From Campion to life companions

It was circa 2006 – the season of love. And to celebrate the special occasion, Nicholi Stevens surprised Latara Boodie with a beautiful basket packed with a big teddy bear and other niceties. He was her very first Valentine at Campion College. And years later, he would charm his way to become her husband and life companion.

“I was so grateful. I sat with the basket for the entire day,” Latara told Island Wedding. Although she appreciated the grand gesture, the first former didn’t want to give the young man in her year the impression that this crush was reciprocated. Additionally, she had no intentions of leading him on into thinking that the gift meant that they were automatically a couple.

After school, she set the record straight, making her feelings, or lack thereof, known and returning the basket to him. Crushed, Nicholi didn’t speak to Latara again. He explained, “I figured she didn’t have any interest in me. so why would I speak to anyone who didn’t show any interest?” The two shared little to no interactions during high school. Then ‘university’ entered the chat, and that’s when their interactions increased.

“I still remember the first incident. But seeing her posts and pictures, I realised I still had a thing for this girl. I tried reaching out to her on multiple occasions. But she didn’t take me seriously,” he said, noting that he was glad she didn’t because he didn’t really know himself then. She highlighted that they were both in relationships when he was trying to get her attention.

As life would have it, Latara and Nicholi ended up in the same friend group post-university, going on a couple of outings as a team. On the last excursion at the end of 2019, the two began communicating as friends.

During the COVID-19 lockdown the following year, Latara, who lived on her own, began doing some self-reflection. What she discovered was that Nicholi was always there via messages or comments on pictures. So one summer evening, she decided to have a serious conversation with him. That conversation blossomed into love. “Then and there, we knew that it was going to go somewhere good, and here we are now,” Nicholi added.

Lockdown date

With the lockdown in effect at the time, the pair had their first date at Latara’s house. “I cooked him lasagna, set up the table with candles and had wine. While we were eating, I literally asked him, ‘Where is this going?’.” Nicholi, who was impressed by Latara’s culinary skills and was enjoying the dinner, nearly choked on the bombshell question.

She asked if they were together, and he replied, “Yes.” But just to clear the air, she also asked if they were exclusive, to which he gave the same positive reply.

Since then, Latara continued to be amazed by how romantic, charismatic, humorous, reliable, family oriented and loyal her beloved truly is.

“He is very supportive. Having him as my rock to cheer me on makes me believe in myself even more. When I decided to leave my job in 2020 and go full time into my own company, he told me to go for it. I did, and so much came from that experience. I was able to develop as an entrepreneur. He was there to bounce ideas with and was always a source of encouragement. He is my best friend,” she shared.

After going to his family barbecue in Manchester, seeing him interacting with his aunts, who are all strong and powerful women, and seeing how caring they were as a family, she realised that this was a family that she wanted to be part of, and she knew that he was the one for her.

Noting that she has always been beautiful in his eyes, Nicholi continues to marvel at how assertive, caring, encouraging, giving, loving, and romantic his soulmate is. “As it relates to my approach to the work world, she has helped me a lot. I’ve become a calmer and more laid-back person. I’m still dedicated to my job, still a workaholic, but I’ve not allowed it to stress me in any way,” he said.

Highlighting that she has added much value to their relationship as it relates to being a greater team, he appreciates her go-getting nature, “She speaks her mind. She has never given me a chance to be complacent. She always keeps me on my feet. She has always kept me thinking of ‘What next?’ and how we can get there.”

As a couple, discovering new places and trying new things locally and around the world are at the top of the to-do list. The adventure unit is big on embracing the nature-loving lifestyle. Nicholi pointed out that The Pub in Kingston has always been a chill spot for them as well as hiking at Holywell.

He realised that she was the one over a conversation with a friend. He said that she would reel him in for his own betterment and he didn’t want to leave. So one year and 10 months into dating exclusively, Nicholi asked Latara, the love of his life, to be his lawfully wedded wife.

Purchasing the ring months before, Latara noticed that every special occasion was the grandest of gestures, but there was no ring. After watching a movie together and reflecting on the film and on life in general, Nicholi decided that night that it was the right time to pop the question.

The perfect moment

“Explaining that there was no perfect moment in life, in relation to the movie, he stepped out of the shower, went into the room and I heard shuffling. He came back with a black box, threw away the box, took out the ring and right then and there, he asked me if I would marry him,” she said, adding, “I thought it was one big joke. I said, ‘Seriously?’ and he said, “Yes.” And I started bawling instantly because it was so intimate, it was so private. It was the perfect moment.”

Going on planning dates, the engaged couple came up with their ideas. And it became a team effort. But after attending expos and checking different places, nothing seemed to be an ideal nuptial fit. That was until she made a call to a hotel on the northern coast. “When I called Couples Sans Souci and asked about their wedding package and they mentioned having a local wedding package, it was the best bargain I could ask for. They did everything. All I had to do was select what I liked,” the bride-to-be highlighted.

As a former lifestyle reporter, she had worked with Bliss Bridal Boutique owner Sara Stanford before, so she knew she would source her wedding dress from that boutique. She was particularly impressed by how she was able to find a gorgeous ball gown dress with floral details that hugged her curves .

On March 18, Nicholi and Latara tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony at the hotel in Ocho Rios, St Ann. Running behind time, the couple moved their wedding from outdoors to inside due to the inclement weather. But nothing else mattered when Nicholi saw his beautiful bride for the first time. In pure majesty, she marched up the aisle to an acoustic rendition of Kes the Band’s Hello, establishing a joyful ‘I do’. After the exchange of vows and the groom kissed the bride, the husband and wife took their first walk to Calum Scott’s Biblical.

To celebrate their union, the bridal party entered the reception to Viking Ding Dong’s DAP (Drink and Party) before making way for the newly-weds, who greeted their guests with Farmer Nappy’s Chippin’ (With Meh Own Woman), setting the tone for the soca-dancehall wedding, as well as R&B, from all eras.

For their official first dance, the married pair shared a romantic waltz to Mary J. Blige’s I Found My Everything. The newly-weds went on their honeymoon at Couples Sans Souci.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com