Tingle finds seventh heaven in Rowe

Finding true love can be either a challenging quest or a serendipitous discovery. For Pedrine Tingle, it was the latter. While sitting in the park with her best friend, she was approached by a young man speaking on behalf of his friend. Her interest piqued when she realised the charming suitor was Kenroy Rowe, a schoolmate whom she found both handsome and sweet. What began as a meeting between two Papine High School students in seventh grade eventually led them to their own seventh heaven, culminating in marriage.

“I remember seeing her in the park after school and making enquiries to a group of friends. Ryan, a classmate of mine, said he knew her from their previous primary school and could introduce me if I was interested,” Kenroy told Island Wedding.

The duo exchanged numbers and spent two years courting, which included phone calls, time together at school, and weekend visits, with their parents’ permission.

“We started meeting up after school, sometimes going to Hope Gardens. He would pick me flowers and carry my school bag,” Pedrine recounted.

But all that revelry came to a sudden halt in ninth grade. Despite the separation, the pair remained friends and only reunited eight years ago.

Kenroy explains, “In 2016, I was going through a break-up and I had reached out to her on Facebook to ask what type of boyfriend I was in high school. She reminded me that I was always a sweet and caring person.”

But their communication was short-lived after it was revealed that Pedrine was migrating to the States. Although distance intervened, so, too, did fate. And the two kept in casual contact until late last summer. Like the heat, the intensity of their passion was at an all-time high.

Describing him as hard-working, intelligent, and business-oriented, she appreciates that he’s not only a great father, but also a loving partner. “Kenroy is my motivation in everything I do. He has always been there pushing me, telling me I can do it. He is one of the sweetest persons I have ever known, and I appreciate him so much. I think I always knew he was the one,” Pedrine said.

Admiring her beauty, strength and character, it wasn’t long before Kenroy was confessing his undying love for her. “We spent days and nights on the phone talking and texting back and forth, as she came down last winter, and I knew I had to seize the opportunity to propose to her.”

So, after almost a year of dating, Pedrine flew to the island that November and Kenroy invited her to do a couples photo shoot. With that ‘picture-perfect’ opportunity, he asked the love of his life to be his lawfully wedded wife.

“In the middle of the photo shoot, I was told to turn my back to him. When I turned back around, he was down on one knee,” she recalled. When he popped the question, he revealed, “She said yes in a high-pitched voice, gleaming with excitement, saying her dream had finally come to reality.”

The couple planned their wedding day on their own, rallying on memorable places to bring the nuptial vision to life.

On March 30, the wedding that Kenroy and Pedrine planned over two decades ago took flight at Struan Castle in St Andrew. The blushing bride remarked, “The wedding was everything I had dreamed of. Our loved ones made it special,” she said, adding, “My best moment was seeing my best friend standing at the altar smiling as I walked up the aisle to him. I will never forget how happy he looked.”

At the reception, the newly-weds shared a majestic first dance as husband and wife to Perfect by Ed Sheeran. “At that moment, I could only see my husband, no one else. I felt like I was on cloud nine,” Mrs Rowe added.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com