Some love stories feel preordained. For Gaye-Leon Williams and Benito Lewin, their journey to finding each other did not just fit the category but was also predestined by faith.

The pair celebrated their union on August 10, 2024, in an intimate gathering at The Lavish Palms at 6 Cunningham Avenue in Kingston.

Their relationship may have been on the fast track since they met, but both credited divine intervention in securing their union.

Williams, a Spanish lecturer at The University of West Indies, Mona (UWI) would meet Lewin, an elevator technician, in unexpected circumstances in September 2023. Williams needed a ride home after heavy rainfall caused her to be stuck at work. After several attempts, a mutual friend referred her to Lewin, who obliged. Little did she know that he had his sights on her from the moment he verified who he was picking up!

“What he would tell people always is that the day when he came to UWI and he picked up the phone and he called me to verify the person he was picking up, he said he knew then and there deep down inside of him, that this was his wife,” Williams told Tuesday Style Vows (TSV).

But even though Lewin’s resolve was strong, he still needed to be sure that she was the one destined for him, especially considering that his previous marriage did not work out and he was no longer part of the dating scene.

“Before he made the first move, he would have prayed and said,” ‘Lord, based on how I feel about this person, if she is the one, let her continue needing my services. If she is not the one, let it be this one time that I pick her up and drop her off’,” Williams said. Fortunately for Lewin, he got his wish.

“What happened was, all the other services that I used to use, all of a sudden I wasn’t getting through to these people. So he was the one that would end up having to pick me up,” she added.

In between drives in traffic and Lewin helping her with various errands, they would get to know each other. Six weeks after they met, it was Williams who suggested that they go out to dinner in October, and after a couple of days, their relationship was cemented.

The pace at which the relationship developed may have been frantic, but it was only because of the conviction that Lewin had. That conviction was sealed days after they were exclusive when Lewin unconventionally proposed to her.

“He had come over in the evening and I don’t know what we said, but he said ‘I am going to change your name to wifey on my phone’. I said, this man is crazy. Everything is moving so quickly! I don’t remember what he asked me and he said ‘Just say go ahead’ and I said go ahead. And he got up, he stood me up, in between the kitchen and the living room he got down on one knee and asked ‘Would you marry me?’”

Under normal circumstances, Williams would not have been so quick to accept, considering the speed of the relationship. However, her decision to say yes was based on her firm belief that Lewin was the man that she asked God for.

“This was something that I had been praying for for years. And I would have had this recurring dream, where every time that question was asked of me I would say yes in the dream. And shortly before he would have asked, the dream would have come back that, when you are asked the question, just say yes,” she said.

Finding a man who was as fervent a Christian as she was, was critical in choosing a husband. Her wish came true in November 2023, when he did give his heart to the Lord, and not only that, but Lewin also revealed that for him too, Williams was the woman he dreamt of years ago.

“He said years ago God would have shown him how he would have given his heart to the Lord and who was there on the day that he surrendered his heart to the Lord. And he said, déjà vu, it was you. I just never saw your face,” she said. “It sealed it for him because God would have shown him this years ago and that’s why he felt like it was a spiritual connection.”

Almost a year since they met each other, the couple got their day to remember. Wearing a dress courtesy of Bliss Bridal JA, the bride walked down the aisle to Ruelle’s I Get To Love You, a song that signified their journey towards each other.

“Here you have two people who have been through so much in life, especially in terms of relationships, giving so much and not getting back. And then, finally finding each other and having that love reciprocated to you on another level,” she said. “One thing that I never have to question with my husband is if he loves me. If we are going through a rough patch, if we disagree, the question is never ‘does he love me?’”

Reverend Phillip K Johnson made their union official and the reception followed at the same venue with the traditional reception toasts and, a two-tier wedding cake made by Tiers of Sweetness. The couple took their first dance as husband and wife to the moving sounds of Tennessee Whiskey.

Futurevents Ja was responsible for the décor and design while The Lavish Palms catered the wedding. The most memorable moment was honouring the memory of Benito Lewin, Sr, the groom’s father, with a moment of silence as well as the playing of
Burning Desire, a love song he wrote. It was a moment that was special for both the bride and groom, ensuring the elder Lewin shared the moment in spirit.

The couple enjoyed their honeymoon at Jewel Paradise Cove in St Ann.