Papine High Sweethearts Jermaine Lyttle and Ombetta Gordon Marry in Connecticut After 15-Year Romance

A friendship that bloomed in the corridors of Papine High School in St Andrew has culminated in marriage for Jermaine Lyttle and Ombetta Gordon, who tied the knot on November 8, 2025 at The Society Room in Hartford, Connecticut.

The pair first noticed each other in September 2010 while serving on the school's prefect body and playing field hockey. According to Ombetta, the spark was first detected by a friend who caught her blushing as Jermaine passed by, and chatter quickly followed.

Before the two had even properly met, talk of a supposed relationship was already circulating around campus. "I've been hearing non-stop rumours about being in a relationship with a girl named Ombetta, whom I've never met. But this was because she would always share her interest in me with her friends, who would then gossip about it," Jermaine told Island Wedding. "That's how I heard about her and arranged a meeting. She was this cute-faced girl with bright eyes and a contagious smile that reeled me in on the first meet."

It was only after both enrolled at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) that the friendship deepened into courtship. Jermaine said he sensed early on that Ombetta carried herself like the sort of woman a man would marry. For Ombetta, his late-night walks with her from UTech to Tavern, ensuring she safely crossed the Hope River after her 10 p.m. classes before heading back alone, signalled real commitment.

Their first date took them to Emancipation Park, still officially as friends, and Jermaine formally asked Ombetta to be his girlfriend in January 2012. She points to his protective instincts as the trait she most admires, while he is drawn to her relentless drive.

"This woman will not stop until she gets what she set her mind on. [Whether it's a] degree, career, [or] relationship. She [will] not stop until the very thing she set her mind on [comes] to fruition. That kind of determination is what attracts me more than the sun's gravitational pull!" Jermaine said.

A move to the United States brought its own pressures, but the two leaned on each other through every shift. In February 2025, Jermaine proposed on a bridge over a lake, just the two of them present. "It felt nerve-racking, knowing I was embarking on a new journey of commitment with the person I love. It was like seeing something I always wanted and finally making the move to seal the deal," he said. Ombetta admitted she had sensed it coming and was emotionally prepared to say yes.

The wedding embraced a 1950s-inspired theme dubbed 'Just a Lyttle Love', dressed in a rustic orange palette, and was officiated by Reverend Kerry McClure. Jermaine recalled the bride's entrance as the standout image of the day. "Heads turned when she came down the stairs, hailing as a well-awaited queen. It was a moment of tears, and you just had to be there," he said.

Both serve in the United States Army Reserve, and Ombetta's favourite part of the celebration came when her name tape was changed during the wedding party dance. "This was [during] our wedding party dance, and when I was promoted from Specialist Gordon to Specialist Lyttle. This was done by removing the Gordon name tape from the Military PC (CAP) and replacing it with the official Lyttle last name. This was done and initiated by the groom, and all the military battles that attended joined the stage for the celebration," she said.

With most of the guest list being Jamaican, the reception, held on the same property, leaned heavily on '90s island favourites, including selections from Voicemail and Marvia Providence. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon in Aruba.