On Sunday, December 6, customers, suppliers and friends of National Commercial Bank (NCB) were treated to a slice of paradise at the breathtaking Irie Beach River in St Ann. It was a day of fun and relaxation dubbed 'NCB Riva Dance'. It was the bank's annual customer appreciation event and already many are wondering just what they will do to surpass this next year.

The location was perfect for guests coming from all over the island. Irie Beach is a well-kept secret paradise resembling a location for a romantic film. Getting to the river by shuttle buses from the designated car park was like taking a drive along what Fern Gully ought to be. This is definitely the new 'it' party location.

simple pleasures

It's a creative event planner's dream and Karen Clarke of An Elegant Affair did not disappoint. She used the many sections, accessible by stone steps, to full effect. White tents and beige oversized umbrellas were used to create perfect lyming alcoves for all the guests' comfort. From rest rooms to food stations, the grounds were laid out against a backdrop of lush foliage, waterfalls and a river running through it.

The one negative was the humidity, but the mostly all-white clad crowd knew that paradise comes with a price. Plus, sweating is healthy!

Under the theme, 'simple pleasures and native treasures', the totally Jamaican cuisine included ice-cold coconut water, fresh seasonal fruits on entry, peppered shrimps, roasted corn, paradise plum, lemonade made of brown sugar and real limes, Ian's One Stop at Hellshire Beach catered seafood, roasted salt fish served with yellow yam and butter. Gilly's oyster bar and Marlene Foster catered the rest of the scrumptious menu. All this was paired with Lascelles Barefoot Wine.

We spotted NCB Foundation chairman, Thalia Lyn; Kirk and Shelly-Ann Allen; Ricket Allen Winston and Camille Lawson; Beverly Cassanova-Brown; Robert Brooks; Barbara Hume; Belinda Williams; David and Tishan Lee; Emile and Janelle Leiba; Eugenie 'Gloriana' Minto; Riki Chin-Yee; Christopher Charley; George and Arlene Cameron; Chetwind and Juliet Chuck; Calvin and Sylvia Lyn; Yvonne Clarke; Barbara and Neville Cohen; Andrea and Peter Cowan; Robert Cranston; Ann-Marie Hamilton; Megan Deane; Pauline Dunstan; Olive McNaughton; Stephen Dawkins; Leroy Daley; Loren Edwards; Howard Foster; the inimitable Jennifer Small; Freddy McGregor, who mesmerised the crowd with hits; Fab Five with hip-grinding scoa favourites; Shernette Foster; Karis Flowers; Alison Lynn; Tomofumi Fukuda; Janet Genus; Dani Gonzales; Christopher Vendryes; Durant and Lola Gordon; Lebert and Winsome Halliman; Lynval and Kerine Hamilton; Ian Kerr; Brenda Wong; Stephen Jackson; Vernon and Prudence James; Junior Lincoln; Wayne and Sheree Martin; Captain David McCrae; Julian and Bev and Anthony Tomlinson; Jeneve Patrick; Bernadette and Gary Barrow; Ffrench Campbell; Xavier Allen; Patricia Yap Chung; Zoe Wynter, and several scores more. It was a memorable occasion.

Manager of the Ocho Rios branch of NCB Jackie Lucas (left) gets a hug from Belinda Williams of the corporate office.

A section of the large gathering relaxing under huge umbrellas. - Contributed

NCB Foundation chairman, Thalia Lyn (left), with 'Riva Dance' winners Wilmore Brown, of Wilor Distributors, and Leigh Phillpotts. The winners received $10,000 towards their favourite charity from the foundation.

From left: Mandeville business couple Sylvia and Calvin Lyn and Kingston businesswoman Dollis Campbell get to know each other. - Photos by Barbara Ellington

The Mandeville posse (from left), Jackie Foster, Michelle Knight, Neville Cohen, Barbara Cohen and Nepaul Knight ensure that they are captured for The Gleaner's social pages.

Girlfriends Sandra Samuels (left) and Andrea Beckford hang out at Sunday's NCB 'Riva Dance' customer appreciation party held at Irie Beach River in St Ann on Sunday, December 6.

Jason Hart, brother of DJ Bambino, is a handsome devil, and he knows it!