Jarod and Darryl's Timeless Sophistication Engagement -Munaluchi Bride

MunaLuchi Bride Magazine Summer 2018 Feature: Jarod & Darryl
Print Copies Available for Pre-Order HERE!

Jarod and Darryl first met at a community service organization ten years ago. Immediately attracted to Jarod, Darryl knew he had to find out more about him. After building a friendship over the next few months, Darryl decided it was time make his move and asked Jarod out on their first date. The first date quickly led to another and another, and before long Darryl knew that Jarod was the man he would one day marry…

Continue reading all about Jarod & Darryl’s love story, proposal, and wedding aspirations in their timeless sophistication engagement in Houston, featured in the Summer 2018 issue of MunaLuchi Bride magazine – and beautifully captured by MunaLuchi Coterie member Second Shots Photography.

Engagement Couple: Jarod & Darryl
Venue/Location(s) for Engagement Session: Charlotte Nail Antiques
Engagement Session Date: 4.21.2018
Wedding Date: 11/17/2018
Location of Wedding: Houston, Texas

Tell us how you met. Jarod and I met through a community service organization ten years ago. I saw him and thought he was a very attractive guy – I have a thing for beautiful eyes and ears. So I attempted to befriend him before making my move. After us becoming friends and hanging out, he actually started to date a friend of mine at the time (very short period of time, like a few months). Long story short, with the blessing of that friend, who sadly has now passed away, I decided to ask Jarod out. After a few dates, I shared with a friend of mine that I’m going to marry that guy! Unfortunately there was a brief split where I moved to California to pursue a few business goals and Jarod and I decided it was best for us to keep individual focus on personal growth and goals. So I moved to LA with our dog (Rudy), him keeping our other dog (Cupcake) in Houston. After being apart for 1 ½ years God brought us back together and I couldn’t wait any longer to make it official because I didn’t want to take this second chance for granted…

The Proposal. So I had to pick the perfect date, I pondered and I pondered about the date…nothing came to me. On a trip to Dallas with a designer friend of mine I saw these cool cattle tags and the only numbers they had left were 11 and 17. When I picked up the number it was the sequence 11/17 and I said this was the date, Jarod’s birthday is the following month 12/17 so it all made sense to me. So I called my parents, family and friends, swore them to secrecy NOT to spill the beans. About 3 weeks before I started to let Jarod know I was possibly up for a Wedding Planning Show and they wanted to tape a wedding I had coming up the next day on 11/18, and that the camera wanted to follow me and get to know a little bit about me and my personal life as a Wedding Planner. Of course I wanted to capture the moment. I had a my phenomenal friends, Joshua Dwain Photography to captures photos, and Yamean Studios to capture the video. I had a friend pose as the Producer giving him a run down of the night and the camera crew was recording. I had my assistant call while we were in route to “dinner ” to let me know there was an issue at the venue and I needed to come ASAP. All of our family and friends were tucked away awaiting our arrival to the venue. When he walked in it was completely dark, because we were told the power was out and they had to power down to complete the setup. Walking in holding hands with the cameras following us, I got him to his spot and immediately the video mapping presentation started playing a slideshow with Toni Braxton’s “How many Ways.” It was a prefect setting! So we will marry 11/17/2018 which will mark 1 year from the day I proposed.

What did you do on your first date? We’ve asked each other and neither one of us can remember!

Favorite thing(s) to do as a couple? Eat dinner on our TV trays and watch Wendy Williams and the Housewives of Beverly Hills with our dogs.

Describe your engagement session. A friend of ours is an interior designer who invited us to a holiday event and one of the venues was this BEAUTIFUL Antique shop. Immediately after the proposal I had been on the search for the perfect space in Houston and I just couldn’t find the location I envisioned in my head. I begged the owner of the store for a month, borderline harassed her, and wined & dined her to butter her up! She never allowed anyone to do it, but I begged for just ten minutes of time in the store, and she so graciously gave us an entire hour! Our love for the MET Gala was the inspiration.

How did you know they were “the one”? Jarod and I were friends and he would drive down from college on the weekend and crash at my place. I didn’t have a bath rug in my bathroom so every now and again I would slip almost hurting myself on the regular. Jarod heard me a few times slipping and praying to GOD I made it. Time passed and one day I stepped out of the shower and there was a rug and I didn’t slip. It was in that moment I knew he was the one!

How has wedding planning been so far? AMAZING! I’m now on the other side. I’m usually the planner and now I’m the groom. I feel the emotional roller coaster brides and grooms have to endure. Because we, for sure, will have a wedding planner.

What are you looking forward to most on the wedding day? We’re both looking forward to having our family and friends celebrate with us. And reading my vows to him.