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Shuntae and Dunta were high school sweethearts with the sweetest beginning to their love story. For the yearbook, she was asked who she most wanted to date in school and out of all the guys she picked him. Her wish came true and now Dunta is her husband. See their fantastic “I dos!”
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“I have always loved Shuntae,” Dunta shares. “One thing about the two of us is that we have always been friends. When I have needed her she has been there for me. Through it all she was there for me. Even before my success and she has remained the same person.”
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“I had a beautiful veil, but do to the windy weather I was unable to wear it outdoors,” says Shuntae. “My shoes were my something blue. They were navy blue sandals by Giorgio Armani that had a 1920s vibe.”
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“I knew the love that I had for Dunta was much deeper than words could actually express,” the bride shares. “It was the love that I had for him and the bond that I know was deeply rooted when we first started dating that allowed me to be confident even when we took time to separate and re-evaluate. The irony of it all, is that the love that I had for him was confident enough to let him go when he needed to find his way, and patient and forgiving enough to take him back in when he was ready to come back home.”
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“My ceremony dress was a Paloma Blanca gown with a bolero added by recommendation of my mother,” the bride shares. “It was the perfect addition. I found this dress inside of a bridal magazine two years prior to the wedding and fell in love.”
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“For my bouquet, I had fallen in love with brooch bouquets and that’s what I decided to carry on my big day,” Shuntae shares.
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When Shuntae’s big vintage bridesmaids dress plans fell through, she was able to improvise at the last minute. “Two weeks out from the wedding I found dresses that would be flattering to all body types on Nordstroms.com in black,” she says. “It was the perfect look.”
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“The groomsmen wore white jackets with black pants and gold bowties,” Shuntae tells us. “My dad and brothers wore black suits with gold ties.”
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Could Shuntae and her joyful bridesmaids be any sweeter? Their portraits really kept us smiling!
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“She has pushed me to want more for myself, not just monetarily, but spiritually as well,” says Dunta. “Our first dates were Sundays at her church and dinner after with her family.”
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“I love Shuntae’s realness the most,” says the proud groom. “She is so genuine.”
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“He is still just as handsome if not more now than when we started dating in high school,” Shuntae says.
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“We didn’t start dating thinking it was forever because we were so young,” Shuntae admits. “We just remained in the moment and once it finally happened for us to be together under a vow to the Lord, it was a quick no hesitate action.”
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“The idea of a garden outdoor wedding reminded me of the home that I grew up in, and my parents still live in today,” she says. “My older sister and brother both married at my parent’s home in Athens, Georgia. Their wedding photos ensured me that nothing beats the natural background that is already created.”
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“I walked down the aisle to ‘Prototype’ by Outkast,” says Shuntae. “The wording was appropriate and it was actually the song my husband dedicated to me.”
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Even the smallest members of Shuntae and Dunta's bridal party were dressed to impress. We adore that mini gown. So precious!
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Shuntae didn't skip a single detail when it came to customizing their special day.
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“My daddy walked me down the aisle,” says the bride. “He and I have a very close relationship, as well as he and Dunta. He has been there to lend advice when needed for the both of us and he has always been rooting for us and treated Dunta like his own son.”
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Now what's cuter than this? Absolutely nothing! Hey little miss!
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"I have always known that she was the one," the happy groom admits. We just love the look on his face.
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“We decided to go with the Middleton Place overlooking the twin lakes for our ceremony,” says Shuntae. “The simplicity and elegance was exactly what I wanted. The surroundings of the venue were filled with gardens for guest to view and walk prior to the ceremony began."
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“Looking into her eyes at the altar I kept thinking about how lucky I was to have such an amazing woman wait for me,” says Dunta. “I knew then that all of my efforts were going to go to making her happy for the rest of our lives together.”
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“We were both so giddy about the day,” Shuntae shares. “We smiled and laughed with each other a lot at the altar.”
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After exchanging vows, Dunta couldn't wait to kiss his bride!
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“All of our children were in the wedding,” shares the glowing bride. “The flower girls were our two daughters (Jade 7 and Beyla was 15 months at the time) and our ring bearer was our son (Aiden 9).”
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“Shuntae can do it all,” boasts Dunta. “She has always held me down, the kids, our home and anything else I would put on her plate. She has a way of getting things done when it comes to our kids and myself. I honestly don’t think there is much she cannot do. I love her because she and I can dream together. We can build together. Bottom line is, we have grown together. Being patient and accepting one another’s growth process is huge in love.”
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“My husband and I are huge fans of the 1920s era and we love shows of that time and movie, so for the reception, we wanted a Harlem Nights/Boardwalk Empire vibe for that time,” explains the bride. “We loved the change of the day, classic elegance to more of sultry elegant vibe in the reception.”
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When Shuntae and Dunta’s wedding planning process began to get a little hectic, they enlisted the help of wedding planner Jan McBee of La Fete Weddings and Events to help save the day.
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For her vintage-inspired reception gown Shuntae chose this fierce Ghalia Lahav gown from Canada. “I actually saw a picture of this gown on Instagram,” she recalls. “It was the wow factor that I wanted to give my husband when he saw me after becoming his wife. Both dresses in my opinion were stunning and appropriate for when and how I used them."
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“We had a live band performing and dancers from the 1920s that entertained them upon our arrival at the reception site,” says the bride. “The band was absolutely amazing. They also performed on our rehearsal dinner cruise the previous night.”
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The newlyweds chose Ceelo Greene and Melanie Fiona’s duet “Fool For You” for their first dance song. Excellent pick!
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Let's all stop and take a moment to admire the back of Shuntae's reception dress. It was just as lovely as the front. Way to be fierce on all sides, lady!
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“Our wedding cake was absolutely delicious,” says the bride who hired Sablee Cakes in Charleston to bring her wedding cake dreams to life. “I wanted a beautiful cake, but I also wanted an edible cake. Every layer had the perfect amount of moisture.”
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The couple hired lots of great entertainment to keep the party going all evening long.
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For favors the couple gifted guests with homemade wine made by the bride’s father. So sweet!
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Did you enjoy Shuntae and Dunta's wedding day as much as we did? Don't forget to leave the happy couple a little comment love below!
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