Monica McNutt is engaged! The NBA, WNBA and college basketball analyst, whose face you’ve most likely seen as a sports commentator for ESPN’s First Take and on the court chatting with the NBA’s biggest talents in post-game interviews (and whose voice can be heard as a New York Knicks radio commentator), is set to marry her love, Justin Jackson. Like McNutt, Jackson’s life revolves around sports. He works for the NBA Players Association.
The two are announcing their engagement exclusively with ESSENCE through a photoshoot they did in NYC at the hotel where they had their first dinner together. “I remember telling my homegirl when I got back from that date, ‘I think there might be something there, we’ll see,'” McNutt recalls.
The two met through a mutual friend in 2019, and for a time, they were just friends who kept things strictly business. But things eventually changed in the best way possible. “I was in New York for work, and Justin invited me to join him at a Washington Commanders bar; we ended up spending the day walking through the city. That was also the day of our first kiss,” McNutt recalls. “Even before we took a romantic turn, I’ve always felt safe with him. As our relationship grew, I realized that wasn’t just physically but also mentally and spiritually.”
“You meet thousands of people in your life, but you only meet so many that really ‘get’ you,” shared Jackson about finding his person in McNutt. Soon after that realization, he popped the question during a trip to Grenada with friends (their annual “framily trip”). While taking a few photos together during one of the Caribbean country’s stunning Golden Hour sunsets, he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. In her astonishment, she knocked his phone into the water and said yes (more like a “Yes, yes of course! But your phone…”).
The couple is set to tie the knot in August at the Conrad in D.C., with around 150 guests expected to attend. McNutt is looking forward to honoring their love alongside their favorite people, hearing his vows, and starting their life together as husband and wife. For Jackson, in true sports fashion, he’s ready to tackle the ups and downs of love and marriage with the ultimate partner.
“I most look forward to conquering life’s challenges with a teammate instead of on my own.”
“We had the shoot done at the hotel where we first had dinner,” says Jackson. “We wanted to document where it all started in a sense.”
“About two years before we met, my therapist gave me an exercise to get clear on what I wanted. I used this exercise personally and professionally,” says McNutt. “You list characteristics and qualities you fall for and like, what you’ve had, and what’s non-negotiable moving forward. Justin checked all of my non-negotiables.”
“Living in different cities during Covid forced us to really talk and get to know each other at a more methodical pace than you normally would otherwise,” says Jackson. “Because of this I think I got a chance to listen and learn so much about her that without that world pause, it might not have come as easy.”
“Honestly, now that we’re clear of sticker shock, amazing!” McNutt says of how wedding planning is going. “Our planner Melissa Williams of B Astonished Events is top shelf. I’ve literally said to her ‘As long as Justin is there I just want to show up and be beautiful and surprised like our guests.’ My stylist, Sydnee Paige, has been a wedding angel I didn’t know I needed, she’s got all the dresses, mine and the bridal party, and moms locked in. We’re really excited.”
“Costly,” Jackson shares, with a laugh, regarding his take on wedding planning. “But we are getting more excited as the date approaches and looking forward to when the day comes to celebrate and share it with friends and family.”
The couple have great chemistry, and as McNutt noted, he’s always felt like someone she could be safe with, including “mentally and spiritually.”
“Celebrating our love with our friends and family,” McNutt says about what she’s looking forward to most about her big day. “Quality time is a love language that we share and the fuller our lives get it’s tougher to get those moments with our loved ones (not to mention watching your loved ones age). While the quantity of big family and friend moments are down, I like to believe the quality is up and this day will be a high value quality time moment.”
The couple are set to tie the knot at the Conrad Washington D.C. Hotel and say their wedding style will be clean and polished. Color schemes planned include mauve, gold and white. Guests (around 150), can expect plenty of greenery in the space.
There will be several moments of celebration for the couple, who will have a welcome party. For that day, the bride says she’ll wear Ama Nwoke. For the ceremony and reception, guests can expect to see her in looks by Theia Couture. All the bridesmaids will be dressed in Jenny Yoo for the big day, too.
“I’m really looking forward to my soon-to-be husband’s vows,” says McNutt. “In our marriage I’m just looking forward to the journey together.”
As the couple plan their big day, they were very meticulous about ensuring that they utilized businesses that are Black and woman-owned, bringing on Melissa Williams of B Astonished Events as planner, and Terri Baskin for photography, for example.
Jackson can’t wait to see all of the efforts come to life on their wedding day, and to move past the stress that can come with the early planning. “I think the actual day will feel like a sigh of relief, with all of the anxious energy that comes with the planning, details, logistics, etc.”
The idea for the proposal came from Jackson knowing that his bride-to-be loves to take pictures. “I am typically not a big picture taker, but I know that she is someone who loves to document special moments and events,” he says. “So the photos were taken within minutes of the actual proposal.”
So much of McNutt’s work is done in New York City, and that’s where her love story began with Jackson, making it the perfect setting for their engagement shoot.
The pair look forward to their big day in August, as well as married life to come. “I thank God for blessing me in the form of my soon-to-be husband and I am also constantly praying about my growth as a wife and our journey together as a married couple,” says the soon-to-be bride.
Vendors
Wedding Planner: Melissa Williams of B Astonished Events
Photographer: Terri Baskin Photography
Stylist: Sydnee Paige