Kareen and Pete construct the ideals of love
Published:Tuesday | February 21, 2023 | 12:12 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Kareen Dixon thought it would be a typical afternoon visiting her friend. That was until she arrived and realised that she wasn’t the only guest. Pete Russell was also present at the residence. And call it Cupid or fate, this unexpected encounter ignited a flame of desire that led to Pete asking Kareen to marry him three years later.
“I honestly thought he was annoying. But even being annoying, I wanted to get to know him just a little bit more,” the senior consultant at JAMPRO told Island Wedding.
So they did just that on their first date to Gloria’s in Port Royal, Kingston and took a romantic stroll on the Palisadoes strip, which proved to be exciting, engaging, and relaxing.
Pete, who works in construction, admired that she had a soft and jovial aura from the start. It was magnetic, and he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
“The funny thing is after the first date back in 2019, I told her she was the one I would marry. She laughed and said I was a bit crazy. But I knew from when I met her and enquired about who she was from my friend,” he said.
Despite the great date, the pair remained cordial, and were in contact on occasion. Pete believed it might have been because he wasn’t her type. He, however, was not going to let that stop him from missing out on true love.
“I was persistent and kept requesting date after date until finally, we had a deep conversation in late 2021 and both decided that we would give a relationship a try,” he added.
Affectionate, strong, patient, dependable, and adventurous, Kareen is happy to have found a beloved who not only adores her, but who supports her in all her dreams and goals.
“He always wants me to do well. One of the things he insisted on when we started our vision board was for me to find my true passion through the development of one of my skills.”
The couple that prays together stays together. But finding a partner that prays with and for you is even better. “He prays a lot, and that’s important to me. He puts God first in our relationship and in everything we do, or intend to do. I’ve always told God it had to be a godly man or no man. He takes time to read relationship books, referring to things in them when we speak on certain matters. He prioritises our plans and our relationship,” Kareen highlighted.
Pete shares this sentiment and says he’s grateful for the extra push towards spiritual alignment. “Our relationship flourishes because we both pray. Kareen sets prayer reminders, shares scriptureshe reads in every area, and ensures that we both discuss them.”
Her efficiency is evident in the dating department as well since she ensures that the schedule is clear for dinners and new adventures.
Explaining that she’s beautiful, smart, amazing, supportive, and special, what stood out for him was her insistence on seeking counsel to understand the serious intentions of their relationship. “Only then would we both decide if marriage is a covenant we could keep. So we got counselling long before I even proposed,” he added.
One year and nine months after they entered a courtship, Kareen gave Pete the best birthday gift by agreeing to marry him.
“I was in Buffalo, New York, for a while, and she came up to visit me for my birthday,” he shared.
When the trip was about to end, nerves got the better of Pete, so he arranged a dinner with her and friends, and those friends invited Kareen to see Niagara Falls. She grew impatient by the minute and in no time was ready to go home since she had a flight to catch in a couple of hours. But Pete couldn’t have her going home empty-handed.
“My friend, Dannie, realised how nervous I was and devised a plan that she would show her something across the falls, and at that point, I would get on one knee. When Dannie pointed, Kareen’s response was ‘Oh great! I have Dunn’s River in Jamaica. Now can I go?’ But she turned around and saw me on my knee. With everyone staring she said, ‘Get up, get up now’. I popped the question, she cried and said yes, and I hurriedly got up,” Pete recounted.
Fresh from the proposal, she began putting plans in place to secure the wedding venue and make other nuptial arrangements. “I planned every detail, bouncing a few ideas off my friends and family members. My entire family and friends in Jamaica and overseas chipped in,” she said, adding, “It was an easy process. I knew what I wanted, and I believe God lined up everyone.”
Kareen and Pete were united in holy matrimony on January 8 at Berea Seventh-Day Christian Church on Waltham Park Road in Kingston.
The newlyweds took the festivities to the reception held at ROK Hotel in Kingston. For their first dance as husband and wife, the married couple engaged in a choreographed dance medley. They started with Brett Young’s In Case You Didn’t Know and then surprised guests with moves to Ding Dong’s Happiness.
“Our wedding was beautiful. I would not change a thing. The best part was walking down the aisle with my mom by my side and seeing my Rustie, as I call Pete, waiting for me, his Pems, as he calls me, at the end. That walk put everything into perspective,” Mrs Russell reflected.
The wedding was amazing Mr Russell declared: “Kareen is an extremely good planner. I don’t know how she did it, but everything was on point; the songs, the guests, the food, everything. The best part for me was the violinist serenading us to the altar, and, of course, when the pastor said, ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’.”