Josh and I have been friends since we were both 9 years old. We met at church, shortly after my family moved from Haiti. I am absolutely sure that God favored us and saved Josh for me. Attraction sparked into what seemed to be a lifelong crush. It would have been silly for us to start dating at the age of 9, so of course we continued to be friends. Years go by, our families grew closer, and so did our friendship. By sophomore year of high school, we decided to take our friendship to another level and agreed to start dating. Our families didn’t support our fledgling because they’re very traditional and didn’t think our puppy love was serious. Years go by and our love only continues to grow throughout high school, college, and careers. We have since been dating for 8 beautiful years.
The Proposal: I finished undergrad in December, but didn’t actually graduate until May. I was in Virginia visiting family when Josh sent me a picture of the ring that he had purchased. I couldn’t fathom why he did that but I wasn’t surprised that he did; he can’t keep anything from me. Fast forward to May 17th, the day after my graduation, he and my mother had been planning a graduation party for me. So many friends and family came near and far just to celebrate with me. I never had such a big party before so I underestimated the caliber of accomplishments and celebrations. Family from Canada, Maryland and Virginia came to party. During the speeches Josh pulled me up front and started serenading me with sweet memories and stories, he then got on his knee and asked me to continue to make him the happiest man. I couldn’t keep my composure as I said “Yes” to what would be the beginning of forever for us.
I am working with my amazing wedding planner Hermela of Behind the Design (ig:behindthedesign) on turning my dreams into a reality. I am an impulsive bride and decided to book almost half of my vendors within a month of being engaged (that was a huge mistake!), my WP showed me the brighter and better side of wedding planning which is stress-free. My next steps are meeting with my photographer and videographer which are amazing together. (Here’s an off tangent sidenote: This past fall, they shot a wedding at the Biltmore where John Legend was a groomsman and guest singer. How amazing is that?) Hopefully you get to see their finished product from my wedding. Music is a huge factor in our lives, I searched high and low to find a wedding website that allowed a playlist, and I wouldn’t settle for one that didn’t have one. We are making sure that our DJ for the night brings nothing short of greatness and energy. We want our culture to be shown through our style and music, there will be a lot of Haitian music and Nigerian (neither of us are Nigerian but I love Nigerian music). Most of the big ticket item/vendors are already booked; I’ve got my dress, now I’m just counting down for my big day on September 10. I’m so excited!
