The recent marriage of Michelle Phipps and Antonio Evans at the Scarborough Roman Catholic Church, Scarborough, Tobago, spanned many cities and Continents.
Michelle, daughter of Neville and Victoria Phipps of Arima, was born in San Fernando thirty years ago. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, the former student of Arima Girls Roman Catholic School and North Eastern College in Sangre Grande, went on to complete a Master's Degree in Journalism at Columbia in New York. While working as Editor of the Black Diaspora Magazine in New York last year, she was sent to Ghana, Africa, on a business trip for her magazine, taking about sixty people to discover their African roots.
Among the group was Antonio, who was born in St Louis, Missouri, the son of Dr Andrew James Evans and Grace Medley-Evans, both deceased. By the end of the tour, the psychology graduate of Howard University who is employed as an Information Technology Specialist with the ExxonMobil Corporation in Washington, and Trinidad's Michelle, had fallen head over heels in love.
Michelle brought Antonio to visit her relatives and Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2001, and the two who refer to themselves as " two spirits in search of one another who finally reunited while travelling through the African Diaspora" decided that Tobago was the place where they wished to "pledge our love as one on Saturday, the 29th day of September, 2001." The church ceremony conducted by Father Tom Willemsen, was followed by a cocktail and dinner reception for guests who had come both from the United States and Trinidad, and as well their honeymoon, at the Blue Haven Hotel, Bacolet Bay, Scarborough.
Michelle explained the decision to be married in the sister isle: "I was born here in Trinidad, I have travelled around the world to different islands but when we went to Tobago at Carnival like tourists, I looked at it through a tourist's eyes and was impressed. I also saw it as a chance to help boost our economy as it was a good idea to bring money back to my home country, to where I was born, to put money back into the economy. Tobago offers a lot and I do not think that people realise this, as it is always like Trinidad vs Tobago, but I looked at it through new eyes and saw that Tobago has so much to offer."
Michelle was given away in marriage by her father, her maid of honour was Kitt Reckord, bridesmaid - Karen Phipps, the bestman was Dr Broderick Franklin and groomsman, Lynwood Evans, Esq. Ring bearer was Nicholas Russell. The Master of Ceremony at the reception was Michelle's uncle - Berry Ferdinand.