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The beginning of the romance between Anita and Derrick is the stuff movies are made of. Derrick was so intent on finding Anita, after they lost touch, that he (get this!) cold-called every single number that bore her last name in the phone book. The young man knew exactly who he wanted – and he was determined to get his girl! Many years later, Derrick and Anita are still together and their love is going strong.  Their engagement session was beautifully photographed by Andrew Thomas Clifton , who did a wonderful job of showcasing the couple’s personalities. The pictures are crisp, yet refreshingly soft. The DC metropolis has never looked so hauntingly captivating.

Bride: Anita Wheeler
Groom: Derrick Plummer
Occupations: Bride – UCLA Pre-Doctoral Fellow; Groom - Press Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Wedding Date: 7.27.13
Location: Washington, DC

Love’s Calling ….. “We met at a student government conference in high school. He was a student member on the school board in PG County and I was the student board member in Baltimore City. After losing touch, Derrick searched the name ‘Wheeler’ in the Baltimore White Pages, calling them one-by-one; he eventually reached my grandparents’ home number. I was living in San Francisco and he was in Atlanta. My Nana left a message on my voicemail saying that ‘a young man named Derrick had called me.’ I still have the handwritten note she saved from 11 years ago. In short, we met 14 years ago and have been great friends since then.”

How He Proposed ….. “We hosted a party to celebrate my graduation from graduate school. With 60 of our closest family and friends, the groom surprised the crowd with a performance by a guitarist and vocalist. The vocalist sang John Legend’s “Stay With You”. I had no idea why Derrick had decided to have a performance in the middle of the party. I remembered that Derrick is a musician and has hosted bands at past parties. It also occurred to me then that, since John Legend attended my graduation, perhaps it was a romantic reminder of my commencement that was held earlier that day. The next thing I knew, there was a collective gasp from the crowd; I looked next to me and Derrick was on one knee.”

Celebrating a City & Reliving History ….. “For our engagement shoot, we wanted photos that emphasized our interactions in and with DC urban landscapes. Our photographer, Andrew Thomas Clifton, chose quintessential DC settings that captured the unique intersection of DC’s memorials and monuments with trendy restaurants and quaint neighborhoods. Our first location was the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial which opened in August 2011. It was powerful, and inspiring reading his quotes inscribed on the wall. Our favorite quote states, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” (10 December 1964, Oslo, Norway). The memorial also has a personal significance for us. In 2004, our first trip together was to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site in Atlanta, Georgia. I remember sitting on the steps of the birth home of Rev. King and Derrick looking at me and saying, “I could see us on a porch like this one day, growing old together.” That was such a special moment for me! It was providence that our photographer chose the MLK memorial for our engagement photos.”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

He loves ….. “He always tells me that he loves my spirit, intelligence, passion, ambition and cooking!”

She loves ….. “I love Derrick’s character. He respects me; he is patient; he is generous, and he is a man of faith. He naturally loves me the way I want to be loved.”

Vendors

• Photographer: Andrew Thomas Clifton  
• Fashion for Her: Clothes - Urban Outfitters; Black House White Market; Shoes – Anthropologie
• Fashion for Him: J. Crew, Banana Republic