Bridal Bliss: Will You Marry Me? 2008 Winners
The Love Boat
We’re not sure if Eugene Glover was a straight-A student, but when Kendra Shuler joined the faculty at the elementary school where he taught the fifth grade, he never complained about having to go to school again.
Eugene wrote in to our Will You Marry Me? contest and popped the question to Kendra with the help of ESSENCE and a karaoke machine. The two got hitched on a Royal Caribbean cruise line on September 6, 2008 and they’ve been sailing into the sunset ever since.
How Romantic
A self-proclaimed “calm, cool girl,” Kendra said she always wanted a white and black wedding accented with red roses. The red rose petals on the white carpet marked the perfect for this dream bride.
The Mammas and The Pappas
Kendra had both her parents escort her down the aisle, which is fitting since she was with them when she realized her true feelings for Eugene.
“I went on to Las Vegas with my family for Christmas and when I left, once I got to the airport, I was thinking, I don’t want to leave him. I knew then that I was going to be with him.”
With This Kiss
“I was freaking out,” Eugene says of his Will You Marry Me? karaoke proposal to Kendra. “I’m not a person who drinks, but they had to give me a glass of Hennessy just to calm me down.”
Well, he sure fooled Kendra. “It was completely surprising,” she says. “I was shocked and excited and all of the other words that you could think of.”
So Happy Together
Eugene says Kendra let him know that she was interested in heading down the altar.
“Of course the whole time, she doesn’t know that I already have the engagement plan going,” the groom snickers. “I had to keep her entertained.”
Gathered Together
The white ribbon on the bridesmaids’ dresses contrasting with the black detailing on the flower girls’ dresses played perfectly into Kendra’s dream wedding.
The Perfect Date
Although there’s no disputing when and how they got hitched, this husband and wife still dispute their first date.
He says: They met up at the mall and went to dinner at O’Charleys.
She says: Their first real date wasn’t until later when they had dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse.
Either way, he was her lone star.
Gone Pro
When it came time to propose, Eugene listened to the likes and dislikes of his intended. He bought her a vintage diamond ring and he delivered.
“She said that she liked the old style. She said she didn’t want something that was mainstream, she said she wanted a vintage style ring. So I gave the lady what she asked for,” Eugene explains.
Future husbands, take note.
Melt My Heart
An ice sculpture of a heart with two love birds on top of it signifies the two sweethearts’ new bond.
Classic Cut
Kendra loved her red velvet cake with butter cream icing that tied all the colors of her wedding together.
Tame The Beast
Full of pride for his favorite college football team, University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide, Eugene definitely represented with Big Al the elephant on his groomscake.
By Your Side
“He was just very sweet, very caring, very giving and really honest,” Kendra says of her husband.
Shake Your Groove Thing
Kendra and the ladies bust a move on the dance floor.
Ahoy
After setting sail for a lifetime of love, the newlyweds welcomed a new addition to their nest, little baby Timothy Glover, in December of 2009.
Wrapped Up In Your Love
Royal Caribbean’s wedding planning company Royal Romance took care of all the tiny details on Kendra and Eugene’s big day, so they could just lean back and relax.
Share My Life
After the wedding, Kendra, Eugene and 20 of their friends and family set sail on a 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico.
24/7
Kendra says she just likes kicking it with Eugene. “We love to watch ’24’ together,” she reveals. “We like to have game night with our friends, we love to go to the movies and we love to eat out.”
Best Friends Forever
“I married my best friend,” Kendra happily sighs.
“I know that I love her and I am in love with her and have been for years and that’s renewed on a daily basis,” Eugene says.