Amie and Craig Williams weren’t exactly looking for love when their worlds collided at Essence Festival 2015. However, true love found them instead. Amie and her girls were dancing the night away at a House of Blues day party when in walks a tall, dark and handsome man. “I checked him out and kept dancing,” Amie remembers. Out of nowhere, a guy dancing with one of her friends joined Amie and Craig’s hands together and encouraged them to dance. “We were clueless as to who that guy was, but he created a connection between me and my now husband.”
After living in two different cities, Amie decided to relocate to Houston to be with Craig. After witnessing her commitment to him, Craig felt compelled to take their relationship to the next level by proposing. Now, this was no ordinary proposal. It involved a stage, thousands of audience members, and Keyshia Cole (more on that later!)
Because their proposal was so grand, it only made sense that their modern chic Houston wedding packed the same punch. Amie and Craig hired the talented Darrell Colone to plan their wedding after being so impressed with his work at other weddings they’d attended. “I tagged him #MrGoBigOrGoExtra,” Amie told ESSENCE. “I would recommend him to anyone because he’s a visionary and fantastic at what he does.”
Scroll through for more beautiful moments from Amie and Craig’s Houston wedding.
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01
Meet The Williams's
Bride: Amie Nakeysha Wood, CEO of Photo Booths To Go, 41
Groom: Craig Dekeith Williams, CEO of Go DJ's Global, 41
Theme: Modern Chic
Venue: The Corinthian, Houston, TX
Wedding Planner: Darrell Colone of
Events With Darrell
Invitations: Oda Creative
Tuxedos, gown modifications, and Amie’s 2nd look: Danny Nguyen Couture
Wedding dress: Impression Bridal
Makeup: Alicia Lewis aka
The Makeup Ali
Decor and Florals: Valerie of
Decor 2 Remember
Caterer: Chef Virgo and Chef Sandy,
The Virgo Experience
Wedding MC: Karl King
DJ: Rob the General
Wedding cake: Cakes by Gina
Transportation: Erwing Jones of Sophisticated Rides
Photographers: Travis Daniels Photography and Nathaniel Jones,
Because of You Photography
Aerialists: Emily Jesse & Cameron Good
Saxophonist: Perry Richards
violinist: Demalo
02
The Proposal
Amie accompanied Craig to his gig DJ'ing for Keyshia Cole but never expected to be center stage. "Keyshia began to sing her hit 'Love' when I heard the music stop. Craig said, 'hold on boss. I’m in love too!' Then he asked me to come on stage. I was completely thrown off guard and my knees were weak. I couldn’t move, so Keyshia's bodyguard had to walk me out to the stage. The crowd was screaming as Craig professed his love and went down on one knee. I started running in place and said 'yes' with the ugly cry."
03
Dreams Do Come True
"As I sat down to get my makeup done it hit me that I was not dreaming," Amie said. "I was really about to marry the man of my prayers and dreams."
04
Guardian Angels
Amie attached charms to her bouquet in honor of her late parents and grandmother who were there in spirit.
05
Get Ready With Me
"I had two of my mothers' sisters assist me in getting ready and calming my nerves: Aunt Earseleasn and Aunt Cedel."
06
Bride Tribe
Amie chose eight of her closest friends and family as her bridesmaids. "We are all very close to me and I met them in different stages in my life," Amiie says.
07
Surrounded By Love
The groom and his eight groomsmen gather for prayer before the evening ceremony began.
08
Fits Like A Glove
"My wedding planner set an appointment for me with a stylist at Impression Bridal," Amie says. "She asked what I was looking for. I advised that I wanted something sexy yet classy. She brought out a few dresses and by the third dress I was in tears. It was what I imagined myself in and what I knew my mother would have loved!"
09
The Big Day
The ceremony space was set up with a gold aisle with the center raised platform and gold columns. The aisle was lined with hydrangeas and roses, and hanging from the columns were wisterias.
10
You're The One
Amie knew Craig was the one when they first met at Essence Festival four years ago. "Craig came to the other side of New Orleans to meet me at a restaurant," she recalls. "I was with a group of people and I put them on notice that someone may be coming to meet me. Craig walked in like a knight in shining armor. Another guy said, “man that dude came and found her!' Craig and I talked until the sun came up. I was swept off my feet then."
11
A Slice Of Heaven
"I walked down the aisle to 'Heaven' by Jaime Foxx," Amie says. "My son Ashton walked me down the aisle."
12
Confessions Of My Heart
"My favorite memory from our wedding was our vow exchange," says Amie. "We were supposed to write our vows but Craig didn’t get past writing my name. So everything he said was sincerely from the heart."
13
More Than A Feeling
"One the best feelings in life was knowing I was about to marry the woman of my dreams," says Craig.
14
A Seat At The Table
The couple's wedding planner Darrell Colone carried their heavenly theme from the ceremony into the reception with pristine ivory table settings. "He took our already over the top ideas and superseded our vision in a classy way," the Williams's told ESSENCE.
15
Flying High
The couple had two aerialists that poured champagne for the guests at the cocktail hour. Stunning!
16
A Work Of Art
Amie and Craig's wedding cake was a work of art. The couple worked with an architect turned baker to construct their multi-layer cake with eight different flavors.
17
True Love
There's simply no better feeling.
18
The Turn Up
Amie and Craig danced the night away with their 320 guests.
19
Fly Guy
Craig's custom made tuxedo had portraits of himself and Amie on the lining. Too smooth!
20
Amie's Advice To Brides
"I would definitely advise any soon-to-be bride to accept help from other new brides because there will always be little things that you don’t think of or forget," she says. "Also, stick to the plan your wedding planner gives you."
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