"A Storybook Romance" Engagement Session in Missouri City, TX: Micole + Christopher -Munaluchi Bride

While love was planted at first sight, the roots only grew deeper as their journey continued.

Micole and Christopher connected early last summer during Pastor Joel & Victoria Osteen’s popular singles class at the Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. The chemistry was instant as the pair recall being immediately drawn to one another. “Micole caught my eye when she entered the room. I was captivated by the way she moved, her fashionista swag, and the glow on her face – like a breath of fresh air. I knew right away I planned to see if there was anything between us over time – and when the time was right, ask her out” shares Chris.

Engaging in the singles course meant participating in activities that called for one to share the characteristics and virtues they sought in their next relationship. And Micole, whom was a new “student”, found herself intertwining the activity with one of the participants in the class – Chris. “My second time there, I remember Chris stood out to me. I never really had a “type” and I remember talking to God for a quick sec and hypothetically saying, he looked like my type. I just laugh now at God’s sense of humor because I truly believe you can’t judge a book by its cover, and I didn’t think much of my thoughts” shares Micole.

A few weeks later, during a singles outing, the pair formally met – and similar to their initial eye contact, the two clicked. But this time, it was on a personal level and the sparks were real. During a game of UNO at another singles meeting the pair shared an intimate convo about life leaving Chris further intrigued. “Micole seemed like a genuine person who listened and showed interest in me as we talked. And when she shared bookmarks with the group for her recent novels, which included a link to her website – I took advantage of that” says Chris. And next, he began to pursue her. Shortly after, Chris contacted Micole regarding her books and after swapping small talk, he asked her to join him for tango lessons in the park – their first date.

“When we went out, we knew it was something special we were talking about our dating philosophies, our life, our faith, etc and how we didn’t want to share each other with others – we wanted to date with intention. We were in a relationship shortly after” shares Chris.

Micole admits, “I was taken by the level of commitment we had with something so new, but it was as if we both knew, we owed it to each other to see this through, God willing. I remember encouraging Chris to get all of our “stuff” out early on – like the good, bad and ugly sides of us – no representatives as they say, just be real, as real as possible so that we can see what we needed to in order to make the best decisions” shares Micole.

From there, the two relied on faith to navigate their steps. And ultimately faith, love, prayer and a strong spiritual connection have lead them to this moment. The couple is scheduled to wed in September and in anticipation have shot this classic, storybook themed engagement session with photographer, Cedric Maddox of Union Vibe Entertainment, Photography, & Video.

Bride-to-Be: Micole Williams
Groom-to-Be: Christopher Taylor
Occupations: Bride: Educator, Author & Indie filmmaker | Groom: Information Management Engineer
Wedding date: 9/25/2016
Engagement shoot & Wedding location: Heaven on Earth Venue in Missouri City, TX

Tell us about the proposal!
Chris: “I took Micole to meet my parents for Thanksgiving in Kansas City, our first roadtrip! By the time we made it back our love had deepened. I was out Christmas shopping soon after and decided to browse some jewelry stores. Then something happened inside of me when I saw “the ring”! I knew in that moment I was ready, ready to spend the rest of my life with Micole. Now all I needed was the right moment to propose.”

Micole: “December 27, 2015 marks the engagement day and boy was it a day to remember. We had dinner by fireplace at La Madeleine, one of the first places where we interacted outside of singles class, which is also my favorite cafe. He disappeared momentarily, returning to me with my new favorite teddy bear. I thought it was the cutest gift. But I knew he was talking in a way that was more intense after I expressed my gratitude for the bear.

When he began professing his love, and how he was contemplating on the right time to give me this, I wasn’t connecting all the dots until I noticed that my new teddy had a backpack inscribed, “Helzberg” and a hard box bulging out. My mind was racing, but I settled on the thought of it being a nice necklace or something – I saw too many shows where this moment can go wrong in a woman’s mind! But as I really listened and started to see his face and when I opened the box and saw the ring, my mouth dropped – he knew exactly what I wanted, and it was even more beautiful than the ones I said I liked. I heard the words, will you marry me? I gladly accepted as we embraced and the waiter began snapping some memories! I sleep with my teddy bear that held/hid the ring in his backpack every night”

Describe your engagement session! Did you have a theme?
With our “Modern-day Classic Storybook” theme. At the historical “Heaven on Earth” Venue, our photographer captured the book-loving, classic movie-watching and fun-loving side of us for our engagement photos!

What did you do on your first date?
Tango lessons at Discovery Green park was our first date!
Chris: “When we went out, we knew it was something special, we were talking about our dating philosophies, our life, etc and how we didn’t want to share each other with others – we wanted to date with intention. We were in a relationship shortly after.”

Micole: “I was taken by the level of commitment we had with something so new, but it seemed like it was as if we both knew, we owed it to each other to see this through, God willing. I remember encouraging Chris to get all of our “stuff” out early on – like the good, bad and ugly sides of us – no representatives as they say, just be real, as real as possible so that we can see what we needed to in order to make the best decisions. We both relied on our faith to navigate steps we were not too sure about or comfortable sharing.”

What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple?
We really enjoy exploring the world together, attending events like album release parties, Pop Shop-America, and picnics on the beach. We absolutely adore sharing interesting concepts from the latest books and articles we’re reading. Oh and nothing’s like a good movie or catching the latest episode of Empire together!

How has wedding planning been so far?
Micole: “Everything is running surprisingly smooth; we have heard some horror stories/ And we have our own scary moments, but forward-movement it is” says Micole. After running through a vast list and checking out 17 venues in Houston, the two selected the historical venue, ‘Heaven on Earth’, which made Micole stop in her tracks.

Micole: “I remember passing by this grand looking place as a little girl while my mom drove to work, and I would say, ‘I want to get married there when I grow up.’ I totally forgot about the place as time passed and when he brought it up, it was a magical moment for me and I was glad it worked out that we could have our day there.”

Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day
Chris: “This day will mark the beginning of our story. We are looking forward most to that moment when it’s official – we will be able to turn and face the world as Mr. & Mrs. Taylor: to walk hand-in-hand back down that aisle, waving to our friends and family knowing that God is blessing us and has great things in store for our future”

Micole: “I totally agree. I have waited a long time for this moment. I have saved myself for my husband and know that this was worth the wait and I appreciate Chris for respecting that and honoring that”