Krystal-Gail and Curtis ‘Marsh’ to Holy Matrimony
Published:Tuesday | April 4, 2023 | 12:07 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
As captain of the Manning Cup football team at Meadowbrook High School, Curtis Marsh attracted the eyes of many, but he found himself in a staredown with one of his fans: Krystal-Gail Crooks. That gazing game went on for almost a year until he claimed victory, with her number as the main prize. He would later win her heart and ‘Marsh’ together in holy matrimony.
“I admired how neat Curtis was. You never caught him slipping! His belt had to match his shoes and the straps of his Jansport knapsack. His Clarks were never dirty, and his shirt was always tucked in. He had this bad-boy demeanour but still managed to get an award in every subject at prizegiving. I was in awe,” Krystal-Gail explained to Island Wedding.
While seeing Krystal-Gail around at school, Curtis expected her to either play into the typical teenage girl narrative of sending her friend to him or approaching him herself. But she waited patiently for him to make the first move.
“My respect for her went through the roof. I knew she was different. She was dressed in a long skirt with her hair forever caught in a bun, but she still rocked it confidently. She was not looking for attention, but she caught mine,” he confessed.
During their first chat during club time, they spent hours having a deep, meaningful, and goal-oriented conversation. “She was as brilliant as she was beautiful. Everything we spoke about was non-superficial, and we started dreaming together immediately. I knew she was the one, and I knew she was going to be my wife!”
In 2012, the two went on their first date to the movies at Carib 5 to watch Batman Begins, commemorating the start of new love. “We had such a good time,” Krystal-Gail said. She was particularly impressed by his acts of chivalry at that age, “He chartered a taxi to take me home to Red Hills. That would have cost a pretty penny, especially because we were still in high school. This showed how much of a gentleman he was even back then.”
Following the first date, Curtis made an unexpected request. He was granted a scholarship to study overseas and he asked her if she was willing to wait for him. Although they were both against long-distance relationships, he wasn’t about to lose his soulmate. So the pair kept the romance going across borders.
Already in love, they flirted with the idea of marrying one day. And fate was sealed in the summer of 2014, “On one of his visits, we had a picnic at Hope Gardens where we wrote out our expectations for our relationship and coined it ‘Krysti’s Law’. At that moment, I thought to myself, this man is going to be my husband,” she revealed.
Before his scholastic departure, Curtis got saved in the 12th grade and had a conversation with God about his desire to have a strong woman who appreciated the man that he was becoming. Krystal was his answered prayer, “As men, we draw commitment from those who have been loyal, and Krystal is that and much more! We are literally one person. All my achievements are hers and hers are mine. She loves God more than she loves me which is very important in marriage as we both have the same foundation to stand on in rough times.”
Not only does he believe that they are suitable for each other, but they also adapt well, complementing each other on life’s journey. “She is ambitious, passionate, and strong-willed. Our differences also make us a force to be reckoned with. I am destination oriented while Krystal is process driven. So as I cast the vision, she can quickly plan all the necessary steps to achieve it. This is every man’s dream!”
Happy to correct him in love, she motivates him through encouraging and uplifting words and actions. He believes he is a better man because of her and additionally, Krystal-Gail communicates clearly in his love language, teaching him how to love unconditionally and in a pragmatic way.
Entranced by how God-fearing, respectful, brilliant, competitive, and reliable the love of her life is, Curtis is her overachiever, and he is always going towards a new level of mastery in all spheres, “He encourages me to never make a decision out of fear and to instead embrace new challenges because I will never grow in my comfort zone.”
Being of the same mindset allows them to take chances on many business ventures that may seem too high to achieve. “He is always building me up, reminding me of my talents, and encouraging me to occupy and dominate any space I am called to. I simply would not be who I am today without Curtis by my side,” she added.
After five years of courtship, the wait was finally over. Curtis decided it was time to ask Krystal-Gail to be his wife. “I knew that once I graduated from university and secured a job then it would be time. Thanks to God, I had secured a career at my dream company six months before graduation, so I immediately started planning,” he revealed.
Circa Christmas Day 2016, Curtis flew to Jamaica to see Krystal-Gail during her final year at university. The pair went out to celebrate what she thought was his new job. But her partner had other life plans in store for her.
It all started with a book. “I bought a book called The Love Dare. Inspired by the movie Fireproof, it contained daily love dares towards your partner based on the word of God. Once I completed it, I added a final dare addressed to Krystal on the last page.”
After getting her father’s blessing and her ring size, courtesy of her mother, he booked a private dinner at the Spanish Court Hotel. “I pretended to go to the restroom after dinner, and the waitress asked Krystal to come to the hotel lounge. I then started playing the song Love is Not a Fight by Warren Barfield, which was sentimental to both of us.”
A confused Krystal-Gail turned around, only to be greeted by Curtis handing her the Love Dare book, “I asked her to turn to the last page that read, “Say Yes!” and immediately went on one knee, popping the ring out and asking her to marry me. As you’d imagine, she won the dare!”
For the big day, the bride enlisted help from family members, friends, and a few vendors to pull off the wedding of their dreams.
The two had already become one on March 9, 2018, when they eloped at City Hall in New York City. But the ‘happily ever after’ couple decided to celebrate the fifth anniversary with an official wedding ceremony and reception.
The beauty of Bellefield Great House in Montego Bay, St James, did everything to elevate the union of the bride and groom.
“The wedding was beautiful,” the blushing bride said, making special mention of the God-centred ceremony and savoury-filled reception. The groom reflected that his favourite moment was seeing his gorgeous bride for the first time, “I didn’t plan for tears, but they came like a flood. I was overwhelmed with love and joy!”
For the first dance, the husband-and-wife duo danced to a mashup of Powerful by Taurus Riley and Ellie Golding, and Tadow by Masego & FKJ put together by their deejay, DJ Fenix. “It was magical,” Mrs Marsh recounted.