Sharonda and Demetrius met on a blind date on September 28, 2007. Their mutual friend thought that they would be a perfect for each other – and it turns out she was right! "Our first date was romantic from the start. When Demetrius arrived to pick me up he had flowers and was such the gentleman the entire evening," recalled Sharonda. "It started out as a traditional date with dinner and dancing but we ended up having another meal together by the end of the night after I admitted to being hungry again. Demetrius laughed and we have been inseparable ever since." Check out their edgy engagement session, captured by Rush Photography & Video.
Bride: Sharonda Latrice Coley, 45, Client Advocacy Director
Groom: Demetrius Gabriel Mack, 44, Lineman Special
Place of residence: Matteson, Illinois
Engagement Shoot Location: Chicago, Illinois – Adler Planetarium, Chicago Union Station and Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge
Wedding date: 7/7/17
Engagement story:
I would love to share a story detailing how Demetrius proposed in some huge grand production – you know the one with a marching band in the background and all of our family, but it was quite the opposite but just as heartfelt. It was a private proposal and it wasn’t so much how he proposed but more so the words he used in that moment that sent me swooning. His proposal and my reply inspired a component of the décor our planner used at our engagement celebration. Our planner came up with the brilliant idea to showcase the words from his proposal and my reply on separate mirrors in modern calligraphy – talk about uber romantic!
What makes your love special?
There is so much I can say here but it is simple – our love is special because it’s always just about us and how we feel about one another. There is nothing complex about it – we are inseparable and have been since the day we met. The love we have for each other is everything and it is felt by anyone in our presence. We are so blessed to have been graced with this wondrous feeling of mutual adoration and we smile at just the thought of it. It’s a love that is sweet and tender but fun, strong and confident all at the same time. When we think about it, this could also describe our personality traits that when you put it together, it make us a perfect match – hence our wedding hashtag – #aperfectmack
What was the theme of your shoot?
We are having a destination wedding so we wanted a sprinkling of an on the run vibe but with a mix of incorporating some of our hometown views.
Were there any memorable moments during the shoot?
Yes – although we picked one of the hottest summer days in Chicago to shoot outdoors– it was a great time! We both agree that we mostly cherished those moments when we looked into each other eyes during passionate embraces.
What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?
There are so many aspects of the day we are excited about but what touches our hearts the most is to be able to share our moment surrounded by family and friends who will come so far just to celebrate with us.
Have you started planning your wedding?
Yes, indeed! Demetrius knew right away and was firm on having a destination wedding. Our planning started with a week-long visit to Jamaica at the end of 2015 to select our host venue. I made plans to meet with a stationery vendor in Atlanta in January 2016 and we had gold mirror save the date keepsakes out the door by April 2016. Too early by most standards – maybe but being that it's a destination wedding it was important for us to give our family and friends time to plan. Another great part about starting early was that we had enough time in between to plan a glamourous engagement celebration this past August.
Congrats to the happy couple Sharonda and Demetrius! We wish you a wonderful wedding and marriage.
Vendors:
Tulle Skirt – Etsy Marketplace – designbycboutique
Bride & Groom Wooden Luggage Tags – Etsy- ZCreateDesign
