When Kristy and Dra locked eyes at a North Carolina A&T State University’s homecoming party in 2015, their chemistry was instant. Dra won Kristy over with his sense of humor and wit and left the party with her number.
After years of dedicated long-distance dating, Dra proposed during a romantic dinner overlooking the Boston Harbor. A hidden photographer Dra hired captured the whole moment!
For their wedding, the couple headed to Georgia for a beautiful, fall outdoor ceremony followed by a gorgeous indoor reception. Their color scheme of Emerald green was perfect for the season, and the couple made sure to add personal touches, such as naming their reception tables after places they used to frequent on their HBCU college campuses.
See all of the gorgeous details captured by Trene Forbes below.
- Couple: Kristy Randle & Deondra Randle
- Occupation: Kristy – Educational Partnership Associate – Discovery Education; Deondra – Engineering Consultant – Rail/Transportation Industry
- Wedding Date: November 9, 2019
- Wedding Location: Woodstock, GA – Venue 92
Quick Facts
- What gifts did you give to your bridesmaids and groomsmen? I gave my bridesmaids earrings, wine, and robes. Dra gave his groomsmen whiskey (Dra is a whiskey consenter), cigar, cigar cutter, bow tie, and socks.
- Ceremony entrance song: “Best Part” by H.E.R played by saxophonist B. Courtland Music
- First dance song: SWV – “Anything”
How did you meet?
They say North Carolina A&T State University has the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE) and this may hold true for Dra and I. It was October 2015 when we locked eyes at GHOE. It was my first time there, so I had no idea what to expect but was excited to see what my friends (both A&T alumnae) had planned for the weekend. We attended an all-black party Friday night. While partying and dancing with friends, Dra walked past and began reconnecting with the alumnae I was with. He saw me and couldn’t resist but to make my acquaintance. Not even knowing me five seconds, the jokes started; one where he continuously called me Krispy, lol. Although offended, I was intrigued, as Dra could tell, so he put the “Mack” skills to work. The night ended with Dra asking for my number and we have been inseparable since!
Tell us about the proposal.
Throughout most of our relationship, we were living apart in different cities. Dra, who bounced around a few times before landing in DC with me was living in Boston during the time he proposed. He sent me an email stating that I won an all-expenses-paid trip to Boston to visit him for the weekend. I was very excited and of course, I jumped at the opportunity to have some quality time with my boo. :-). He made dinner reservations at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse on June 23, 2018. June is the month we celebrate becoming “official”! We were over an hour late; I am not sure why I was moving in slow motion that day. Once we finally arrived at the restaurant, we found out that they were running behind and decided to sit at the bar to grab cocktails while we waited on our table.
Our table was finally ready, and we were escorted to a table that overlooked the beautiful waters of Seaport (Boston neighborhood). During the course of dinner, a photographer came over to our table to take pictures. He mentioned that he worked for the restaurant and was capturing photos for their social media page so, of course, I began the smile for the gram’, lol. We had an amazing dinner full of laughter.
I didn’t want the night to end so we went to take a closer look at the water and walked on the pier. I noticed the same photographer lurking around, he mentioned that he was waiting on his Uber but little did I know he was waiting to photograph the proposal. Dra got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and the rest is history! We will forever be #toohot2randle !
Describe your wedding attire.
I knew that I wanted a gown that was classic and timeless, I did not want to look back at pictures and say “What did I have on?”, lol. My gown had diamond-studded spaghetti straps with lace and crystals throughout the bodice. The gown was A-line and lace lined the bottom and led to a 6-foot train of lace and an 8-foot veil.
What was the wedding shopping experience for you?
I knew from the very beginning the style of dress I wanted. Surprisingly, I never went to a dress shop to try on gowns. I knew that I wanted a custom look so I contacted Erica Angeline of Atlanta, GA to design my gown. Working with her was phenomenal, she understood my vision and the look I was trying to achieve. My sisters, Krista and Jadonna, were with me every step of the way from the initial consultation to the many dress fittings that took place.
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
We didn’t do a traditional rehearsal dinner, we wanted to have an event that all of our guests could attend, so we had an HBCU MEET & GREET! Since it was homecoming season, we decided to ask everyone to wear their favorite HBCU gear! We kept this same energy at the wedding and instead of table numbers we used names of places we use to frequent on our college campuses. Kristy is a proud graduate of Tuskegee University and Deondra graduated from North Carolina A & T University.
What is the best memory from your wedding?
This is hard because I have so many great memories. The ceremony by far was my favorite part of the day. The emotions we shared while saying our vows was priceless, I will cherish those memories forever.
What is the best advice you can give to engaged couples?
Enjoy this season of planning but also remember that your MARRIAGE is more important than the wedding. The wedding will come and go in a matter of hours but your marriage needs to stand the test of time. Continue to make time for one another, an event with all that needs to get done.
Vendors
- Planning and Design: Stunning Soirees
- Day of Coordination: Forever Classic Events
- Photography: www.treneforbes.com
- Second Shooter: chipdizard.com
- Videography: Chaz Reid Films
- Venue: Venue 92
- Cake: Confection Perfections
- MC: Carlton L. Curry II @mylifeascarl
- Bridal Gown & Bridesmaids Dresses: Erica Angeline Bridal
- Groom & Groomsmen’s Tuxedoes: https://connaisseurparis.com/
- Men’s Shoes: @theblacktux
- Bridal Shoes: https://www.badgleymischka.com/@badgleymischka
- Cigar Bar: Honor Cigars
- DJ: Pro Tools Entertainment
- Saxophonist: @b.courtlandmusic
- MUA: HX Professional
- Hair: @warebeauty_shic
- Floral Design + Decor: Larger than Life Events
- Caterer: Custom Creations
[…] Our very own Stunner, Kristy, got married to her college sweetheart in a luxuriously, glam wedding in Woodstock, GA. Recently her wedding was featured by Muna Luchi Bridal […]