The Lucky Lady: Marlese Ambrose, 29, Attorney
Her Leading Man: Rodney Wells, 35, High School Dean/Head Football Coach
The Big Day: March 22, 2015
Wedding Location: Lake Mary, Florida
How did you meet your man?
My girlfriends took me out to have a drink at a local bar for happy hour. The bar parking lot was extremely empty and we decided to leave. As we were leaving, Rodney approached me and convinced us to stay there. We talked for over an hour and we exchanged numbers before we left the bar.
Were you looking for love at the time?
No, I was not looking for love. I had just ended a relationship and love was not something on my agenda, but God definitely had other plans for me.
When did you first meet his family and friends?
Rodney has two children from a previous relationship and he waited a year to introduce them to me. I was the first woman other than their mother that they had witnessed interacting with their dad. I was nervous initially because I had never dated anyone with children, but they were amazing when I first met them. So it made getting to know them a lot easier and helped establish our bond.
Most romantic date ever?
It was our second date. We went to an intimate wine tasting event. We sat at the venue for hours talking about everything and nothing. It was beautiful.
Best vacation ever?
We went on a cruise to Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and the Bahamas. We have a vacation rule, which includes no bad attitudes and to make sure that we live in the moment. We went power snorkeling, climbed a waterfall and toured the island on a scooter. We had an amazing time enjoying one another.
Who said “the L word” first?
I did, but I knew he wanted to say it but was hesitant. He called me one day at work and said, “Something almost slipped out of my mouth unintentionally this morning.” And I asked what he was about to say, but he wouldn’t tell me. When I saw him that evening, I asked him again, and he told me he could not remember. So I asked him if he wanted to tell me that he loved me, because if he did, I loved him too. He replied, “Yes, I love you!”
How did he pop the question?
Rodney proposed on Valentine’s Day. I came home from work expecting to walk in and get ready to prepare dinner. When I walked into the house, Rodney had the entire place lit with candles and roses in the shape of a heart in front of a chair that he placed me in. He blindfolded me and played three songs to represent the three years we had been together. The first song he played was John Legend’s “All of Me,” the second song was R. Kelly’s “Will You Marry Me” and the third song was Kelly Price’s “He Proposed To Me.” After the R. Kelly song, he got down on knee and asked me to marry him. To my surprise, my family was in the room too. During each song, he gave me one item. The first item was a love letter, which represented his love and commitment to me. The second item was a rope to symbolize his loyalty to me and the third item was my engagement ring, which symbolized his commitment to me. The last gift was having my family present to symbolize trust. It was amazing and very thoughtful.
Photos: Roderick Johns Photography
Just Engaged: Marlese and Rodney's Engagement Story
When Marlese tried to leave a dead happy hour scene, Rodney convinced her to stay. They spent the rest of the night engrossed in conversation. Three years later, he was on bended knee. Let’s celebrate their love!