Andrene and Kempton met at a wedding

Love can, perchance, develop with just one glance. But then there are moments when affairs of the heart go much deeper than the naked eye. Andrene Taylor and Kempton Lewis first met under enchanting circumstances: at a wedding. Who would have imagined that they would go on to return to the same occasion where they first met, changing the narrative this time around from wedding guests to husband and wife.

Initially, Andrene didn’t give Kempton a second thought. Her main concern was finding out his reason for staring in her direction. The truth was, this wasn’t Kempton’s first time seeing her. “I actually saw her picture twice before on her past student’s social media page and kept enquiring about her,” he told Island Wedding.

Andrene said he then assisted her with taking a few photos using his phone. There, they engaged in conversation, and she discovered a calmness to him that was intriguing. Realisation aside, according to Kempton, she wasn’t taking any applications for her heart at the moment, so he had no choice but to wait. And wait he did.

Two years later, the conversation was resumed, but the situation was different this time. “I found her to be down-to-earth, cool, and beautiful... . She is a woman of purpose,” he shared. On their first date, a day after reuniting, they had scintillating dialogue about the past, the present, and the future. He returned to Florida in the United States following the date, and the pair began corresponding and connecting over the phone.

“After a few weeks, I saw that he was very ambitious and [had] the qualities that I have been praying for, and it was at that time [that] I made the decision to enter into a relationship with him,” she said. Since then, she has adored his loving, spontaneous, God-fearing, caring, and thoughtful side. He is also a rational thinker, which means his decisions are calculated by nature.

“He is the opposite of me, the calmer version. He pushes me to the best version of myself. He is very supportive of my goals. I’m currently enrolled at university, and he has been the driving force behind that. There are days when it gets overwhelming. He is constantly reminding me that I can do this and to look forward to the reward at the end of this journey,” she declared, adding that nightly chats end with a word of prayer. Even though Kempton is not physically present to celebrate special occasions, due to their distance, he goes above and beyond to ensure that she feels extra special.

Kempton enjoyed that they shared common interests, were serious about life and were intentional with each other. “She is intelligent, compassionate, determined, assertive and tenacious; a phoenix and diamond from the rust. Also, he states, “I love that she is one-of-a-kind and 100 per cent God-fearing. I am normally a hot-headed person, but she brings a level of calmness to me, having to think twice before I act because at the end of the day, I am also representing her.”

The fact that Andrene is a great communicator, emotionally supportive, and a praying woman is the very bedrock of a solid foundation for Kempton. “She checks on me every minute of the day to ensure that I am doing well, and that’s so important, especially in a long-distance relationship. She has been that missing rib,” he confessed. After two months of courting, the noble man decided to make an honest woman out of his beloved by asking her to marry him.

DESTINATION PROPOSAL

So the plan was to surprise Andrene overseas, flying her up to Miami for some quality time together so that he could ask her to be his wife in the process. He set a date with her and close family members and friends, who would share in the revelry. But sometimes, everything that can go wrong will certainly lean in that direction. There was a flight delay, which threw off the dinner reservation. In the rush of it all, Andrene suggested that she forgo the make-up, but he knew what was coming her way and had already planned with her by going online shopping before her arrival for her dresses and shoes. In his own little way, he encouraged her to do her make-up.

“My sister secretly gave the waitress the ring, and at the table, all our dinner was already served, and she kept asking about the delay in starting to eat. It was at that time the waitress came and placed a covered plate in front of her and lifted the cover. By the time she could look up, I was already on my knees. I had no fear as I knew she was gonna say yes,” he said confidently.

Instead of going with a wedding planner, the budding bride made all of the decisions and arrangements, alongside her fiancé’s mother and sister, as well as her friends, “It was a very exciting process, and I was very anxious to see the end results, but I wasn’t disappointed. The dress hunting was very frustrating as I had this particular dress in mind, but it, unfortunately, could not fit. I had other options, but I didn’t feel like they were the perfect fit. I was on the verge of giving up until I found the perfect one at Petals and Promises.” she said.

On April 30, family and friends made their way to the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston to witness Andrene and Kempton join hands and unite hearts in holy matrimony. The regal nuptials saw the elegant bride walking up the aisle to her groom. She was filled with insurmountable joy and didn’t hesitate to whisper, ‘Thank you, Jesus’. It was a truly magical moment for the groom, who saw his bride for the first time and was looking forward to spending forever with her. His favourite moment was the sand ceremony. Their first dance as husband and wife to Jasmine Rae’s When I Found You was the most beautiful celebration of love. And for the bride, it was very special showing the video presentation of their journey together that led them to becoming Mr and Mrs Lewis.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com