This week's WeddingCrushWednesday couple goes to Mr. & Mrs. Dixon. I had the pleasure of being introduced to this lovely couple over a year ago when my husband coached their son, Chris, in football. Although I've only had a few encounters with this couple I picked up on their genuine and positive vibes immediately. I am friends with the couple on Facebook and I see the great connection and bond that these two share and was honored to share their wedding experience. Please take a moment to see how the two planned their wedding the way they wanted with one thing in mind, LOVE.
How and when did you two meet?
"We actually met at work." -Lisa
"It was about 9 years ago around 2005." -Donald
"We started dating in 2008 or 2009. I actually knew his mother for a long time before." -Lisa
"Yeah, her and my mother were friends before I even met her." -Donald
How did you propose Donald?
"I can't remember vividly. She probably remembers more details than I do. I just know that I went to put a down-payment on a ring and I presented it to her with some other gifts at a restaurant." -Donald
"Yeah, he came home early from work one day. He wanted to go to lunch so he took me to Chili's. We were eating lunch and he got up and said he had to go to the bathroom. When he came back he had this big pink box. He knows that my favorite color is pink. I opened the box and there was some perfume, some earrings, a receipt, and I forgot what else was in the box." -Lisa
"Yeah it was a long time ago so I don't really remember either." -Donald
"I was like, 'What is this?' He was like 'I want you to be my wife.' The couple behind me was cheesing really hard and I just turned around and started yelling, 'He just proposed to me!' and that was pretty much it." -Lisa
How did you know that Lisa was the one?
"She was different. She was a little older than me, so she was a little different than what I was used to. I know that's a little cliché, but she wasn't like anyone else I had been with or met. She took me out of my element. I come from the streets so she taught me something different that I hadn't seen before. She brought something out of me that nobody else did. She brought a more intellectual side out of me. That's kind of how I knew that everything was okay. Besides that, I was a knuckle-head and when I did something wrong, she didn't flatten my tires or scratch up my car or any of that. She would actually be cooking my dinner asking me if I wanted something to eat. I would have to check my food to make sure she didn't poison me. It was all coming from the heart though and that was big of her to respond like that so I started to appreciate her. I started treating her right and how she deserved to be treated." -Donald
How long were you engaged before you got married?
"I would say that it was a few months. We got engaged in February and we got married in July." -Lisa
Why did you all decide to have a judicial ceremony versus having a traditional wedding ceremony?
"Me personally, I felt that a lot of people that we worked with and in that atmosphere only wanted to come to be nosey and actually wanted us to fail. Instead of it being genuine, some of the people really just wanted to come to see if this was real and if we were really doing this. I don't like that type of vibe if I'm doing something positive. That was my take on that and I preferred to be around my immediate family and the people that care about me the most." -Donald
"I was thinking about it and with all the planning it just seemed like it was simpler. Besides, I was sharing a bond with him. I just felt like some things are better kept small. It was more meaningful for me to have the people that came versus me doing it for everybody, feeding everybody, and putting on a show." -Donald
Wedding: July 8, 2011
Indoor Ceremony (Prince George's County Wedding Ministries in Upper Marlboro, MD)
Outdoor Reception (Cook-out)
Approximate Expense: The couple is not really sure how much they spent, but they know they didn't spend a lot since the reception cook-out was funded and thrown by their family members.
Color Scheme: Purple, Black, and Grey
What was the inspiration for your color scheme?
"We originally were going with red and I don't know how we ended up with purple. We went to Express and he was trying on shirts. When he put on the purple it just set it off and that's how we ended up with purple." -Lisa
How many people did you all have at your ceremony?
"We had about 10 people." -Donald
Did you get negative feedback from close family and friends on your decision to get married the way you did?
"We had a lot of support either way it went. I think it was more genuine the way we did it because it was sentimental to us. We extended the invitation to the actual ceremony as well, but a lot of people attended the ceremony reception the next day." -Lisa
What was your favorite memory from your wedding day?
"The best memory was me being nervous and her just trying to keep me calm. She always had that voice that made me calm in all situations. She has the voice that just keeps me calm. I was just nervous because it was something new and I just didn't understand what was going on. I was kind of getting cold-feet." -Donald
"The fact that we were actually doing it because we never talked about it. After all that we had been through, it was just surprising that we had gotten to this point. I would've thought that it would have taken a lot longer and a few more years for him to come to that. Like he said, I'm 39 and he's 30 and back then, of course he was a lot younger, in his early twenties, so I didn't think he was ready." -Lisa
What was your worst memory from your wedding day? "It started the day before. It was everything. The barbershop wasn't open; he hadn't got his hair cut. We had to stay at my aunt's house. I was supposed to go one place and he was supposed to go another place and that didn't work out. We ended up sleeping on the couch at my aunt's house. That morning it was hectic and crazy because people came to take pictures and he had to run out to get his hair cut." -Lisa
"That's pretty much my answer too. That was making me more nervous and I was thinking like, 'Man, maybe we should wait.' I knew I was making a good choice though and I knew she never steered me wrong before so it was ok." -Donald
What were the pros getting married the way you did versus having a traditional wedding ceremony?
"The good out of doing it our way was that I think there was more attention paid towards us other than everyone else." -Donald
"I got to wear the dress that I wanted to wear. The people that I wanted to be there were there. My parents are in heaven. I got everything that I wanted. We had a cookout and it saved us a lot of money and stress from picking who would be a bridesmaid and who would do this or who would do that and I didn't want to go through that." -Lisa
What were the cons getting married the way you did versus having a traditional wedding ceremony?
"I think you kind of miss out on the celebration of everyone else genuinely showing love." -Donald
"I don't think that we missed out on anything and don't really see any cons on how we decided to do it." -Lisa
Would you say that your wedding day was what you expected, more, or less?
"I can't really say. I'm not really big on big parties/celebrations and stuff like that. I always figured that as long as I was with the person I wanted to be with then that's all that really matters. Of course I started watching all types of shows as it got closer to the day and I think the only thing I was missing was the church and walking down the aisle." -Lisa
What would be the best advice you would give to a future couple planning to get married?
"Follow every dream that you put into place. If you want a big wedding then I say go for it. Don't allow people's experiences, whether it is good or bad, to deter you from what you want to do." -Lisa
"Well mines would be more neutral. If you feel as though whatever is right for you and your family then go for it. I don't care if it's crazy or off the wall; do what it is that you want to do to make memories the way you want to. Don't let anyone influence you on anything that you want to do with your family. If you and your spouse decide to do it, whatever way, big or small, go for it." -Donald
Thank you for taking the time to read this week's WCW post and I hope that you will continue to tune in every Wednesday for more tips, guidance, advice, and pure wedding entertainment. Please feel free to read other posts or share with friends, family, and associates. If you have a couple that you think should be featured as one of my future WCW couples then please email me at: alluringdekor@gmail.com with a picture of the bride and groom to be considered.
HAPPY PLANNING FOLKS!!!