“He is the only man to ever beat me in Scrabble,” teases Juanita about her future husband Charles, whom she lovingly calls “Traughber.” “There is always something I can learn from him.”
“The first time I met his parents was over brunch,” Juanita recalls. “I was nervous about meeting his mom, but she is as sweet as pie and has shared her family recipes with me over the years. All of his family has been welcoming and kind.”
“Breakfast is our favorite meal, and we always are on the hunt for the next best pancakes and waffles in town,” Juanita shares. “We usually go for a run together with our dogs and hang out with friends.”
“Every winter we go to a Predators hockey game for our anniversary,” Juanita shares. “One time the camera showed us on the Jumbotron during a time out. I leaned in to kiss Traughber and he backed away. He was like, “that’s not the Kiss Cam.’”
“When I announced plans to become a vegetarian and no longer purchase or cook meat, poultry or fish, Traughber was undaunted,” says Juanita. “Although I’ve stopped making some of his favorite meals, he has been supportive and tries everything I put on his plate.”
“What I love most about Nita is her adventurous spirit,” says Charles. “Because she always wants to try new things, I have had a lot of great experiences with her.”
“I fell in love with Nita because she is the total package,” Charles admits. “She is smart, funny, caring, supportive and beautiful, and her cooking and baking were the cherries on top.”
Juanita and Charles will tie the knot this fall in Atlanta and they have a unique theme planned for their big day. “Imagine playing Scrabble in an English garden followed by brunch,” says the bride-to-be. “The colors are twenty-carat yellow, island coral and wilmington tan.”
“We’re having an intimate wedding for our closest family and lifelong friends, and I want them to know how thankful we are for their lessons of love that brought us to today,” says Juanita.
“We are affectionate lovers and almost always touching,” says Juanita. “Holding hands under the dinner table when out with friends and even on the couch.”
“What I love most about being engaged is knowing next comes a lifetime of friendship and concrete commitment,” Juanita shares, “Being a bride is extremely stressful when balancing opinions and negotiating with vendors. When people ask me about wedding planning, I tell them that being a bride is overrated, and I am ready to be his wife.”
“I absolutely love beating her in Scrabble,” Charles teases. A couple that plays together stays together!
“I was nervous about proposing to Nita, but not because of whether she would accept. I was worried that the proposal would not be romantic or memorable,” says Charles. “I did what felt right at the moment, and although it’s not the perfect story, it reflects our personalities and the dynamics of our relationship.” We think it was a job well done, don’t you?
“We’re getting married on September 14, 2014 in Atlanta, where I was raised,” says Juanita. “Each September my family traveled to Philadelphia to celebrate my great Aunt Eula’s birthday on that day. Although she passed away last year at age 110, it seems befitting that we continue to hold a celebration on her special day.”
Join us as we congratulate Juanita and Charles on their upcoming big day by leaving the happy couple (and soon-to-be newlyweds!) a little comment love below. Want to see your love story shared in Just Engaged? Email us now!