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01
Meet The Randalls
Bride: Julieann T. Randall
Groom: Andrew Randall
Wedding Theme: Old Hollywood Elegance
Wedding Venue: Marina Del Rey, Bronx, NY
Videographer: Lazylambs Films
Photography: Kesha Lambert
Florist: Rose Petal Floral Designs
Makeup: Treya Lynch
Entertainment: DJ Dreadknaught (music), Kaisokah Moko Jumbies (stilt walkers)
02
How They Met
“A storm in my life passed and I was traveling on a road to recovery, searching for a rainbow,” Julieann tells ESSENCE about the day she met her husband. “Stumbling upon Bally’s Fitness. The gym became my therapy. Soon, it presented a beautiful distraction: a gorgeous man dressed in muscles and freckles.”
03
An Epic Proposal
“Andrew requested we both take the day off to celebrate the end our successful summer fitness bootcamp. As we approached the seaport, I realized this is where our first date was. At the time, we were both doing the 22 Pushup Challenge to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention. As I set up the camera to film us doing pushups with the picturesque background. As I got into pushup form, Andrew requested my attention, professed his love, and got down on one knee! That’s when I knew my life would never be the same.”
04
Love At First Sweat
Dru was instantly smitten with Julieann. “She caught me off guard at my second job training my usual clients,” he remembers. “I was shocked because she was already in shape, so what more could I do for her? I couldn’t make sense of it, but I wasn’t going to turn her away! I threw my cell number to her and she politely caught it. The trap was set.”
05
Cool, Calm and Collected
“The morning of the wedding, I woke up well rested and ready to conquer the day aka marry my huzzzzbaaan and best friend. There were definitely stresses along the journey of planning the best day ever, but with every trial there are lessons to learn from it.”
06
“I Choose You Every Time”
In keeping with their Old Hollywood theme, the lapels of Dru’s tux and pocket watch added accents to his fit.
07
A Day To Remember
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Dru says of their big day. “I knew it was a time to show the world who I chose to be my wife and an opportunity for families to rejoice in hitching two kids together. Overall I was happy to celebrate what I knew was real from early on in our relationship – Julieann was the one. Now was the time to celebrate and our people see how we live it up!”
08
First Look
The couple says emotions were intense before they officially locked eyes. The Groom’s heart was beating while tears welled up his eyes. Talk about an enchanting moment!
09
A Mother’s Love
“Our mothers were working hard days prior,” Julieann said. “As part of our wedding favors, we gifted Jamaican treats. We had a delicious Jamaican rum cake that woke up every taste-bud you didn’t know existed, paired with Jamaican Sorrel. Both were made by with love from our mothers.”
10
Dressed to Impress
“I wasn’t the bride that was going to try on multiple dresses until I found the one,” Julieann said of her dress shop experience. “Before I tried on a dress I analyzed it from strap to train to see if all it’s details met all my needs. After the 4th dress, I said, I’m getting closer but this isn’t it. I was scrolling online and came across a dress I was immediately in love with. I went back to RK Bridal to see my consultant, Celine, who was amazing throughout entire process, and she found my dress designed by Martina Liana. This dress was crafted with shiny pearl beading, diamante, and lace.”
11
Well Dressed
Dru’s groomsmen were also dressed in gray tuxedo’s with lavender ties to match the bridesmaids.
12
Coming Together In Faith
“Our officiant, Cleon Samuels, read a few verses from the Bible:
What God has joined together, let no man separate. – Mark 10:9
Love is patient, love is kind. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
We also incorporated a sand ceremony to represent our faith-based unity. God will forever be the foundation of our family.”
13
Tailor-Made For Love
“The officiant was a long time friend of the Bride’s which added a very personalized touch to the ceremony. Our guests journeyed through our happiness in friendship, appreciation for a true connection, and our deepest promises of commitment to each other before we said our I Do’s.”
14
All About “Drules”
“Everything about August 8, 2018 was personalized. It truly had our “Drules” stamp on every detail.”
15
Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
“For my ‘something old,’ I had two charms with pictures of my grandparents that passed on and my mother’s hair brooch. My ‘something new’ was my beautiful dress. My ‘something borrowed’ was my mother-in-law’s flawless diamond bracelet, and the ‘something blue’ was my sexy baby blue garter.”
16
It’s A Caribbean Ting
“Our reception hall was flooded by the Caribbean Sea, mainly the west indies. We merged all countries and cultures together at our wedding, particularly during the reception. Our DJ, DJ Dreadnaught, is a long time high school friend of Dru’s. He blended the rhythm and melody of all our cultures, creating a perfect harmony called love.”
17
Get On Down
“There wasn’t a single person who didn’t get up and shake what they had or wave their flag while the DJ was playing. He kept the vibes and energy of the party right where it needed to be.”
18
Reaching New Heights (Literally)
“Just when people thought the evening was winding down the reception hall doors opened wide for one more surprise – two 8-foot Moko Jumbies aka stilt walkers! They added to our Caribbean festival by putting our guest in a trance, giving them the carnival experience they know and love or never had before.”
19
Whisked Away In Style
“To close the evening, we rode off in a 2018 Rolls Royce that turned heads.”
