Bride: Chanelle Nicole Williams, 31, Small Business Program Manager, Federal Government
Groom: Renaldo Reisha Williams, 32, IT Systems Analyst, Federal Goverment
Married On: September 22, 2012
Wedding Location: DC Metro
Wedding Style: Modern
Walk On By
Chanelle usually brings her lunch to work, but on a beautiful sunny spring day in 2008, she decided to break from her normal routine and go out for a bite with a friend instead. (It was one of the smartest decisions she has ever made.) As the ladies navigated the streets of Washington, D.C., dodging the lunchtime crowd, Chanelle locked eyes with Renaldo when they passed each other. “I immediately knew I was attracted to him,” she recalls. “I said to my co-worker, ‘He is so fine!’” Even though they exchanged glances and smiles, Renaldo was on his phone the entire time, so Chanelle couldn’t make her move. Four months later, she and a friend were on the same lunch route when Chanelle spotted Renaldo’s gorgeous face again. He waved hello and this time she walked over to introduce herself and give him her card. “We should do lunch some time,” she said with a flirty smile. “Give me a call!” Renaldo promised he would, and when he returned to the office, he shared his excitement with his co-workers. He told them the story of the beautiful woman he’d once seen on the street a few months before, but who had then disappeared on him before he could hang up the phone. He was hoping for a second chance to meet her, and to his amazement, it had actually happened.
Let the Sparks Fly
Renaldo invited Chanelle to dinner, and as they dined on southern cuisine, they laughed out loud and learned about the many things they had in common – including their last name to start. After dinner, they caught a movie, both not wanting the date to end. “It was a wonderful evening with him, and by far, the best date I had ever been on,” Chanelle boasts. “He was a true gentleman, and the chivalry was just on point.” The lovebirds hit it off famously: They spent day after day going to museums together, trying new restaurants and falling faster and faster in love.
When the Time Is Right
Three years later, Renaldo knew that it was time to make the woman of his dreams his wife. He planned a lunch with Chanelle’s parents during which he showed them the ring he’d bought for her. Armed with their blessing, Renaldo planned a romantic trip to Paris for two in honor of Chanelle’s 30th birthday coming up later that year. “Something told me that he was going to propose in Paris,” she recalls. “Let’s be honest, who doesn’t get a ring in Paris?” Although the trip was magical, Renaldo didn’t propose there. A shocked Chanelle refused to be discouraged because she just knew marriage was on his mind, and she was right. On their third anniversary, he popped the question in the most unexpected fashion. Chanelle thought she was having lunch with her sister, but when they walked into an open courtyard in the city, Renaldo was sitting there with a harpist who was playing a soft melody. “Chanelle Nicole Williams, will you marry me?” he asked. She couldn’t wait to accept! Nine months later, they tied the knot in style with an elegant peacock themed wedding weekend.
See their fabulous wedding and share their love!
Photos: Phelan Marc House of Photography