Shevonn and Carissa zoom into lifetime love

During the global pandemic, church bodies kept their ministries alive by hosting services and outreach programmes via Zoom. During one session, Shevonn Dawkins heard the captivating voice of Carissa Hanson and was intrigued. Curious about the person behind the vocals, he eventually met her in person during a youth initiative session, sparking a friendship which later sailed its way to the shores of love.

“At first, I wasn’t interested because I was just coming out of a toxic relationship. However, being around him more was [like] a breath of fresh air,” Carissa told Island Wedding.

Shevonn shared similar sentiments, saying, “It wasn’t long before I became a counsellor and confidant for a woman I didn’t know my future was set with for a lifetime.”

Carissa knew that her affections had grown towards him. One day, while out on the Palisadoes strip, they spent hours talking and getting to know each other better.“Neither of us really thought of it as a date at the time. But it was amazing,” she added.

After a few months had passed since their first encounter, Shevonn was invited to Carissa’s birthday dinner on April 25, 2021. It was there that he began to see her in a different light. “That day, I saw her in a fashion I had never seen her in before. The radiance I felt and the sight I beheld knocked me so far from stability that it was unnerving.”

Even then, he remained committed to his singleness until, in a silent prayer, he felt the Lord revealing a new chapter for them. “On May 1, 2021, I asked the first question and to my heart’s desire, she said yes. I was no longer interested in being alone. My journey towards being complete had begun,” he shared.

Captivated by his intellect, kindness, humility, ambition, and resilience, Carissa admitted that being with him had helped her discover her best self.

“He made me see things for what they really were and helped me to work on the parts of myself that needed the most fixing. He loved me for who I was and allowed me to grow and heal at my own pace, all while supporting me along the way,” she highlighted.

His patience and understanding meant the world to her, and their relationship became her safe space, “I know where I am coming from and where I am today is a testament [to] how good God was in placing this wonderful man in my life at the time when I needed him the most.”

Nurturing by nature, Shevonn continues to be fascinated by how proactive, ambitious, graceful, and down-to-earth his soulmate is.

“Never one to turn a blind eye to someone in need, she gives a listening ear and stands as a voice of reason. A guide to the light when darkness seems to be all there is, she is driven by the desire to be the best she can be and she’s always improving on the person she was yesterday,” he said, adding, “My life has been happier since meeting her. And my growth and accomplishments have been the reward of her time and effort.”

SURPRISE PROPOSAL

After three and a half years of courtship, Shevonn surprised Carissa with an impromptu proposal. The original plan was to return to the place where their romance first sparked – Palisadoes – but inclement weather forced him to find a charming compromise.

“My lips were prepared to ask the most important question they would utter in all their existence. And I did just that on November 16, 2024,” he recounted.

On their way to a birthday celebration, the couple and a few close friends gathered and began singing happy birthday. Carissa found the act to be a strange. But she had no time to question things as the tune quickly transitioned to Bruno Mars’ Marry You.

From there, the soon-to-be fiancée noticed a red carpet and a sign that read ‘Will you marry me?’

“When the screams and cheers subsided, I assumed the proposal position and had asked the love of my life to become my wife,” he added.

With less than a year to plan, Carissa enlisted the expertise of Let’s Talk Weddings Ja, describing the process as “honestly very manageable because of my planner”.

On July 27, Shevonn and Carissa walked down the aisle at Caymanas Golf Club in St Catherine to become lawfully wedded husband and wife. “The wedding was a dream,” the beautiful bride recalled, noting that the significant event was both festive and emotional. “My husband surprised me by singing me up the aisle. I did not expect it at all. It caught me off guard because I practised walking into a completely different song. But it was definitely worth it.”

As for the dashing groom, he shared, “From the sight of my beautiful bride and my racing heart when the crowd reacted to seeing her, to the tears that flowed as I sang, my favourite moment came when I stood with her by my side, declaring to the world that she is my wife and thanked everyone for being a part of our day.”

To commemorate their union, the newly-weds shared an official first dance to Lifetime by Justin Bieber. “The words, specifically the chorus, ‘ Some people bring you a million blessings. Some people teach you a million lessons’, really resonated with the both of us,” Mrs Dawkins reminisced.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com