Lovebirds Kristen, 25, and Jermaine, 28, have been together forever. They met on her very first day of high school and have been going strong ever since. He popped the question with a grand romantic gesture at home, and 14 months later, they were locking eyes at the altar in a glamorous Georgia wedding to be remembered. Share their love!
“I knew my dress was ‘The One’ before they even zipped me up,” says Kristen.
Kristen wore these lovely heels by Badgley Mischka. What’s prettier than these?
The girls get ready to help Kristen make her dream wedding come true.
Kristen found these gorgeous drop earrings at Macy’s. Score!
Kayla Dortch of Precise Designs styled Kristen’s hair and Mimi J. of P3 Labs created her bridal makeup look.
“One of my favorite wedding details probably went unnoticed to many,” says Kristen. “I asked the florist to add my grandmother’s blue brooch to my bouquet. It served as my something blue in honor of her. I also carried my great grandmother’s handkerchief down the aisle as well.”
“Jermaine has a way of always letting me know that he is, and will always, be there for me,” explains Kristen. “I know that he is a protector and would do anything for me.”
“Jermaine’s proposal was a special, intimate moment that I will always treasure,” says Kristen. “I was never one of those girlfriends that nags the guy to propose because I knew he would do it when the time was right.”
Kristen’s fabulous bridesmaids donned The Dessy Twist dress. “I loved this dress because even though everyone was in the same dress, they were all able to style their dresses to fit their personality and body type,” she tells us. “I also wanted to get something they would be able to wear again.”
Kristen found her stunning Simon Carvalli wedding gown in a magazine a year before she went dress shopping. She forgot about it, but after trying on dozens of gowns, the consultant who was helping her brought it out and it all came back to her. It was the One.
“Jermaine was in charge of dressing the guys, and they all looked great,” says Kristen. “He wore a tailored suit by Calvin Klein and the groomsmen’s tuxedos were designed by Vera Wang.”
“I always wanted to carry a bouquet of roses,” says the lovely bride. “Roses are just so romantic, plus Jermaine used roses during his proposal, so I wanted to tie that element in as well.”
Each of Kristen’s bridesmaids carried a bouquet of roses while Jermaine and his groomsmen wore lilies as boutonnieres.
“I feel safe when we are together, and I think that’s how any woman would want to feel when she’s with her man,” Kristen insists. “We both grew up with great examples of what real love is, and I think it shows in our relationship.”
“Jermaine is loving, hard-working, ambitious, funny, and most of all, he always treats me like a queen,” Kristen gushes. “I love how he always puts his family first, and I can’t wait to start one of our own.”
Two hundred guests gathered to watch longtime loves Kristen and Jermaine finally tie the knot.
“I smiled and cried the entire walk down the aisle,” says Kristen. “My dad was so sweet. He kept telling me, ‘You look beautiful. You’re going to be okay, baby girl.’”
Kristen’s father escorted her down the aisle while Tamia and Eric Benet’s romantic hit “Spend My Life With You” played in the background.
Kristen always knew that she wanted to be married outside, and when she first saw Che’ne Rouge, she fell in love with the venue’s romantic garden. When she learned they also had an elegant ballroom for receptions, she and her future hubby were sold.
Kristen and Jermaine were married in a traditional outdoor ceremony. We love how the enclosed garden gives off a romantic and cozy feel.
“We always wanted to write our own vows, and I’m so happy that we did,” Kristen recalls.
“When we were finally able to hold hands and look into each other’s eyes, it was like we were the only two people out there,” says Kristen. “We kept smiling and whispering how happy we were.”
Kristen’s father’s pastor, Reverend Benjamin Franklin, officiated the couple’s ceremony. They included a handfasting ritual in which their hands were tied together with ribbon.
Newlyweds Kristen and Jermaine jumped the broom with excitement after they were officially declared husband and wife.
“The great thing about our venue was there were dozens of beautiful places to take pictures,” says Kristen.
“Jermaine is the kind of man that my father is to my mother,” says Kristen, when asked why she knew he was the guy for her. “I love that about him.”
Inviting tables welcomed guests to Kristen and Jermaine’s sit-down reception.
Beautifully-inspired floral centerpieces sat atop the reception tables and provided lovely accents for the couple’s dinner guests. Their caterer, Lori Bomar of Atlanta’s Finest Catering, also doubled as their florist.
When it was time for Kristen and Jermaine’s reception party, their guests didn’t have to travel far. The reception was held on the same property.
For their first dance song, the newlyweds chose Musiq Soulchild’s “Don’t Change.” “It’s one of our favorite songs,” Kristen tells us. “We sang it to each other the whole time.”
Kristen and Jermaine chose an elegant, three-tier cake style for their special day. “I requested lace details on the cake to match my dress,” says the bride. “The sugar flowers turned out perfectly as well. Each layer was delicious.”
Kristen and her mother teamed up on the wedding planning process and the end result was a big hit with both the happy couple and all their cherished guests.
“Our décor was traditional and elegant with a splash of color,” explains Kristen. “I love vibrant colors but we wanted to incorporate color without being flashy. My favorite part of the décor was the sweetheart table. The chandelier was gorgeous and our guests really loved it.”
A deejay spun tunes all evening long while the bride and groom and their guests partied their hearts out. Look at all those smiles!
“I love the quaint feeling of the venue because it made the evening feel more private and intimate for all of our family and friends,” Kristen explains.
“I think the theme of our wedding was simply love and family,” says Kristen. We can see that!
A candy bar filled with an offering of Kristen and Jermaine’s favorite chocolates awaited guests as they exited the reception party. What a sweet favor idea. We love it!
Great news: Newlyweds Kristen and Jermaine are expecting their first child (a honeymoon baby!) this May.
After making an explosive exit, Kristen and Jermaine set off on a romantic honeymoon getaway in the Dominican Republic. Did you enjoy their elegant Southern “I dos” as much as we did? Leave them some comment love below! See even more of their fabulous wedding day over at The Bride’s Cafe now.
