When Jessica and Lawrence first met, it wasn’t necessarily the most romantic situation. She was his supervisor. Such a reality didn’t keep sparks from flying between them, though. Once introduced, it took no time for Lawrence to realize that she was something special.
“The summer of 2018 we met at a restaurant we both worked at. She was the boss and I was instantly intrigued by her,” he tells ESSENCE. It also didn’t take Jessica long to feel a connection with him. In fact, when asked how she knew he was “the one,” she says it was an immediate thing. She didn’t think she was ready for anything serious, but she was intent on having Lawrence be a part of her life.
“I knew he was the one after our very first conversation. I could tell he checked off about everything I wanted in a man,” she says. “I can’t say that at that moment I was looking for a relationship, but I can say that I knew I was willing to step out on faith and trust that God knew what and who I needed and I was not about to let him go!”
Soon after, the pair fell in love and combined their lives to make a blended family — Jessica and her three boys, Lawrence and his son and daughter. By Christmas of 2020, he was ready to ask for her hand in marriage and take their relationship to the next level. She said yes in front of family on Christmas evening and it seemed that there would be nothing but good times on the horizon as they prepared to plan for their big day and for life as Mr. and Mrs. Alexander.
Of course, things didn’t go as planned. Just a few months after that special night, the world stood still due to the Covid-19 pandemic, throwing a wrench early in the planning process. The Greenwood, Indiana natives would have to make some concessions in order to have their special day, but it was all worth it as they said “I do” in front of a small group of friends and family in Indianapolis on April 10, 2021 with their children as the wedding party.
Check out the perfect day that was, from their walk on water to the altar, to the way they incorporated their kids, their dog and Jordan sneakers into their nuptials, and learn more about the love story of the Alexanders.
All photos by Rae Marcel Photography
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01
The Proposal
“The proposal was on Christmas Day 2020,” Lawrence says of the day he popped the question. “Her whole family was over for dinner. Her grandmother, who had been fighting cancer for 16 years, was becoming ill faster. I was planning on doing the proposal on New Year’s day, but I knew it was extremely important to her grandmother to witness. When we were all together enjoying the Christmas evening, I felt that was the best time to do it, so I did. We embraced each other and laughter followed, her response, ‘YES.’ We were both extremely excited because it was something we both knew was inevitable.”
02
The Venue
The venue was not something Jessica and Lawrence had been searching for or fighting to get a spot at. They chose The Biltwell in Indianapolis after simply driving past it.
“I found the place while driving on the highway,” Jessica says. “The way the sign on the building lit up across the sky was beautiful. I knew it would look great for an evening wedding. I wanted a timeless and classic venue. So I called Lawrence and said I found the place.”
03
The Theme – Keep It Classy
“Our theme was classic and classy. We didn’t want any one color overtaking our wedding so we kept it classic [with] every detail,” Jessica says.
04
Walking on Water
The idea to have the aisle covered in water was Lawrence’s. For an indoor wedding it was unorthodox, but their wedding planner, Danielle Lea, found a way to make it happen.
“Lawrence told our wedding planner that he wanted me to walk on water. Obviously that was a challenge but she delivered with our wedding aisle. Let me tell you, it was a showstopper!”
05
A Blended Family and Wedding Party
Jessica and Lawrence’s children filled in as the perfect wedding party for the couple.
“We are a blended family. My kids are the three boys, David, Luke and Benjamin. The older boy and girl are his two kids, Kristie and Emmanuel. We wanted it to be just about our family. So they were our wedding party.”
06
The Best Man
The couple’s bulldog Maxwell was a special part of the wedding and is a special part of their family.
07
Joy in Jordans
The couple made sure to incorporate things that they share a love for, including Jordan sneakers.
“Everyone loved our nod to our personalities with our classic Js!” Jessica says.
08
Pandemic Changes
The bride, pictured here in this stunning portrait, said the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to cut down their guest list big time, which wasn’t an easy sacrifice.
“The pandemic changed the second best part of our wedding, which is the party,” she says. “We both have large families and I could only invite a small number of them. Travel played also into our plans because some family members could not travel. But we completely understood that. For those who could attend, we made sure to have families sitting with their own families, and we had custom masks made to insure everyone was safe.”
09
Pandemic Positives
There was an upside to a much smaller guest list.
“Despite us having to make some changes, I did like how intimate the ceremony turned out,” Jessica says. “The intimacy made for a night to remember.”
10
The Small But Special Details
The best and most memorable moment of the entire wedding for the couple was getting to do their first dance together.
“The most memorable part for both of us was the first dance. It was to Beyoncé’s ‘1 + 1,'” Lawrence says. “When we were dancing, there was nobody else on earth, other than her and I.”
