We swiped right: The Watkises find happily ever after on Tinder

At the height of the global pandemic, Zelania O’Haro and Jeremy Watkis found love in an unlikely place, signing up on Tinder, swiping right and matching their way to happily ever after.

Human resources consultant Zelania first discovered Tinder through the buzzing on social media platform Twitter. Finding the concept interesting, she decided that she would give it a try. “[Prime Minister] Andrew Holness did ah shoot lockdowns left, right, and centre! And being a single woman, just leaving work and going home, with no downtime and no social interaction, was no way to live. I needed to find a medium where I can meet people and get the opportunity to date, even if it meant virtually,” Zelania told Island Wedding, embarking on this new and exciting journey in July of 2020.

Jeremy, who works at the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, became a member of Tinder in March of that year, following the recommendation of a friend. Admitting that it was sold as a fun activity to engage in, he went for the adventure, not knowing what would be in store for him. The pair made a match that September, and it was certainly a month to remember since it brought about an unexpected joy that neither could have anticipated.

It was Zelania who made the first move in the virtual world, having been the one who initially swiped right. Jeremy was impressed by this. “I realised that we matched after I swiped right. That meant she swiped right first since I saw the match. That was like a little bit of “Oooh, she likes me’,” he revealed. His soon-to-be love was equally moved by the match, noting that she was happy the attraction was reciprocated. But would the connection and commitment match up?

While she kept this new prospect in a positive light, a part of her was still on the fence, unsure about where this would go, “A lot of the connections I had before were very insignificant. They weren’t interested in commitment, and I really came on Tinder to find that and love.” So she started conversing with him about the impact of COVID-19 and how it was changing the economy.

It was a deep dive for Jeremy, who was accustomed to the casual nature of the dating app. Initially, he saw it as a bit heavy but confessed that the discussion always flowed despite the load. “Our conversations would last for hours. We would just be in conversation, talking and talking. I said to her before that we have a year’s worth of conversation within the short time span,” he said.

Zelania’s aim was not only to share how the virus had been affecting her, but to get a clearer understanding of how it was affecting his life. “I wanted to see how well he was processing the situation at hand. He dealt with the conversation, and I was like, “Okay, him have sense! I love this!’ The conversation developed through just speaking about global affairs and blossomed into something beautiful,” she shared.

The in-depth conversation got even better when they met in person two to three weeks later. So did the attraction. Jeremy met her physically for the first time in her neck of the woods and saw her in action at work. He was captivated by her warm smile and loved her pixie cut hairdo. He told her that he was very attracted to a woman who could take control of her space. When they went to lunch, she noticed that nerves crept in on his end, threatening to get the better of him, and she was happy that it dissipated over time.

The physical attraction was mutual but matching the voice with the face did take Zelania some getting used to. “It’s like that Netflix reality dating series, Love is Blind. You try to match the voice from conversations to the person, and it took a while for me to connect that voice. Did I like what I saw? Of course! I loved it, in fact. But it took time for the voice for me personally. Once that happened, it flowed smoothly after that for me.”

Their first official date in October included the relaxing beach, delicious home cooking, and a refreshing ride to the countryside that stood as the defining moment for the relationship. “When he was taking us back home, I realised that this is the person that I really want to spend the rest of my life with. That’s how incredible that first date went for me,” she said. He confirmed the same, sharing: “We went into a deep-dive conversation about what we are looking for in a partner, and she left me to think about what I wanted, so I did. She is really nice, so I took a leap of faith and invested in our relationship,” he said, having no regrets.

Secure, committed, faithful, trustworthy, hot, carefree, and jovial, Zelania is amazed by Jeremy’s high spirits and his great need to keep her laughing at all cost. The mother of one wanted to make sure that anyone she dated seriously could provide top-level security and stability for both her and her daughter. And he provided that. “He was always loving and committed to both me and my child. I never had to question his faith or trust. He was open to sharing himself and happy to introduce me to his family. And he was so hot! I couldn’t keep my hands to myself,” she said.

Sharing that amusing nature, Jeremy explained that Zelania is a fun person to be around. She is also beautiful and smart, nurturing, motivating, and determined, “She activates that part of you that you really didn’t know you had. She’s really the chef and gets hands-on with the cooking. If she wants something, she’s going to go for it, and she never takes no for an answer. She’s just an amazing woman.”

They were dating for seven months when Jeremy planned a surprise pre-Mother’s Day event and asked his soulmate to marry him. Her preference for a princess-cut ring was met by her Prince Charming, who also sought the expertise and approval of Zelania’s mother and sister. Securing his love’s favourite make-up artiste, Glam by O’Neil, it was a day the couple will never forget.

On January 15, 2022, Jeremy and Zelania were joined in holy matrimony and became Mr and Mrs Watkis. Choosing the family church, Fellowship Tabernacle in Kingston, the beautiful queen of Jeremy’s heart marched towards him in a stunning ivory sleeveless, ruffle mermaid gown, with pearl details, courtesy of LuxBrides Ja. Her handsome husband welcomed her with open arms and an open heart. The newlyweds went on to have not one but two wedding receptions – one at Struan Castle Gardens in Stony Hill and the other at Waterfalls in Liguanea, Kingston – to accommodate all of their loved ones.

Mr and Mrs Watkis shared a romantic dance for the first time as husband and wife at Struan Castle to Jacob Lee’s I Belong to You, with the promise to be each other’s best friend and partner for a lifetime.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com