Tell us about your proposal:
Blake and I were in San Francisco with family. During our second day there, we had brunch at my favorite place, Cheesecake Factory, on top of Macy’s. It was SO cute and romantic, but I couldn’t get too close because we were still just courting. Afterwards, we were scheduled to hop on the charley and head down to do some shopping. So, after brunch, we proceeded to go downstairs where TONS of people were standing around (the area was really busy), and I noticed a huge red heart where we were passing by so I asked Blake if we could take a picture real quick, he’s use to that-I love taking pics). We took a picture and as we’re walking off, he grabbed my hand and as I turned around, he was down on one knee. The only words I remember were will you make me the happiest man in the world, by marrying me!!! Eeeeek! I was a wreck; ugly crying and all (LOL). Everyone was standing around clapping and crying too! It was very romantic. The entire time, there is a lady snapping pictures. My sweet honey hired a photographer to capture EVERYTHING! From our brunch to his proposal. So sweet!
How / why did you choose your ceremony venue:
Living in Texas, we only had the internet to depend on. After searching for 2 hours straight, I found the Grand Marquise Ballroom.. and it was like similar to love at first sight! The first few words that came to mind when I saw the venue were WOW, royal and classy.. just what I prayed for our big day to be. We called to book the venue, and it was booked (4/11/15). We literally changed our date, which was for the best because our baby cousin was going to be born within that time frame. We called back to book 7/11/15, paid our deposit and sealed the deal!
Tell us about your hair & make up:
My hair was done by a lady who I admire and love dearly. She is like a mother and friend all rolled up in one. Ms. Lisa Thomas cleared her busy calendar just for little ole me. She came to my hotel to glam me up and even gave me a second look for our reception. LOVE HER.
Make up was done by Vee…
Tell us about your bridesmaids:
Where do I being. I wanted a girl to represent every single time in my life, from birth up until my wedding day. I had a total of 10 bridesmaids and 2 jr. bridesmaids. They were a joy to work with. I sent out detailed e-mails and they were all anxious to get their dresses ordered and everything else that I asked them to get. If they complained, I didn’t hear ANY of it. I will FOREVER respect and love each and everyone of them for that. Another thing that blessed me, was the fact that they all got along and new friendships were formed.
Tell us about his groomsmen:
Half of the groomsmen were Blake’s closest friends, that he’s known since elementary school and the other half were my cousins and little brother. They were also a joy to work with.
Any wedding favors:
Our wedding favors were personalized pens that read: KeepingUpWithTheCarrigans Blake & LaChante’ July 11, 2015. Another favor were gold foil boxes for desserts and candy bar goodies.
How about the wedding invitations & stationery:
Our wedding invitations were made in another country. I sketched and told my planner what I wanted, she found them and the rest is history. THEY WERE GORGEOUS! I wanted BLING and I got BLING! Thanks Monica, of Nouveau Events!
Was there any particular theme or style for your wedding:
Hmm, I would say royalty with a hint of Hollywood, with Christ being our focus!
Describe your wedding dress. What was wedding shopping like for you?
EEEKKK!!! My ceremony ballgown was Casa Blanca Couture and was from a store in Texas, Brides & Beaux! This was the only dress that had EVERYTHING I wanted in a wedding dress. My desires were: BLING, illusion back, dramatic, elegant and breathtaking.
My reception dress was a mermaid with lots of bling and a splash of sexy. It was designed by ME :) tailored by a seamstress here in the Dallas area. The best part… I will NEVER have to worry about seeing someone else with the exact same dress unless someone asked me for exact details.
And your decorations:
Our decorations were executed by none other than THE Carol Peoples, of Angelic Designs and my lovely mother. I gave my vision board, pictures, colors and inspiration to my mom and Ms. Carol, and they took it and ran with it. My must haves were: bling, bling, and more bling! :)
And your cake:
Our cake, and dessert bar were made by the lovely Brie, of Cake Couture. I explained exactly what I wanted, and she made it happen!
What songs did you choose for your wedding ceremony and reception, and why:
I chose to walk into Angel, by Jamie Foxx, with a few tweaks in the lyrics to reflect our personal story! We chose The One He Saved for Me, as our first dance song. We did a special dance to Best of Me, by Tyrese.
Tell us about your wedding photography:
WELL! Our photographer was none other than Mr. Dajuan, of In His Image Photography (IHIP). The man is simply AMAZING! Since we live in Texas but had our wedding in my home state of North Carolina, we only had online galleries to go by. A few months into planning I flew in to meet with my top 5 photographers; IHIP was one. I’ll be honest, we were going to go with another photographer initially because we were trying to cut cost by any means necessary. However, we wanted good quality pictures, so I knew what I had to do….. whisper sweet nothings to my now husband, so that we could hire IHIP, the rest is history! I know this sounds crazy to some, but we had standards for our photographer, specifically. We wanted quality work, we wanted them to share our religious views and we wanted someone down to earth. We got all we prayed for with Dajuan. We’re so grateful!
And your videographer (if you had one):
Our videographers were Adrian & Jennifer Outlaw, of AOJO Photography and Videography. They made our wedding day a breeze. They were super easy to work with and had a great personality.
Tell us about your honeymoon:
The day after our wedding was spent with close family and friends. The next day, we flew to the Dominican Republic. PRICELESS. WE HAD A BLAST!!!
Any advice for future brides:
My advice for future brides would be to focus on your future spouse more than the details of your wedding day. Don’t be so consumed that you forget to embrace the moments. Prayerfully, this will only happen once.. make it a joyful experience. Plan for after the wedding day, not just THE wedding day.
Also, hire a planner/coordinator that can handle the type of wedding that you are desiring. If you know you’re over the top, expecting hundreds of guests, with a huge personality, research planners that have executed and worked with similar brides. It is important that you can trust your planner and that he/she will listen to your desires and execute accordingly. PERSONALITY is important, make sure they mesh well with you and whoever else is helping with your big day.
Also, keep family out of the process as much as possible. It’s easier to tell a vendor that you don’t like x, y, z and be okay with it, versus a family member or someone like that, who may get offended. More importantly, this is a big day for your family as well, so they shouldn’t have to be running around all stressed out.
Purchase your dress in advance. I picked up my second gown 2 days before I flew out to NC.
If you have bridesmaids from all over, try to order a dress that is easy for travel.
Don’t go all out on favors and trying to please everyone.. it’s about you and your boo! Do what you guys can afford, NOT what you think others are expecting from you.
What is your best memory of your wedding?
I think my most memorable moment was when the doors opened and I saw my husband standing there waiting for me.
What’s your favorite image from your wedding day, and why:
Gosh. I absolutely cannot pick just one.. but since I must….. I would have to say the picture captured while Blake said a prayer before our ceremony. I was soooo NOT having a first look, but to be able to hear the sincere prayer that my husband prayed for us, and for him to be emotional (especially since he isn’t emotional), simply filled my heart. We love worshiping and praying together, so this picture REALLY captured who we are.
