Oritsé Williams and his new wife Kazz Kumar didn't just choose Jamaica as their wedding destination for its picturesque scenery, but also for its special connection to the JLS star's family.
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The couple tied the knot at sunset at the Zoëtry hotel on Montego Bay, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. In an exclusive interview with HELLO! Magazine, Oritsé explained why it meant so much for him to host his "life-changing" wedding in "my mother’s homeland," which marked the first time he had visited the country.
WATCH: Exclusive footage from JLS star Oritsé Williams' wedding in Jamaica. Video by Yanic Barrett
"Jamaica holds a very special place in my heart. My mother’s family is from Jamaica," began the singer, who has cared for his mother Sonia – who suffers from multiple sclerosis – since he was 12.
"She was over the moon that we’re getting married here; she couldn’t wait for us to see the country she's from. I wanted my first time here to be a life-changing moment – and what is more life-changing than marrying the love of my life?" he continued.
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Oritsé and Kazz got married at his mother's 'homeland' in Jamaica
Oritsé has previously spoken candidly about caring for his mother and his younger siblings, describing her illness as "devastating."
"You just get on with it, you have to," Oritsé told the Daily Mirror. "But, I won't lie to you, I was very young and it was devastating. I saw my mum going from being absolutely well, running down the road with me, playing in the park, to not being able to walk and collapsing in the street."
The singer's mother suffers from multiple sclerosis
Oritsé met Kazz in 2019 via social media, and he popped the question in October 2021 while they were on the road for JLS's Beat Again reunion tour. While they described their nuptials as a "fairytale", it did not all go according to plan when a storm broke out.
"At 3.30pm we were looking out the window and it was thunder, lightning and monsoon rain. We were thinking: 'What are we going to do?'" the marketing manager and former singer said.
The JLS star previously showed off their wedding rings
"Everyone was wondering why I was so calm when it was stormy outside but I knew everything was going to work out fine," she said.
After some calming words from the groom and a stroke of luck, the weather cleared and the couple were able to tie the knot just hours later at 5.20pm in a straw-thatched pagoda, which Oritsé called "the hut of love."
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