Rajean and Rashad celebrated ten years of love with an intimate outdoor wedding at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens!
Their love story began in 2014 when they met as students at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Rajean kept catching Rashad’s eye, but he felt too shy to approach her. He found her on IG and after exchanging comments and liking each other’s posts, they exchanged numbers. They spent their summer break glued to their phones, talking to each other as often as possible.
When we finally got back to campus, we met in person for the first time on the quad and have been together ever since…
– Rashad
In January of 2022 Rajean and Rashad took a trip to New York City to see their parents, whom they hadn’t seen for some time due to their move to Atlanta and the pandemic. Rashad created the perfect proposal moment. While they were high up on The Edge NYC observatory deck, bracing the relentless winds, Rashad nervously took Rajean’s hands in his and professed his love before getting down on one knee and asking her to be his wife.
With family members nearby cheering, recording, and crying, she said “Yes!” and we lowered our masks to exchange our first kiss as fiances.
– Rashad
Surrounded by the beauty of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Rajean and Rashad exchanged nuptials in front of their closest family members and friends. Coterie member, Bryan Smith of Love Stories by Smitty, beautifully captured Rajean and Rashad’s love and happiness on their big day. Their intimate ceremony was filled with joy, love, and laughter as they celebrated ten years together and received blessings for the new journey ahead.
See more beautiful photos of their intimate outdoor wedding below!
- Couple: Rajean & Rashad
- Occupations: NICU Nurse | Digital Marketing Manager
- Wedding Date: April 20, 2024
- Wedding Location: Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Quick Facts:
- Gifts for one another: I wrote Rajean a love letter which I had delivered to her the morning of the wedding. I received her hand in marriage.
- Ceremony entrance song: Rajean – John Legend, “You & I,” Rashad – Rick Ross, “Magnificent”
- First dance song: John Legend, “For the First Time”
How did you meet?
We met in the summer of 2014 at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. After seeing her multiple times on campus and never having the guts to approach her, I found her on Instagram and we started communicating. After exchanging likes and comments under pictures, she eventually gave me her number. It was the summer so we were both back home (her: Lakeland, Florida, me: Fort Lauderdale, Florida) for summer vacation so we spent most of Summer ’14 caked up on the phone. When we finally got back to campus, we met in person for the first time on the quad and have been together ever since.
Tell us your proposal story.
We planned an impromptu trip to New York for January ’22 as a way to rejuvenate ourselves after an extended lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We even invited our parents to meet us there seeing as we hadn’t seen them in some time after moving to Atlanta in 2019. Little did she know, I had plans to make her my wife. On the second day of our trip, I planned for us to go to The Edge NYC: an observatory deck over 100 floors up overlooking The NYC skyline.
It was a brisk 24 degrees and over 1,100 feet up the wind was blowing nonstop. To this day I blame the wind for the water in my eyes. In a secluded corner of the all-glass viewing deck, I nervously grabbed her hands and professed my love, then got on one knee to ask for her hand in marriage. With family members nearby cheering, recording, and crying, she said yes and we lowered our masks to exchange our first kiss as fiances.
We spent the rest of the day shopping in SOHO and attended a Brooklyn Nets game later that night. It was perfect.
Describe your wedding style and attire.
Rashad: I wore a modern-fit classic tuxedo from The Black Tux featuring an egg-shell colored jacket and solid black tuxedo pants with Allen Edmonds loafers. My shopping experience was fully online and I received my tux in the mail.
Rajean: I wore a beautiful long, strapless mermaid gown from David’s Bridal. I went with the color Ivory since it was recommended that Ivory presents white in photos. The actual color white tends to look blueish in photographs. I do not regret that decision. I found the dress on the first day of visiting David’s Bridal. Of course, I gave it some time; maybe 2 weeks before going back and saying yes to the dress!
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
There weren’t any intentional cultural aspects to our wedding aside from the fact that we got married in a garden, similar to Adam and Eve. Rajean also had a photo of her grandmother who had recently passed away on a pendant in her bouquet.
What is the best memory of your wedding?
Rashad: My favorite memory from the wedding was the moment I saw her walk around the corner and I saw her on our wedding day for the first time. She looked stunning in her gown and basically floated toward me down the aisle.
Rajean: My favorite memory was seeing Rashad looking ever so handsome in his tux. I arrived a little early before the ceremony started. Although I tried to keep a straight face I was full of butterflies. We also had a ball at our reception. At Del Friscos in Sandy Springs, we celebrated our nuptials with twenty of our closest family members. With two of our close friends from college serving as the DJ and photographer respectively, we enjoyed good food and spirits and danced the night away.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Get a wedding planner dedicated to your wedding. There are a lot of people who only see it as a job and do not give you the attention you need for your big day. They may have done it thousands of times before, but find someone who values the fact that this is your one and only special day.
I would also say to remain a team throughout the process. Wedding planning is the first real test for many couples. Remember that the purpose of all of this is because you love each other and want to spend the first of your lives together. Use this process to grow closer and give grace to one another during this potentially stressful time.
Also, enjoy your engagement! Because of my (Rajean’s) hectic Master’s program, it seemed as though we were forced to wait a couple of years before getting married but those were some amazing years to just enjoy each other and learn about each other on an even deeper level. It was worth it.
Looking for more intimate wedding inspiration?
Click here!
Vendors:
- Wedding dress designer: David’s Bridal Collection, Organza Mermaid Wedding Dress with lace-up back
- Wedding dress salon: Mane Focus Hair Salon
- Hair: Retwist by TheLocsOfLove
- Makeup: Dolld By Day LLC.
- Shoes: Allen Edmonds Allen Edmonds
- Ceremony location: Atlanta Botanical Gardens Atlanta Botanical Garden | Botanical Gardens in Atlanta and Gainesville
- Reception location: Del Frisco Double Eagle Steakhouse Hours + Location | Atlanta, GA | Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
- Photography: Love Stories by Smitty Love Stories By Smitty
- Cake: Publix Wedding & Special Occasion Cakes
- Groom’s attire: The Black Tux Premium Suits & Tuxedos, Delivered
Leave a Reply