Monica and Anthony Richardson of Dallas, Texas met during a church service on New Year’s Eve. They remained friends for three years before sharing romance. Happy that they took the plunge, the two tied the knot in a gorgeous garden ceremony in Ft. Worth, Texas on September 4, 2010. Share their love.
The big day was held at Fort Worth Botanical Garden, the perfect place for a bright and beautiful wedding.
From watching tons of bridal television, Monica was sure she should cry when she tried on her perfect wedding dress. When she slipped into this Alfred Angelo gown, she didn’t shed a tear.
“I tried on the dress, and I really loved it, but I didn’t cry so I said, ‘No, this can’t be it because I’m not crying.”
After looking around some more, Monica returned to Alfred Angelo and tried on the dress again. “I smiled and the girl at the store said, ‘when you put that dress on, you glow.’ That was it.”
Monica’s mother helps her get fitted into her perfect wedding gown.
Monica’s strappy sandals show off her perfect French pedicure.
Monica found her florist, Rebecca, at Market Street, a grocery store in Dallas, Texas. Rebecca created this gorgeous, simple bridal bouquet of calla lilies.
Anthony’s sister Tanya was part of Monica’s bridal party. Monica found her fuchsia bridesmaid’s dresses at Group USA. We love the floral detail in the shoulder strap.
Don’t you just love gerber daisies. These multi-colored variety mixed with yellow poms create a whimsical feel to Monica and Anthony’s wedding.
Before walking down the aisle, the guys hold hands, close their eyes and give it up to God.
“I saw one genuine person in Monica,” Anthony says of why he fell in love with his bride. “It kind of peaked my interest in her.”
“He’s that all around guy, really,” Monica says of Anthony. “He has that caring that you don’t see in too many guys.”
Anthony and his guys look so dapper in cream-colored suits, lily boutineers and orange handkerchiefs.
Monica is thrilled to have her girls with her on her wedding day.
Monica says she was pretty calm on her wedding day, until it was time for her father to walk her down the aisle. “My dad just kept saying, ‘Breathe. Breathe,’” she giggles. "The closer I got I looked at Anthony and I said ‘Hi.’’
“At the point when Monica was coming down the aisle they were playing ‘At Last’ by Etta James. That’s what it was like. We finally get to enter into a level of relationship where we hadn’t been before.”
The couple read traditional vows on their wedding day.
Monica’s father places a tender hand on her mother’s leg as she gets emotional at her daughter’s wedding.
Monica and Anthony’s pastor placed his hands on the soon-to-be newlyweds to pray for them.
All the wedding guests outstretched their hands to bless the lovely couple while the pastor prayed.
With these rings, Monica and Anthony pledged their lives to one another.
Fort Worth was a balmy 100 degrees just days before the wedding. Then, on the wedding’s eve, it poured throughout the city. On the big day the temperature was 70 degrees and the sky was clear.
“I was like, ‘Wow! Everything is finally coming together. We are now husband and wife!’” Monica remembers of being able to kiss her hubby for the first time.
“Two years of different stuff and now we’re together. We did it! We made it!”
“Anthony always makes me laugh, no matter what,” Monica says of her new husband. “Even when I’m mad at him, it doesn’t last long because he’ll do something to make me laugh.”
“We want to be iconic in the sense that we want to model a successful relationship,” Anthony says.
These two look ecstatic to be taking their next step.
“Just to see the level of support that she had, that’s something I’ve always found attractive in a woman,” Anthony says. “It’s about what happens when the chips are down and things aren’t going well.”
“You know Steve Harvey’s book with all those ‘Ps?’,” Anthony had all those," Monica said. “He’s a protector and we talk about everything. Communication is very important to both of us.”
For their first dance Monica and Anthony touched noses and swayed to Michael Jackson’s “Lady In My Life.”
The couple’s vanilla with buttercream icing wedding cake was made by Cretias in Dallas, Texas.
“We’re looking forward to having a happy and prosperous marriage and both of us are focused on making that happen,” Anthony chimes in. “We’re investing in resources and relationships that will help that to happen. We want to really exude a Godly and Christ-like relationship to bring a positive change in our families, communities and the world at large.”
“I’m looking forward to a long life together,” Monica says. “Growing together, building businesses together building a family together.”
For more on this wedding visit The Bride’s Cafe
All photographs by Ivy Weddings
Wedding coordinated by Yolanda Haley at Simply Yolanda.
