Jhaneil and Romaine’s campus connection blossoms into lifetime love

For many, university is a time of self-discovery. But instead of playing the field, Jhaneil Fraser and Romaine Roach jumped into what some may consider to be a fast romance.

“We met in 2017 at the University of Technology, Jamaica while studying for our degree. We both started university fresh out of high school, and without that we perhaps would not have met. We found out days later that we lived [within]walking distance from each other,” Jhaneil shared.

Having their first date at Palace Cineplex after they had already become official, Jhaneil explained that spending every day together was a usual occurrence. Soon after, though, they began their ritual of river-hopping and beach-bumming.

Settling into a rhythm, Romaine knew early on how deeply his feelings for Jhaneil ran.

He began, “I knew I was in love as soon as we started dating; I realised that I couldn’t stop thinking about her since the first time I laid my eyes on her. I saw that she was very special and we had a unique connection, to the point where we knew what the other person was thinking and we could finish each other’s sentences.”

Further gushing about his bride, he told Island Wedding, “I’m an introvert who is easily annoyed by people, and the fact that I could not stop thinking about her, the connection that we had, and the fact that I wanted to be around her 24/7, I knew I had to make her my wife one day.”

In a similar manner, Jhaneil shared that her husband is her best friend.

“My husband is my best friend. We share the same life goals and interests, and he knows how to make me feel like the queen that I am. He is loving, caring, ambitious, and motivates me to be the best version of myself. He supports me in everything I do and inspires me to go after my dreams, no matter what the current situation might be. He always says, ‘It will work out, don’t worry.’ Because of his drive, we managed to purchase our first home at the age of 22 and I will forever be grateful for this, among many other things. He is also very handsome, funny and a jack of all trades.”

Five years of bliss later, at a party that Jhaneil was told was solely to celebrate the new year, Romaine popped the big question.

“Romaine proposed minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve in 2022 at what was supposed to be a ‘New Year’s party’ at his cousin’s house. It turned out that everything was planned for the proposal, and there was no such party. He planned and executed the proposal just as I wanted it, unexpected and surrounded by close friends and family.”

Over a year later the pair were married on February 3rd at Laughing Waters in Ocho Rios. “I predicted that I would get married here one day when I was about nine years old,” Jhaneil revealed.

Reminiscing on what they shared was the greatest day of their lives, the pair highlighted that exchanging their vows was the most memorably part of their big day.

“The vow exchange was one of our favourite parts of the wedding as we expressed to each other, before our favourite people, our love and the vows we promise to uphold for the rest of our lives together. Romaine cried uncontrollably, while I comforted him and tried to hold back my tears,” Jhaneil said.

Now with their entire lives ahead of them Mr and Mrs Roach are most excited to start a family.

“We are looking forward to creating our own little family, growing and excelling in all aspects of life, and, of course, creating as much wealth as possible for ourselves and our children,” they shared cheekily.

shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com