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Bride: Shamara Monet' Walton, 26, Registered Nurse
Groom: Harrison Lamar Hayes, 26, Director of TRIO Program
The Big Day: 4/16/16
Location: Richmond, VA
Style/Theme: Old Hollywood
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For she and Harrison's big day, Shamara wanted a glamorous and vintage feel to help execute their Old Hollywood theme. The mission was definitely acomplished!
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"It felt amazing to be a bride," shared Shamara. "It was everything and more that I had dreamed of. Looking back on that day I just remember having an amazing wedding weekend from the rehearsal dinner to the farewell brunch. To this day we always say that we would love to relive the day over again."
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"I had no idea of what kind of dress I wanted to wear for my big day but my number one requirement for my wedding dress is that I did not want it to be strapless," revealed the bride. "When I tried on my now wedding dress I didn’t know it was the one right away. I didn’t cry or anything but this was the dress from the whole day of dress try-ons that I loved the most and could see myself wearing it on my wedding day."
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"Being a groom felt like I was coming into adulthood," Harrison said. "I was thrilled about the opportunity to become one with the person that I love and nervous about being able to provide everything for her. I was fully understanding that my life is no longer just about myself but about my wife as well."
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"I would describe my wife as someone who loves to experience new things, cares about others and is very loyal."
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During the alteration process when purchasing her wedding gown, the bride had the seamtress cut some of the extra lace from the dress to make a custom off-the-shoulder jacket that took her look to a whole new level!
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Two weeks before Shamara and Harrison said "I Do," the groom's grandmother passed away. On their big day, he decided to honor her in a very special way.
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"I would describe my husband as a respectful young man who is fearless and believes that anything is possible," said the bride of her groom. "I love that he is driven and he always wants to continue to grow and strives me to do better for myself and for us as well."
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The bride and groom met in high school and were friends until their senior year. They dated for 6 years before Harrison popped the question to Shamara on a hot and humid day in August of 2014. She wasn't expecting his proposal but as soon as he asked for her hand in marriage, she couldn't help but say "yes!"
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"I love his support. During our entire relationship he has done nothing but support me during the joyous and difficult milestones in my life ," said the bride of what she loves most about her groom.
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Shamara's father walked her down the aisle on her wedding day to Harrison. The bride wouldn't have it any other way!
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The groom admits he was nervous waiting for the bride to arrive at the altar but he was excited knowing that he made the best decision to marry the love of his life.
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"I felt blessed I couldn’t be happier to have found an amazing man to spend the rest of my life with," said the bride of being at the altar with her groom.
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"As our relationship grew over time I felt like I could let my guard down and truly be myself around him without a question," said Shamara. "He continually showed me that he truly loves me for the person I am."
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"I knew she was the one when she would travel on the train to DC to come and see me," Harrison revealed of when he knew Shamara was "The One." "We would explore the city, talk about college and our future together. We just enjoyed spending time together. "
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To help execute part of the Old Hollywood movie theme wedding, the couple had a popcorn bar for their guests which included, White cheddar and caramel, cheddar and caramel and pink lemonade. How clever and fun!
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"I always wanted a cascading bouquet on my wedding day with a mix of my favorite flowers," the bride said. "Looking back on the photos of the wedding day it just completed my Old Hollywood attire."
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Harrison and Shamara's wedding wouldn't be complete with a signature cocktail for each the bride and the groom. What great choices!
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Shamara's bridesmaids who included the closesst ladies in her love wore gorgeous gowns that were a mix of classic and vintage style.
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Harrison had some pretty dapper guys by his side on the big day!
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The groom certainly feels on top of the world on his big day!
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For her bachelorette party, the bride and her girls enjoyed a night out on the town in Washington, D.C..
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"I love that my wife is honest about everything no matter the occasion," shared Harrison. "I can always tell that she's coming from a place of love even though sometimes it may not be what I want to hear."
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For their first dance, the newlyweds danced to Justin Timberlake's song, "That Girl."
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Shamara says there wasn't a pivotal moment that let her know that Harrison was the man of her dreams but during the culmination of their years together, she knew that they had something special. "There isn’t a pivotal moment for me of when I knew he was the one its mainly an accumulation of many moments we had together, including lasting through going to different colleges," she said. "I had no idea what would happen in college, but we both made sacrifices to see each other and showed each other our commitment and trust."
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The bride and groom opted for a 4-tier wedding cake that was full of flavor. The 1st and 4th tier were strawberry champagne, the 2nd was gold butter pound cake and the 3rd layer was marble. Yum!
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Such a sweet moment shared on the dance floor between the bride and her father!
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Before heading off to their honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia, the bride and groom were sent off with the lights of love from their 250 wedding guests!
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Harrison and Shamara love having date night at the movies so their Old Hollywood theme for the wedding made perfect sense!
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The groom and his mother shared some fun on the dance floor during he and the bride's reception!
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Shamara had no idea that when Harrison asked her out that he would one day be her husband but that's the funny thing about love!
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