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Home • Weddings

Bridal Bliss: The Only One For Me

High school besties-turned-lovers Tracey and Brad gave romance a try after her sisters insisted there was something special there. It only took one official date for them to realize what everyone else knew all along: they were always meant to be together. See their modern wedding in our nation's capitol.
Bridal Bliss: The Only One For Me
Mad Works Photography
By Charli Penn · Updated October 28, 2020

Bride: Tracey D. Williams, 28, Organizational Development Professional

Groom: Bradley A. Williams, 28, IT Consultant

Married On: October 20, 2012

Wedding Location: DC Metro Area

Wedding Style: Modern Elegance

Imagine That
Tracey and Brad went to high school together. They met during their freshman year when they found themselves hanging out in the same circle of friends. Each year they grew closer and closer, and by their senior year, they were voted “Cutest Non-Couple” by their classmates for the senior superlatives. They seemed like the perfect couple, only, they were just the best of friends. After going their separate ways for undergrad, it appeared that Brad and Tracey would never be more. But Cupid intervened in the form of a few family members.

They were both newly single, but living in different cities. That’s when her sisters decided to try and hook them up. They sent Brad a Facebook message asking him why he’d never asked Tracey out on a real date. Brad explained that he never wanted to ruin their special friendship in case things didn’t work out, and that he believed she deserved the best love had to offer. When Tracey learned what her sisters had done, she was shocked, but admittedly a little intrigued. As it turns out, Bradley was as well. They went on their first “official” date and things between them were platonic no more.

The Love Boat
It was day three of a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise and Tracey and Bradley were having the time of their lives. That morning, their boat docked in St. Lucia and they decided to embark on an all-day excursion that began with a tour and ended on the beach. Earlier that day, while Tracey was watching the sun rise over St. Lucia, Bradley was secretly coordinating the perfect tour with one of the guides. He wanted everything about that day to be romantic and well thought-out.

While on the tour, Tracey answered a historical question correctly and the guide told her she’d get her prize later on the beach. When the tour ended, Bradley asked Tracey to take one last walk with him along the beach. He asked her to look out onto the water and tell him what she saw. “It’s never ending,” she said. “Right,” he responded. “It’s forever.” He slowly dropped down to a bended knee. “I want to spend forever with you. Will you marry me?” Tracey accepted and happily jumped into his arms. She was overjoyed. (They even got a big shout-out from the cruise director when they returned!) Nine months later, they were married in an elegant ceremony at the Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Share their love!

Photos: Mad Works Photography

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