Erica and Donald met in 2003 at Miami Northwester Senior High School.
With Erica holding the title of “Ms. Senior”, maintaining hosting duties at pep rallies and serving as both the morning and evening school news anchor – she she knew the majority of her senior class. And after spying Donald several times – she started crushing on him. “I began telling our mutual guy friends, Eddie and Porter, that I had a crush on their friend and they should introduce us” shares Erica.
But, Eddie and Porter took their precious time making a move on Erica’s behalf – and as she patiently waited, her emerging crush only grew bigger. “When I stepped off the bus on the first night of grad weekend in Orlando and saw Donald talking to two girls, I was like YOLO (you only live once)!” laughs Erica.
Next, she approached him and said; “Hey! I’m Erica. Erica Hicks” and then took a deep pause. “And he started smiling so hard, which made me smile hard, and then he quickly replied, ‘Ohh, I’ve heard a lot about you! You’re the Erica everyone has been telling me about” says Erica. But apparently, Donald thought the Erica he kept hearing about was another Erica from his class who he knew well but was not attracted to – so luckily her “yolo” moment didn’t go in vain as she fastly cleared up confusion!
“He quickly asked me for my number, we ditched the class activities that eve and stayed up talking all night; about our career goals, where we wanted to go for college, how I wanted to be an actress, how he wanted to study law, our families, etc. I was smitten by how ambitious he was and how well versed he was on various topics and I just knew he was perfect. We’ve been practically inseparable since” shares Erica. Fast forwarding to 2015, during a trip to their hometown of Miami, Donald proposed. “Our engagement took place at his parents home in Liberty City at 2am – after a long walk on the beach and too much champagne!” says Erica.
Now this posh, fashion publicist is on her way to the altar and is celebrating her upcoming nuptials in the most luxe way possible – by shooting this fabulous engagement session in Miami with photographer, Cendino Teme at two famous locations: The Biltmore Hotel and the Versace Mansion on South Beach.
Check out more from this Regal Glitz and Glamour engagement session with more commentary from the bride-to-be below!
Bride-to-Be: Erica Hicks
Groom-to-Be: Donald Anderson
Occupations: Bride: CEO of a Fashion and Lifestyle PR firm | Groom: Relationship Manager for a Brokerage Firm
Wedding date: 09/04/2016
Wedding location: Miami, FL
Engagement shoot location: The Biltmore Hotel in Miami & The Versace Mansion on South Beach
The 411 On The Couple From The Bride-to-Be:
Zodiac Talk: He is a Taurus and I am a Cancer.
Sibling Connection: We both have 5 siblings.
Collegiate Swag: I am a Florida A&M University (FAMU) alum and he is a Florida State University (FSU) alum. He went to grad school at Baruch College and I went to New York University.
Greek Connection: He’s an Omega and I am an AKA.
It’s our anniversary: June 10th
Opposites Attract: He’s laid back, adventurous, easy-going, playful, romantic, smart with Miami swag and I’m outgoing, witty, moody, a busy body and dramatic.
Cocktails of Choice: He’s a Long Island, Hennessy and Coke type of guy and I’m a wine, champagne, Vodka-tonic type of woman!
What did you do on your first date?
Erica: He took me to a popular Miami spot named Bayside for a candle lit dinner. Then we went to the beach and walked barefoot through the sand in the dark. He had a blanket, so we laid out and talked for hours.
What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Smoke cigars, take walks, workout and travel. Our dates consist of long walks, turn-up brunches, cigar lounges, catching a play or movie, trips to the gun range, spa days, and watching the Cowboys play (he’s a huge fan) at our fave bar.
How has wedding planning been so far?
Stressful but productive. We moved to Dallas from NYC while planning. He got a new job and got accepted to law school, and I secured two big clients – so I travel a lot.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day?
Dancing, taking pictures and eating some yummy food!
Vendors
Photography: Cendino Teme
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