For years Danielle and Michael passed each other by like ships in the night. Danielle would walk into a party five minutes after Michael had left, they’d even sat at the same dinner table without noticing each other. “We can trace our first non-interaction as far back as 2003 when I was a senior in high school. I was performing as a dancer for the premiere of the movie “Drumline” and Michael was a musician in the movie. Whenever, I think about that, it gives me chills. To think, if I could go back in time and tell my 17-year-old self, ‘look across the field, your future husband is over there,’ I’m not sure even then I would have believed it,” Danielle shares.
Finally, as Danielle was going to show her support for some dancers and musicians at Clark Atlanta University where Michael attended, she saw her future groom once more and decided it was time for their ships to collide. She smiled and complimented him on his dapper outfit and so it began. The couple wanted to pay homage to their Atlanta roots with an urban glam engagement session in Atlanta. Coterie member, Bri McDaniel Photography, helped the Peach state pair capture their love for each other and their city in this beautiful shoot.
Bride-to-be: Danielle Boler – Event Designer & Founder of SheMakesCents.com
Groom-to-be: Michael Vason – Television Producer for CNN
Wedding location: 200 Peachtree
Tell us all about the proposal!
The proposal came on one of our weekly date nights. We started at The Glen Hotel for drinks and live music. We were the only people there and I thought he was up to something. The conversation was great, as always, but he was being weird by not letting me get close to him. I later found out that he was nervous I would feel the ring box, so he kept me in the “friend zone” much of the night. We left The Glen and headed toward another surprise location. After a 15 minute drive, we ended up at Canoe Restaurant where the tranquil waterfront and blooming garden became the backdrop for our magical moment. After ordering the meal, Michael suggested a walk down the meandering walkway that was the perfect spot for “a serious question” he wanted to ask. Hand in hand, he swung me around in a dramatic Disney prince kind of way, got down on one knee, and asked for my hand in his FOREVER…after he got my Daddy’s permission, of course!
What was the theme for your engagement shoot?
We didn’t have a traditional theme, per se, but we did want our photos to reflect our lives together. We started in the neighborhood where we will be living as husband and wife, paid homage to our Atlanta University Center (AUC) roots, and ended in the heart of Atlanta, where both of us are from. It was a magical experience because Bri McDaniel, our photographer, captured moments between us as they naturally occurred. We are a mix of grit and glam and can go from black tie galas in gowns and tuxes to a homecoming game in sweatshirts. We are so happy that our engagement session reflected that beautifully.
What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Concerts! We have a mutual love of music. Since our first concert together, Sade with John Legend, we have seen over 30 artists in four years!
How has wedding planning been so far?
Wedding planning has been a roller coaster of emotions that has revealed more of my type A personality than I thought existed. It has also revealed a level of patience in Michael’s thought process that makes me love him that much more. I’m so thankful for our families and my industry friends, Laura Maddox of Magnolia Events, Suzanne Rienhard of Suzanne Rienhard Events, Eleanor of Nuage Linens, and the team of Bold American Events, where I work because we have been able to bounce out of the box ideas with other creative people. My favorite part thus far has been dress shopping with my mom.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day
We have opted not to do a first look, so I am most excited for the moment when we see each other for the first time. The drapes will open and when everyone is looking at me and Dad, I will be looking for my groom. Is it bad, that I want to see him cry? Not a big cry, but maybe like a Denzel tear from the movie Glory.
Danielle and Michael are getting married this October in their beloved hometown. Congratulations to the beautiful couple! We can’t wait to see photos from their wedding.
Vendors
Photography – Bri McDaniel Photography
Makeup – Krystle Clark of Make Me Blush
Hair – Sharon Hunt of Sharon’s Hair Salon
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