Bride: Anika Blocker, 34, IT Systems Administrator
Groom: Darryl Sheppard, 36, Educator
The Big Day: November 8, 2014
Wedding Location: Mexico
Slow and Steady
Co-workers Anika and Daryl were on their 10th “unofficial date” when they realized that what was happening between them was really something special. From super sweet beginnings to a dreamy beach wedding, their love story reminds us that taking it slowly can be the best route.
They met at while working at Memorial Middle School in Tampa, Florida. When they first met, their was instant chemistry: “Oh, so you’re the Ms. Blocker that has been missing for a whole year?” Daryl asked. Anika had just returned from a yearlong leave of absence. She’d been away working in Baghdad for a government contract job. “For the first few months of school he would always request for technical support on his classroom computers, which required that I spend countless time in his classroom,” Anika shares. As time went on, they continued to talk more and more, which gave Anika and Daryl a real chance to learn more about each other. “I really liked many of his qualities but because I was so bent on not ever dating a coworker I thought at least I was gaining a great friendship,” she admits. Thankfully, she eventually had a change of heart when she had to move out of state suddenly to take a new job.
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Let’s Talk About Love
In June of 2013, they met in Ft. Lauderdale and expressed their true feelings for one another for the very first time. They even shared their desires to get married one day. “I loved how he was a God-fearing man and he loved his family,” says Anika. “He was a confident, strong, hard-working man and I had never met anyone like him. He was also my friend and I enjoyed every moment we spent together.” Shortly afterward, on September 27, 2013, he proposed. See their romantic beach wedding and share their love!
Photos: Cendino Temé Photography