Chicago Couple Goes Back in Time for Nostalgic E-Session: Roderick + Kieosha -Munaluchi Bride

It all started with a love letter. Roderick and Kieosha met as teenagers almost eighteen years ago. The very first time they made eye contact was in her mother’s living room, and there was an instant attraction. But, Roderick was best friends with her brother and as the baby of the family, they were quite protective of her.

Kieosha took a chance and decided to write a letter to him, expressing her feelings and to her surprise the feelings were mutual. They kept things on the hush for a while, sneaking love notes whenever Roderick came to visit. Just the sight of him and the mention of his name would make Kieosha feel all fuzzy inside. The more they wrote each other, the more they realized that there was something there. She loved his awkward sense of humor and his signature genuine smile. A couple of years later they officially became a couple, and even after parting ways for a while, their hearts never strayed from one another. Fast forward about ten years, and they are ready for their hearts to join together as one.

On the day Roderick proposed, Kieosha suspected something was up because he and her daughter Nau’Tica were acting funny. They giggled and whispered with one another the entire day and Kieosha felt left out on all the jokes.

For family day, they headed to a spa were Kieosha’a suspicions grew even more. Roderick continued to do sweet and silly gestures, like kissing on her hands and telling her how much he loved her. At one point, he grabbed her hand and got down on one knee while she sat at the spa just to say “Love, do you want me to help you put on your shoes, so your nails won’t get messed up?” At this point Kieosha was disappointed and angry, but tried to brush it off.

As their family day came to an end, Kieosha’s antennas were still up. Roderick dropped Keiosha and Nau’Tica off at home and said he had to make a run. When returned, he abruptly turned on all the lights, grabbed her and finally said “Will you marry me?” Kieosha giggled like never before and of course replied “Yes!”

As the excitment of sharing a life together grows, Llove Studio Photography and AnikaKai Events captured the nostalgia of the places where Kieosha and Roderick’s love first blossomed.

Bride-to-be: Kieosha Harrison – Executive Assistant
Groom-to-be: Roderick Dulaney – Schuler Technician
Wedding Location: Chicago, IL
Wedding Date: 06/27/2015

The E-Session
We entered a contest with Llove Studio Photography and AnikaKai Events for a styled Save-the-Date and engagement video shoot. They themed the shoot: “Then & Now…Our Journey to I Do”. Our Engagement session was amazing. We started out at the high school where we first met, going back there brought back so many memories of our young love and it made us realize that love truly does conquer all. There was an ice cream parlor near by, where we went for one of our favorite dates, so we went there and we were able to get family shots done as well. Although Roderick is not my daughter’s biological dad, you would never know it. He has taken her on as his own and he wouldn’t have had an engagement shoot without her. For the end of the shoot we we taking pictures against the elegant waterfalls of Lake Katherine. We are so crazy about nature and the outdoors that this was the perfect spot for us to reflect, and just be ourselves. So all of these elements coupled with the lens of Llove Studio Photography and the creative eye of AnikaKai Events, made for an engagement session full of jokes, smiles, love and promises of forever all documented on film. They captured our love story perfectly.

What the First Date was Like?
This is going to sound crazy, but I don’t remember our first date, we were so young! But I can honestly say that Roderick always makes me feel like everyday is our first date. I know people think that love eventually dwindles and you settle into routine, but that is not the case. We know what we have in one another and we celebrate it every day we can.

Favorite Thing to Do as a Couple?
We live in a society where no one values family time anymore, it has been replaced with iphones, TVs, computers and gaming systems. We make time to spend with one another away from technology. We cook dinner together at home, take in a movie, walk in the park, anything that allows us to just be together and be in each others presence without interruptions. It makes it even better when our daughter Nau’Tica joins us. We make it a point to do this every weekend. We sometimes have a contest to see who can come up with the most creative time we can spend together without technology.

How Wedding Planning Has Been?
To put it simply, our wedding planning has been perfect. Our event coach AnikaKai has made our experience effortless. Our vision is coming to life and we are enjoying every minute of it.

Looking Forward to Most on the Wedding Day…
The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is walking down the aisle and greeting my God sent husband and just to see the expression on his face when he sees me in my wedding gown. We both agree that we are totally excited about the reception, just to kick back and have fun with our family and friends.

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