New Years with his family, Etajh says, “I did a lot of thinking and weighing the balances; a lot of prayer too.”
Zayne too, had some serious thoughts. “I knew he was the man I wanted to marry but I was still being cautious. By this year January I knew there was no turning back.”
Etajh again chose around Valentines to take the next big step. With neither of them big on the traditional engagement ring he had to find a meaningful replacement. With the help of friends he surprised Zayne with a gift of laptop (this was their major source of communication but hers had broken), and of course, gummies.
Etajh did propose on bended knee, reciting a self-penned poem under a clear evening sky. Zayne couldn’t help but cry, though she said, “When he asked, there was no doubt.”

Both families, whose permission Etajh had sought even before asking Zayne, also approved of the engagement. There was loving excitement but also solid advice, says Zayne. “Make sure God is the first part of the relationship. Pray about it. My mom told me don’t get married because you feel sorry for the person or because it’s convenient; make sure we love each other. That’s the only way it can last through tough times.”
Their parents also jumped in to plan the wedding. “Our parents did so much for us. They were so willing to sacrifice, it was amazing!”
One of things the couple took charge of, was selecting a wedding photographer. Zayne, visited, Bill Mortley’s website and was captivated with the unusual angles and the natural settings he chose for his photos. Etajh was also impressed by the photos and agreed that Bill should capture the uniqueness of their special day.
That singularity was also displayed in Zayne’s choice of dress. It reflected her sense of simplicity as well as her husband’s influences as Etajh requested one addition, a big bow, on his “gift from God”. As he faced the mirror that morning, Etajh’s thoughts were on the significance of “the last suit I will wear as a single man and the first suit I will wear as a married man.”
He also pondered the changes to his life and his ministry and God’s role in their life thus far. Zayne’s focus was on beginning their lives by exceeding Etajh’s expectations.
As each Wedding Photography shows in creative clarity, Bill Mortley was also able to exceed their expectations.