No Rain for This Garden Wedding | Okay, let me start by saying, I have been pretty bad about blogging. But here I go again. I'm making a routine of blogging just like I do with anything else - and I thought about deleting this confession so as to not sound unprofessional or like I don't have my -ish together but I want to look back at this post one day I revel in my growth - anyway, I digress. So, this gorgeous wedding - let's talk that! [...]
If you live in or anywhere near the Washington, DC metropolitan area, then you know that the weather has been having somewhat of a temper tantrum - raining literally EVERY, SINGLE day. Leading up to the day of Deron and Margarette's big day it rained every day for several days, and of course, they were scheduled to have an outdoor wedding. I've never prayed harder in my life - okay, well maybe - but this was another hard prayer session added to the list.
Come the day of their wedding, there was not a hint of a drop of rain in sight. The sun rose and decided to hang around with us for the entire day. And what we ended up with a beautiful day for a beautiful union.
I had a ball covering their union. Talk about a family and friends who were truly happy for their union. It was a family affair indeed with family and friends helping with making the cake, providing makeup, hair, decor, and music. They showed everyone that you don't have to spend your life savings to have the wedding of your dreams. Just be creative and tap into your resources.
Their Love Story:
Margarette: Deron and I met while working at Pentagon City Mall. He worked at Nine West with my bestie (and bridesmaid) Gina O'Neal while I folded jeans upstairs at Jean Machine. When I would stop by to visit Gina at work and wait for her to get off, I would check Deron out, but at that time, we were both in relationships.
Deron: Maggie definitely caught my eye when she would stop by to see Gina. However, I had cautioned Gina to watch out for her "little mermaid friend" (I couldn't remember her name...but it was close enough). I found it odd that Maggie would wait so patiently for Gina to get off from work...sometimes more than a half hour.
Margarette: With Gina's help, I ended up working at Nine West though Deron was not my motivation for taking the job. He kept it professional and didn't make a move until he transitioned upstairs to Kenneth Cole. One day while at work, Gina calls me and says, "you will never guess who likes you!" After several failed guesses, she yells, "Deron!" I was shocked and pleasantly surprised!
Deron: I'll admit, as her supervisor, I often gave her a hard time. But, I'm sure her mother told her, "When a boy picks on you, it's probably because he likes you." Being the professional that I am, I was sure not to violate any HR Code of Conduct policies. So, after leaving Nine West, I hatched my plan. I went as far as having Gina arrange an appointment for eyebrow grooming with Maggie.
Margarette: I was so nervous being that close to Deron's face while plucking his eyebrows. Deron was very adamant not to make him look "overly manicured". When I was done, he even wrote me a check for services received...man, I wish I would've kept that check!
Deron: While celebrating Howard's Homecoming '99, I was hanging in the car at McDonald's parking lot with my boy Jermaine "Gee" (best man). I ran into Maggie and finally asked for her number. I couldn't stop staring into her grey eyes, which I later found out were compliments of Lens Crafters. Finally, I officially made a move!
Margarette: Deron and I had our first date at Uno's Pizzeria in Georgetown...which would be the first of many. We shared stories about our families and aspirations for our future. The one thing that really resonated for me was our shared love for fashion, the arts, and traveling!
Deron: Despite her hatred of mayonnaise, there was no question that I had met my soulmate. It was just a matter of when, where, and how. So, after a bit of time and holding on to the engagement ring for several weeks, I decided to use my passion for photography as a way to lure her to Old Town, VA.
Margarette: It was March 11th, 2015 and an unseasonably warm day - so Deron invited me to take a walk. Since we don't have many photos together, he also mentioned that he wanted to take pictures. When we arrived in Old Town, he parked next to a shabby, run down grocery store. I thought to myself, "Is he thirsty?"Then I realized that to the left of the store, there was an old bike tunnel that was the subject of a previous picture he captured and framed. So, I obliged.
Deron: I proceeded to set up my tripod and strategically positioned Maggie so that she was perfectly framed within the arch of the tunnel. I took several test shots to estimate how much time I had to execute my proposal and capture her reaction. After the first few shots, she warmed up to the idea of our "selfie" photo shoot. When I was finally ready to make my move, I set the timer and rant to position myself in the frame on bended knee.
Margarette: By then, I was really getting into it and thought I'd give him my best Charlie's Angels back-to-back pose. Clearly, he had other plans and with my back towards him, he yelled, "NO, NO, face me!" When I turned around, I found him on one knee holding a little ivory box with a beautiful floral-inspired diamond ring. I was so surprised and absolutely speechless. I was totally not expecting a proposal on a random Wednesday afternoon. And to top it all off, he caught one of the most important moments of our lives in a photograph.
Deron: I was both excited and relieved, especially when she said yes! Next to planning my proposal, the hardest part was keeping it quiet until we shared the news with our immediate families. I've always been told that there are plenty of fish in the sea, but I never thought I'd catch a "Mermaid"!
Leanila Baptiste Photos
capturing colorful moments
