Desirae and Christopher were married at Moore Temple Church of God in Christ on June 16, 2018. Read on to hear about their wedding day.
Photos by Donyel Billings [4]
Ages: Desirae is 25. Chris is 30.
Occupations: Desirae is a multimedia journalist and anchor for WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Mississippi. Christopher is a high school teacher.
How they met: The two made eye contact at a local convenience store. Christopher regretted not saying anything, so he looked Desirae up on Facebook (he figured out who she was from the news station car she was driving) and the two started talking. “That’s the best stop I have ever made in my life,” Chris says.
Engagement story: “We were picking up my sister from her dorm room at the University of Kentucky, and I was fiddling with football tickets on my sister’s desk. When I turned around, Chris was on one knee with a ring.”
Number of wedding guests: 150
Ceremony: Moore Temple Church of God in Christ
Reception: Louisville Marriott East
Entertainment: DJ, and Jack Griffin and Louisville Wedding Music for the ceremony.
Personal touches: “We had a ‘How we first met’ table during the cocktail hour, with beef jerky bags from the convenience store where we met (it’s well known for the beef jerky in the area),” Desirae says. “We also had a table dedicated to my grandparents, one of whom passed away a few months before.”
First-dance song: “I Get to Love You,” Ruelle.
The day in three words: “Blessed, flawless, memorable.”
Favorite part of the day: Chris says, “Seeing her for the first time, that was really memorable. It felt kind of weird not seeing her all day, but knowing I’ll be able to see her forever was a great relief after the ceremony.” Desirae says, “My favorite part was walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing the huge smiles on my bridesmaids’ faces, and then getting to see the huge smile on Chris’ face at the altar. I also will always remember my daddy-daughter dance. My dad has always said ‘I’ll dance at your wedding’ to my sisters and me since we were children, as his way of saying thanks whenever we did something to help him. I even purchased him socks to wear for the day that read: ‘Daddy, it’s time to dance at my wedding.’”
Really glad they: “Hired a wedding planner. Not only did they make it easier planning a wedding from miles and miles away, they were also so knowledgeable about their craft that it made making decisions much easier.”
Wish they would have: “Hired more than one photographer and videographer,” Desirae says. “Also, we wish we would have had the caterer set aside a plate of food for us. We were so busy meeting with everyone, we didn’t even get a chance to see our plates that night.”
Advice: “Don’t worry about the small details. You don’t want stress about details that won’t matter later to ruin your memories of your big day. At the same time, if something is important to you, even if it isn’t to others, don’t back down. Don’t make decisions to make others happy.”
Photo by Donyel Billings
DETAILS
Photographer: Donyel Billings [4]
Wedding planner and coordinator: Pamela Fulton Broadus and Lauren Broadus, Splendid Events [5]
Flowers and decor: Millennium Events & Floral [6]
Stationery/invitations: Impressions by Helane [7]
Cake/desserts: Sugar Fashion [8]
Caterer: Marriott Louisville East
Rentals: JoS. A. Bank [9] for tux rentals
Rings: Kay Jewelers [10]
Attire: The Bridal Suite of Louisville [11] (wedding dress, veil, headpiece), Geno’s Formal Affair [12] (bridesmaid, mother of the bride and father of the bride rentals)
Hair: Ciara, Instagram: Ky_hairweavekilla89 [13]
Makeup: Tia Mao
Transportation: Cole’s Limousine [14]
Registry: Bed Bath & Beyond [15]
Honeymoon: Carnival Cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico