Duawne Speaks On How He Knew
Wedding Anniversary Date: October 7, 2001
How he knew his wife was the one for him:
“I met my wife at age 19. I had just transferred from a small college in Maryland, to an even smaller college in Alabama. What I noticed first about her were her eyes. Not so much the color, though they are beautiful, but more so their intensity. When I looked into her eyes, I could see my future. Funny thing is, I don’t remember becoming friends with her. I just remember being friends with her. Ours was a great friendship because neither of us was available. I was dating someone else back home and so was she. This allowed us to get to know each other on an intimate level without physical intimacy, which was the foundation for what we share today.
I remember feeling comfortable with her from the very beginning. Being with her was not just fun, but easy. Neither of us had to fight for the other’s attention. It was generously given. I did not know then that I would marry her because I would not allow my mind to think of her as anything but a friend. Remember, I had a girlfriend at home who I loved and respected. But I grew to love my wife on a completely different level than my girlfriend. I just loved sharing the same space with her. I loved knowing that this really pretty girl was so incredibly cool at the same time. I loved that I could talk to her about whatever, and I really loved looking out for her. I even told her once that my children would call her 'Auntie' because I knew we would always be in each others lives. But I’m glad that they call her 'Mommy' instead.
10 years would pass between our meeting and our marriage. Long story short, she knew I was hers before I knew she was mine. Most women do. But when I knew...I really knew. Having fostered a solid friendship, I was afraid of exploring a relationship with her. I didn’t want to risk ruining what we had. But when she began dating a guy she had known all of her life, a casual friend of mine, I then realized that the possibility of us ever dating may never be. That made me uneasy.
At a wedding of a mutual friend we reconnected. She was a bridesmaid and I was the singer. As she came down the aisle, I was in awe of her. Though we had kept in touch we had not seen each other for a few years. She was now a woman – a very beautiful woman. She was the first bridesmaid to enter and I was singing, 'I want to spend tomorrow here with you', as she walked in. That day God gave me a foreshadow of what was to come. I saw her dressed in white coming to vow herself to me. For the rest of the day, I could not be away from her and when it was time to leave I did not want to. I always missed her when either of us left but this time I felt like pieces of me stayed with her. That day she took my heart home with her and didn’t even know it. I was afraid to tell her.
Nearly two years passed before I asked God who my wife was. I wanted to be with His choice for me. I had been dating and up to this point, all of my choices had proven to be inadequate. Unknowingly, I had been comparing every relationship to the woman my soul loves.
When I asked God, He answered me immediately. He said, 'Carmen'. It was as if He had been waiting for me to ask. 'How did I know it was God?' you may ask? It’s just like when my mom calls me on the phone. I don’t have to check the caller ID to figure out who I’m talking to. Because I’m in relationship with her I know her voice. And even if we were in a noisy, crowded room, I would still recognize her voice above all others because I’ve spent years with her. Her voice is familiar to me.
The same is true of God. When you spend time with Him you get to know Him and how He speaks as it relates to you. Not only did God speak it, but He also confirmed it through the mouths of three others. It was made more than clear that Carmen was His choice for me. And when I reflect on the decade of friendship we shared prior to our covenant day, she had always been my choice for me as well.”
Vendor Spotlight~ I Do Cake Toppers
Now usually I spotlight African American vendors...but this was too good to pass up... This is a really cool and unique way to make your wedding cake be even more memorable....I can't begin to tell you how many times I've seen the standard black plastic man and wife couple :)..so nice to see something that looks like "us" for a change.
For more click here
Ariel & Michael
Photographer Emily Johnston Anderson
Ariel's wedding gown is by Romona Keveza
The bridesmaids dresses are by Lela Rose
Floral design and lighting by Event Creative
Catering by Wolfgang Puck
The ceremony was held at St. James Chapel at the Archbishop Quigley Pastoral Center in Chicago
The reception was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago
The bride looked absolutely stunning!!!
Ariel's wedding gown is by Romona Keveza
The bridesmaids dresses are by Lela Rose
Floral design and lighting by Event Creative
Catering by Wolfgang Puck
The ceremony was held at St. James Chapel at the Archbishop Quigley Pastoral Center in Chicago
The reception was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago
The bride looked absolutely stunning!!!
So How Did You Know?~ Tiff
Today is a special "So How Did You Know"...we have a husband and wife post! :) Tiff is actually married to J....its really interesting to see both points of view...ENJOY
Tiff Speaks On How She Knew
Wedding Anniversary Date: October 14, 2006
How she knew her husband was the one for her:
“Honestly, no one thing determined that he was 'The One'. I’d say, for us it was more like a puzzle---and eventually all the pieces just fit. It’s been about nine years now since the first time I encountered my husband. Little did I know that a series of events over the following six years would lead us to our wedding day.
We were both just freshmen in college when we met, him an 'Army brat' whose family called New Orleans home, and me who grew up on a farm in the country. We both had so much to discover about ourselves and each other. There was an immediate indescribable connection between us….more than physical chemistry; it was as if we had been friends for years. I would say our freshmen year was a year of just pure delight in each other! One thing that I believe was instrumental in our bond was the fact that we found a wonderful church. It helped to ensure that we were surrounded by good people and receiving spiritual enrichment.
There were many turning points and new levels in our relationship. We experienced the ups and downs of college life together. We had a few break-ups and make-ups. We had been together for about four years when I finally told him about some serious personal baggage I was dealing with. Around that same time, I learned of deeper personal issues that he dealt with. When he knew about the deep inner issues that I struggled with and he didn’t vanish into thin air, I thought, 'Wow, there is something quite unique about him'.
Over the duration of our relationship, we’d been swept up in moments of idealistic, 'movie-like' romance...we’d been given prophetic words about our future marriage...and we’d seen the subtle hints that this was predestined by God. I recall that J even had a dream two weeks into our relationship that we would get married. However, nothing more earnestly illustrated to me that he was 'The One' than when I revealed a not-so-pretty, messed up, far-from-perfect girl and he still saw the God in me. We reached a place of complete transparency which made us totally vulnerable to each other. It took lots of time to build trust, commitment, integrity, maturity and loyalty. Seeing those attributes showed me we could do life together.”
Tiff Speaks On How She Knew
Wedding Anniversary Date: October 14, 2006
How she knew her husband was the one for her:
“Honestly, no one thing determined that he was 'The One'. I’d say, for us it was more like a puzzle---and eventually all the pieces just fit. It’s been about nine years now since the first time I encountered my husband. Little did I know that a series of events over the following six years would lead us to our wedding day.
We were both just freshmen in college when we met, him an 'Army brat' whose family called New Orleans home, and me who grew up on a farm in the country. We both had so much to discover about ourselves and each other. There was an immediate indescribable connection between us….more than physical chemistry; it was as if we had been friends for years. I would say our freshmen year was a year of just pure delight in each other! One thing that I believe was instrumental in our bond was the fact that we found a wonderful church. It helped to ensure that we were surrounded by good people and receiving spiritual enrichment.
There were many turning points and new levels in our relationship. We experienced the ups and downs of college life together. We had a few break-ups and make-ups. We had been together for about four years when I finally told him about some serious personal baggage I was dealing with. Around that same time, I learned of deeper personal issues that he dealt with. When he knew about the deep inner issues that I struggled with and he didn’t vanish into thin air, I thought, 'Wow, there is something quite unique about him'.
Over the duration of our relationship, we’d been swept up in moments of idealistic, 'movie-like' romance...we’d been given prophetic words about our future marriage...and we’d seen the subtle hints that this was predestined by God. I recall that J even had a dream two weeks into our relationship that we would get married. However, nothing more earnestly illustrated to me that he was 'The One' than when I revealed a not-so-pretty, messed up, far-from-perfect girl and he still saw the God in me. We reached a place of complete transparency which made us totally vulnerable to each other. It took lots of time to build trust, commitment, integrity, maturity and loyalty. Seeing those attributes showed me we could do life together.”
Sow How Did You Know~J
J Speaks On How He Knew
Wedding Anniversary Date: October 14, 2006
How he knew his wife was the one for him:
“There was not one single thing that led me to know that Tiffany would become my wife. It was really a combination of things. It was part romanticism...part spirituality...part 'time put in'... and part real life/adult decision making.
I met Tiff at MTSU in 2000 and I immediately noticed that she was different. It seemed that her level of class and maturity was higher than most college girls that I encountered. Yet, she was still down to earth and had great sense of humor. She was the 'girl you take home to momma', so my intentions were somewhat serious from the jump. I even called my mom and told her that I found my wife. I’d be lying if I said that this was some revelation from God, or some deep mysterious feeling in my gut. I was simply reacting to the potential. Dating a woman like Tiffany was a rare opportunity that a lot of fellas don’t get in college, so I hoped to make the best of it. I will say, however, that about two or three weeks into our dating, I had a dream of our wedding---but it didn’t seem like a 'vision from the Lord'. I thought that it was amusing, but I didn’t put too much stake into it.
Around the same time that Tiffany and I started dating, I began to really take my spiritual life seriously. We started attending church together and began to make God a part of our regular conversation. In April of 2001 ,I made the decision to be baptized, and she and I discussed it after church. She began to tell me how it was so important to her that I grow in God and that she wanted to make sure she did her part to help me. At that moment it became more than 'dating the chick you marry' girl on the yard. That conversation changed my view of her and us completely. It revealed a different kind of love; a love that was far superior to what I’d hear in songs or see in movies. It was really something special. That was definitely a clue that she could be the one. We casually spoke about getting married one day, but honestly, we were 19-years-old and far too immature to be serious. So we continued to date throughout college.
As we continued to date, problems arose. We had some break-ups and make-ups, like most serious relationships. We probably broke up and got back together about three times over the course of six years. The last break up, however, was different. I thought it was officially the end. I took down pictures, and put away love letters, but I was still hoping to mend what we had.
Now most guys, single and free, would have probably used this as an opportunity to 'play the field' again, but it was different for me. Tiffany left an impression on me. Being with her made me want to continue to grow. I realized that I found a woman who inspired me to be a better man than I was. That was it! I knew that if we got back together it would be forever. We did, and it ended being for the long hall.
Now, before you say 'Awwwh, what a fairytale ending', let me stop you. It still took A WHOLE LOT of praying, discussion, and some serious thought before we made THE decision. Marriage is not a game. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. We said that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it FOR REAL!! It was going to be FOREVER, no matter what! So with all of the personal revelations, prophetic words, epiphanies, romantic moments, and mushy stuff, it still came down to a decision to honor our vows TIL DEATH!”
Wedding Anniversary Date: October 14, 2006
How he knew his wife was the one for him:
“There was not one single thing that led me to know that Tiffany would become my wife. It was really a combination of things. It was part romanticism...part spirituality...part 'time put in'... and part real life/adult decision making.
I met Tiff at MTSU in 2000 and I immediately noticed that she was different. It seemed that her level of class and maturity was higher than most college girls that I encountered. Yet, she was still down to earth and had great sense of humor. She was the 'girl you take home to momma', so my intentions were somewhat serious from the jump. I even called my mom and told her that I found my wife. I’d be lying if I said that this was some revelation from God, or some deep mysterious feeling in my gut. I was simply reacting to the potential. Dating a woman like Tiffany was a rare opportunity that a lot of fellas don’t get in college, so I hoped to make the best of it. I will say, however, that about two or three weeks into our dating, I had a dream of our wedding---but it didn’t seem like a 'vision from the Lord'. I thought that it was amusing, but I didn’t put too much stake into it.
Around the same time that Tiffany and I started dating, I began to really take my spiritual life seriously. We started attending church together and began to make God a part of our regular conversation. In April of 2001 ,I made the decision to be baptized, and she and I discussed it after church. She began to tell me how it was so important to her that I grow in God and that she wanted to make sure she did her part to help me. At that moment it became more than 'dating the chick you marry' girl on the yard. That conversation changed my view of her and us completely. It revealed a different kind of love; a love that was far superior to what I’d hear in songs or see in movies. It was really something special. That was definitely a clue that she could be the one. We casually spoke about getting married one day, but honestly, we were 19-years-old and far too immature to be serious. So we continued to date throughout college.
As we continued to date, problems arose. We had some break-ups and make-ups, like most serious relationships. We probably broke up and got back together about three times over the course of six years. The last break up, however, was different. I thought it was officially the end. I took down pictures, and put away love letters, but I was still hoping to mend what we had.
Now most guys, single and free, would have probably used this as an opportunity to 'play the field' again, but it was different for me. Tiffany left an impression on me. Being with her made me want to continue to grow. I realized that I found a woman who inspired me to be a better man than I was. That was it! I knew that if we got back together it would be forever. We did, and it ended being for the long hall.
Now, before you say 'Awwwh, what a fairytale ending', let me stop you. It still took A WHOLE LOT of praying, discussion, and some serious thought before we made THE decision. Marriage is not a game. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. We said that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it FOR REAL!! It was going to be FOREVER, no matter what! So with all of the personal revelations, prophetic words, epiphanies, romantic moments, and mushy stuff, it still came down to a decision to honor our vows TIL DEATH!”
Engagement Session~Akil & Alex
Photographer Akil Bennett ( and a favorite of this site check out his website in the blogroll :) and his lovely fiancee Alex had a wonderful engagement session shot by friend and fellow photographer Chris Wineinger.
I love when couples show their personality :)
For more click here
Tionnei & Jason
Tionnei and Jason just had fall wedding at the Surf Club in New Rochelle, NY. Their photographer was Daniel Krieger.
Those place cards are too cute!!
For more click here
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