12 Years After Tying The Knot, These High School Sweethearts Finally Went On Their First Honeymoon

Carline Smothers

When Carline and Vershumn Smothers, both 35, celebrate their 12-year wedding anniversary in December, the couple will have another milestone to honor: going on their very first honeymoon since walking down the aisle as husband and wife.

The Smothers’ love story dates back to 2002. She was 18, and he was 19. As cliché as it may sound, Carline says it really was love at first sight. Upon Vershumn walking into a Florida clothing store where Carline worked at the time, Carline says there was an instant attraction for her soon-to-be husband. After exchanging numbers, the couple went on their first date on May 14—a day before Carline’s birthday. Vershumn even remembered that Carline’s favorite athlete was Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and gifted her with a poster of the NBA MVP on her birthday. Cue the awws!

Keep scrolling to read more on these high school sweethearts’ journey to “I do,” and to see more baecation flicks from their well-deserve seven-day honeymoon cruise through St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

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The Smothers Family

The Smothers’ love story dates back to 2002. She was 18, and he was 19. As cliché as it may sound, Carline says it really was love at first sight for 18-year old Carline and 19-year-old Vershumn. Upon Vershumn walking into a Florida clothing store where Carline worked, Carline says there was an instant attraction for her soon-to-be husband. After exchanging numbers, the couple went on their first date on May 14—a day before Carline’s birthday. Vershumn even remembered that Carline’s favorite athlete was Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and gifted her with a poster of the NBA MVP on her birthday. Cue the awws! Keep scrolling to read more on these high school sweethearts’ journey to “I Do,” and to see more baecation flicks from their seven-day honeymoon cruise through St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

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The Proposal

"He knew how important college was to me and my family," recalls Carline. "One day he told me that he would like to make me his wife, but he wouldn't put a ring on my finger until I graduated college. He waited until I passed all my exams. After dating for three years, in February of 2006, he proposed in front of family and friends at his mother’s '70s-themed Valentine’s Day party."

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The Wedding

"We got married on December 23, 2006," Carline tells ESSENCE. "We were fairly young (she was 22 and he was 23), and hadn't gotten into our careers yet. We couldn't afford to have our dream wedding and go on a honeymoon at the same time, so we chose to get married and start our family."

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Family First

"We chose to get married and start our family rather than go on a honeymoon," says Carline. "We planned our children. My husband wanted a son on his birthday month, and I wanted a girl on mine. We made it happen, but we were also blessed with our third child, which we didn't plan."

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Family First

The Smothers have three beautiful children—Trae, 10, Nivea (who is already a published author), 8, and Kendall, 4.

"Between life, work and taking care of our children, the years went by so quickly," says Carline. "I’m currently a stay-at-home mom, while I run my business. My husband is a maintenance supervisor in the blow molding field."

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Finally, The Honeymoon They Never Had

"We go on family vacations every year," says Carline. "But last year, we finally sat down and planned our honeymoon. In July 2018, we went on a seven-day cruise to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Haiti. Our 12-year wedding anniversary is five months away. We’ve been together 16 years now, and we wouldn’t have done anything differently."

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The Honeymoon

"The first stop was in St. Maarten, where we took a taxi through the French and Dutch side," Carline details. "Our driver taught us a little about their history, and we had the opportunity to eat, drink and shop with local vendors. We also went to Maho Beach. The airplanes took off and landed right above our heads. It was exciting and scary!"

During their second stop in Puerto Rico, Carline says she and her husband visited Isla Verde Beach. While there, she took in all the sights and sounds, specifically ogling at her husband swimming and strolling on the beach.

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The Honeymoon

"The third and last stop was our favorite of the three—Haiti," Carline tells ESSENCE. "In Haiti, we took an excursion with the cruise line and enjoyed live entertainment. The beach and mountains were beautiful."

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The Honeymoon

"What made our [first] honeymoon even more special was the fact that we had the opportunity to visit Haiti, which is my parents' birthplace," Carline shares.

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The Honeymoon

"We enjoyed every moment together on our honeymoon," recounts Carline. "We’ve never been out of the country, so it’s a blessing to have each other to grow with mentally, physically and emotionally."