From pathfinder to ‘I do’ with Duronie and Kadejha

Hailing from different churches, Seventh-day Adventist pathfinder counsellors Kadejha Wilson and Duronie Colquhoun attended a joint camp initiative at the Maranatha School of the Deaf in Top Hill, St Elizabeth. While supporting the children in classes and activities, their paths unexpectedly crossed, leading them to love each other. Six years later, they entered into the bond of holy matrimony.

“On the third day of camp, I began to admire how focused she was as an instructor in keeping things organised and advocating for creative and fun activities for the younger children,” Duronie told Island Wedding.

He remembered watching Kadejha from a distance during a tie-and-dye session, captivated by her radiance. This moment prompted him to have a conversation with God about matters of the heart.

“While basking on the breathtaking view overlooking the sea in Treasure Beach, I asked God to reveal to me if she was someone I should pursue to potentially have a relationship with which would lead to marriage. His response was yes,” he said, adding, “However, it would not be easy. I would need to refine my character to keep the relationship. As a person who values self-improvement, I agreed with the conditions and had small conversations with her for the rest of the time we were there, until I eventually asked for her number on the last day.”

Kadejha, who found Duronie to be handsome, explained that, although he was quiet by nature, she admired that he was a family-oriented man, “His two younger siblings were there at the camp and he would constantly support them.”

Despite pursuing her since the end of that camp in April 2017, the two didn’t officially start dating until January 22, 2018.

“Our first meet-up was on December 8, 2017 at Chilitos. We were there for about three hours just eating and talking about everything. By January of the following year, we met at Devon House after our university classes; he went to Northern Caribbean University and I went to the University of Technology, and that’s when I finally gave him the answer,” Kadejha revealed.

His ambition, patience, and kindness stood out to Kadejha, along with his style and love for adventure. She also recalled an instance of his selfless act of service.

“One day, it was raining and my books in my bag got soaked with all my notes. When I told him I had to write over my notes, he sat with me and helped me write every [word]. It was cute, especially him asking me if he was writing the actuarial science symbols correctly,” she explained.

As adults, after university, he helped her with job searches, interview preparation, and making the right career decisions for her future, “His motivation and ambition have made us grow our business at the time and now we have solid professions we enjoy.”

Through a collection of life-changing experiences with him — filled with laughter, love, and working together as a unit — she knew they would one day marry.

Duronie continues to be fascinated by how radiant, compassionate, adventurous, ambitious and charitable Kadejha is, especially with supporting people in the deaf community.

“She has this beautiful way of lighting up the mood or conversations with an enthusiastic and positive energy. Mindful of the needs of others, she aspires to be the best. She has always been very self-motivated to achieve her goals, and bold enough to experience things outside of her comfort zone and possess a deep desire to help others who are often overlooked,” he said.

Encouraging him to stay driven by his purpose and aspirations, she inspires him to take calculated steps toward success.

“She has also challenged me to find ways to step out of my comfort zone and confidently take charge of situations that required me to display many of the innate qualities I have that made things easier. This has, as a result, brought a level of understanding between us that limits prolonged disagreements,” he asserted.

After building a solid foundation of intention, quality, and meaning, despite any challenges they might face, Duronie decided — amid sand, sea, and sunset — to ask the love of his life to be his wife.

On May 9, 2023, he invited Kadejha to the Palisadoes strip in Kingston for a romantic evening, “With a nice view of the lighthouse and in full view of the shoreline shaped in the semicircle, I presented a card which I bought and wrote in some very specific words that would set the tone but did not offer a hint of what was to come. I told her to close her eyes, knelt and asked her to marry me. She was shocked and refused to open her eyes because it was something she did not expect at that moment.”

Going with a wedding planner from the selected venue, City View Hotel, the bride-to-be was pleased with the stress-free process. Her husband and brother-in-law assisted by creating the wedding website while family and friends pitched in to make the nuptial dreams come true. On November 17, 2024, before God and specially invited guests, Duronie and Kadejha sought to match the enchanting scenery of Top Hill, where they first met, City View style, joining hands and hearts to become lawfully wedded husband and wife.

“We ensured that all the people who made a direct impact on our relationship were present for them to share in that moment which made it truly fulfilling. The day went by smoothly and the decor was just the way we envisioned it,” the groom highlighted, noting, “The best moment, for me, was seeing my bride walk up the aisle. That’s when I knew it was real and all I could do was smile as wide as I could because she looked extremely stunning. When we stared at each other as she approached, time practically stood still and every other sound faded, except the song that was playing. It was a magical day.”

The newly-weds basked in nuptial bliss at the reception, dancing for the first time as Mr and Mrs Colquhoun to Can I Call You Rose? by Thee Sacred Souls.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com