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Some brides obsess about their dream dress. Others, their
fairy-tale location. But when Jamie Baratta started plan-
ning her March 9, 2019, wedding to boyfriend Maurice
Slade, she had a different focus. “For me, it was all about
the music,” she says. “The music had to be bomb.” For
anyone who knows the couple, this came as no surprise.
An up-and-coming young attorney in the music
industry, Jamie did a stint at Def Jam Recordings before
law school and now works with Cardi B and ASAP
Rocky. Maurice, meanwhile, is a VP at Epic Records, an
alum of Roc Nation, and cofounder of the hip-hop con-
cert series Grits & Biscuits. So, naturally, one of the first
duties Maurice took on once they chose Jamaica was to
make an island-inspired playlist to send to their friends
ahead of time. Bob Marley, Beenie Man, Sister Nancy,
and, yes, even Musical Youth (who could forget “Pass
the Dutchie”?) all made the cut. “We wanted everyone
to get into the spirit of the trip,” says Jamie.
The Los Angeles–based couple chose to keep the wed-
ding intimate, with just 60 guests, so the storied Round
Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay—where John F.
Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy often stayed—worked per-
fectly. The bride’s aesthetic of elegant minimalism was
reflected at every turn, from her sliplike Vera Wang
gown and opera-length gloves to her bouquet of perfect
white tulips. “A palette of bright colors is typical of trop-
ical weddings,” says Jamie, who chose softer-toned
Azeeza dresses for her bridal party. “But whites and neu-
trals felt much more me.” The ceremony was officiated
by Maurice’s father, Alzo Slade, an ordained minister,
and was held on a stone deck overlooking the beach. “It
let us keep a formal feeling to the ceremony,” says Jamie.
Clear acrylic chairs added a glamorous modern touch.
At the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed coconut shrimp,
cracked conch, and jerk-roasted suckling pig along
with clever signature drinks (like Penny’s Punch,
named after Maurice’s nickname for the bride). The
music made the night truly memorable: Maurice’s
friend DJ Pedro Cavaliere played a dream set that
spanned ’90s hits, cur-
rent hip-hop, salsa, and
music from the “Dirty
South.” Best of all was
when Maurice, a lifelong
OutKast fan, got down on
his knees and serenaded
his new bride to UGK’s
“International Players
Anthem,” backed up by
all his groomsmen. Says
Jamie, “It was pretty
epic.”—Catherine HongISLAND
Inspiration
The wedding was
formal (“Jamie and
Maurice did not want to
get married barefoot
in the sand,” says the
planner, Priyan Chan
draratna), but things got
casual later: Everyone
dressed in white for a
beach barbecue. Tables
were topped with
coconuts and shells.
WEDDING TEAM
PLANNER Priyan
Chandraratna of Alfred House
Productions
VENUE Round Hill Hotel
and Villas
BRIDE’S ATTIRE Vera Wang
dress and Dorothy
Gaspar gloves
STATIONERY
Details Design Studio
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jennifer Johnson135
brides.com august + september 2019