Under the warm Jamaican sun, surrounded by crystal waters, beautiful flowers, family and friends, Jason Preston and Micaylah Preston exchanged their vows in paradise. Though they officially said “I do” July 20, the Prestons’ love story began just over 4 years ago in the heart of Athens.
Jason Preston first met his future spouse at Ohio University during the winter of his freshman year. Jason Preston is now an NBA player for the Utah Jazz, and Micaylah Preston is an entertainment marketing strategist.
The rest was history. The couple officially started dating in July 2020 on College Green. Jason Preston asked Micaylah Nash (now Micaylah Preston) to marry him at Easton Town Center, located in Columbus, in December 2022.
During their engagement, the couple had many decisions to make about their wedding.
“Micaylah deserves so much credit for all the little details throughout the event,” Jason Preston said. “I could go on and on.”
The pair decided to have an intimate destination wedding at Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica, a location that holds a special place in Jason’s heart.
“With (the wedding) being in Jamaica, where my mother is from, and her side of the family being there, it was everything,” Jason Preston said. “It brought back a lot of memories, being able to experience the food as well as the culture.”
Instead of creating a traditional wedding registry, the pair chose to ask for donations to the American Lung Association in honor of Jason’s mother, Judith Sewell, who passed away from lung cancer when Jason was 16 years old. As an ambassador for the association, Jason felt this gesture served as a way for the couple to make a lasting impact.
After a year and a half of thoughtful planning, the Preston’s finally had the opportunity to enjoy their big day. They welcomed their guests with gift bags filled with chapstick, “Jamaica” bracelets, hangover kits and a custom bug spray that read, “be smitten, not bitten.”
The Prestons’ wedding weekend kicked off on Thursday, July 18 with a welcome party. The theme was Prestons in Paradise. The rehearsal dinner took place on Friday with a timeless elegance theme. The wedding was Saturday followed by a cocktail hour and a reception.
The weekend of events served as a celebration of the couple’s love story and allowed them to spend meaningful time with family and friends.
“We live in Salt Lake City and our friends are just spread across the country, so having everyone in one place was something that we've never experienced before,” Micaylah said. “It was cool having that for three days.”
Among their guests was Jeff Boals, the head men’s basketball coach at OU and Jason’s former coach.
Although the wedding was in July, the height of recruiting season for Boals, he did not hesitate to attend. According to Boals, the connections and bonds he forms with students he has coached are one of the most meaningful parts of his job.
“When you get into coaching, this is part of the reason why you do it,” Boals said.
Boals said he has known Micaylah since she was just 7 years old, as he is a long-time friend of her parents. Because of these lasting connections, he has seen the couple evolve, blossoming into the people they are today.
“Micaylah is very, very smart,” Boals said. “She'll be an unbelievable career woman, whatever path she chooses. And obviously, Jason is a phenomenal basketball player. They really kind of sacrificed and tied into being a couple.”
Boals said the wedding was beautiful, serving as a celebration of the couple and their future together.
“Micaylah has been very supportive of Jason's career, and Jason has been very supportive of Micaylah’s career,” Boals said. “I'm excited to see where it ends up.”
Boals was not the only OU connection at the Prestons’ wedding weekend.
“We had our first date at OU on College Green, and that was actually where he ended up asking me to be his girlfriend,” Micaylah said. “That was another reason why we chose to have our ceremony on a lawn.”
The theme of the Prestons’ guest book was “From OU to I do,” serving as a tribute to their journey as Bobcats and a nod to their Athens connections.
As Boals explained, Athens is special because you never know who you are going to run into.
“You can meet anybody at any time, right,” Boals said. “It could be the love of your life and someone you get married to.”
After their wedding weekend, the Preston’s headed straight to Europe for their two-week honeymoon in Monte Carlo, South of France, Greece and Tuscany, Italy. Now, they are settling into married life.
“It's a great feeling to walk around with a ring on my hand,” Jason said. “As far as our love goes, I wouldn't say anything necessarily changed, but it's definitely a great feeling of new beginnings.”
