“Instant butterflies” was DeJana’s feeling upon first seeing Lawrence on the campus of Hampton University where they met.
“…he had that nice dark-chocolate-tan going on to match his pearly white teeth and perfect smile.” Sharing a group of mutual friends, they were soon introduced. With neither of them truly looking for a relationship at the time they remained friends for over a year before they could no longer ignore fate and began dating. Seven years later Lawrence asked DeJana to spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife, in an intimate birthday/house-warming proposal surrounded by close family and friends.
Beautifully captured by MunaLuchi Coterie member Stanlo Photography, and featured in the Summer 2019 issue of MunaLuchi Bride Magazine. Order your copy here while available!
Bride & Groom-to-be: DeJana & Lawrence
Engagement Session Location: Old Town, Alexandria. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona.
Wedding Date: Summer 2020
Location of Wedding: Amalfi Coast, Italy
How They Met: We met on the campus of Hampton University. I first saw Lawrence outside of the Student Center and felt instant butterflies. He had arrived on campus not too long ago from the Bahamas, so he had that nice dark-chocolate-tan going on to match his pearly white teeth and perfect smile. Whew! We didn’t speak until one evening I saw him again in DuBois Hall, being tutored for one of his advanced math classes. That’s when I heard his British-Caribbean accent. Lawd! We had the same group of mutual friends, and we were friends for more than a year before we considered dating.
The Proposal: Seven years later, both of us had fully begun our career journey. We were contemplating what the future would look like for us together. He decided he wanted us to build a house. I was nervous because we weren’t engaged or talked about getting married beyond the surface level. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him because he made me feel so safe and secure and cared for. I decided to trust Lawrence’s vision and God’s plan. We went forward with the construction. A few months into the house project I was about to celebrate my birthday. Lawrence had secretly invited my family and our friends to visit on one of our regular site visits. I walked inside first and was surprised by everyone, thinking it was solely for my birthday. He got down on one knee and proposed.
What did you do on your first date? Our first date wasn’t really a planned date. I had a rough day of classes and during one of our normal evening debriefs, he spontaneously asked me to go see a movie. It helped me to get my mind that day.
Favorite thing(s) to do as a couple? We love to travel and host dinner parties with our friends. We enjoy going to NBA and baseball games. We first started going to baseball games when I visited him while he lived in Chicago working on his masters. We’ve been baseball fans ever since and he always says he will encourage our kids to play baseball. We also enjoy our random movie dates that end with a trip to Rita’s.
Describe your engagement session. Stanley and Lawrence knew each other prior because of their Bahamian connection. He originally traveled to D.C. to take our engagement photos in historic Old Town, Alexandria. Those pictures were amazing. Stanley thought we’d be the perfect couple to shoot at Grand Canyon Village and told us to meet him in Las Vegas because he would be out there. Me and Lawrence are always up for a good trip so we decided to fly out and spend a few days in LA for a change in scenery and then we would road trip to Las Vegas to meet up with Stanley. We got to Vegas and drove out to Arizona the next day where we took the photos. It was cold and there was even snow on the ground in some parts of Vegas. The scenery speaks for itself. Horseshoe Bend. Stunning location, with the best photographer in the game.
How did you know they were “the one”? DeJana: “I think what attracted me second to Lawrence was his intelligence. I always thought he was very handsome and charming. He was one of the cute guys on campus girls talked about so I was at first skeptical if he was boyfriend material. Once I got to know him I quickly realized he was very smart, goal-oriented and always thinks about the long term. He’s Caribbean so he was raised with that old school value system and that was refreshing to me. He’s loyal and dedicated. I’ve always felt very safe and secure with Lawrence. I don’t want for anything when I’m with him and he’s so family orientated. Very selfless in his motives. He’s also very good with kids. Kids love him and that makes me excited because I know he’ll be an amazing father. I never wonder about the kind of role he’ll play in our kid’s lives. Of course, he’s not perfect, but he’s an all-around positive role model.”
Lawrence: “I’m saving most of it for my groom’s speech. But I’ll say this: DeJana came into my life at a very interesting time. I was not looking or remotely interested in love. I don’t think she was either. I had recently gotten through a relationship I didn’t want to end – I got dumped. That was hard. I was frustrated and became angry and selfish, and probably mean and bitter. And here she was…just being a solid friend. This sweet, patient, understanding soul offered me friendship. It made absolutely no sense to me. As time went on, I realized she had many qualities and virtues that were so rare. That’s when I realized I wanted to be more like her. I’m inspired by her in so many ways. She’s smart and also loyal. I’ve never had to question her loyalty and she showed me how to love and forgive again. And stating the obvious…she’s gorgeous. I always get compliments on how stunning she is. When I first went to Hampton everyone talked about how beautiful Hampton women were. DeJana was among the ‘cream of the crop.’ Never needed to do too much. I was very active in campus life, so I knew a lot of guys that wanted her attention…and she let me court her. What can I say? I’ve got good taste!”
How has wedding planning been so far? Lawrence: “We’re on a budget! My favorite question to ask in vendor meetings has been: ‘is that complementary?’ Then DeJana always pinches me under the table, I’ve personally made fun of the sessions. I would like something, but then DeJana would not, so then it’s out. The end. I’m big on experience, so DeJana has largely defaulted to me on those decisions when it comes to menu and guest experience. The programmatic elements.”
DeJana: “Planning has really been great because we have amazing wedding planners! Thelma and Jennifer are so incredibly talented. From helping us decide invitation paperweight, to color pallets, to planning activities for our guests to picking out the right typeface and fonts…Their consulting firm, Infatuating Affairs, is living up to the hype. And yes, we’re on a budget.”
What are you looking forward to most on the wedding day? DeJana: “It’s going to be very intimate. That’s what I always wanted. We’re inviting a group of our closest family and friends to the Amalfi Coast to celebrate our journey. The food, the ambiance, the culture, the people.”
Lawrence: “The elaborateness will be in the details. It’s going to be a great time.”
Vendors:
Photographer: Stanlo Photography
Coordinators: Infatuating Affairs
Cinematographer: Super Weddings
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