David and Edlyns Romantic Vow Renewal

Edlyn and David met in 1998 during their senior year at Denbigh High School, in Newport News, VA. The couple married young and have been together for 19 years. They recently celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary with a romantic vow renewal at the Lake Buena Vista Resort in Orlando, beautifully captured by The Hendricks!

Husband: David K. Brown Jr., 36, US Army

Wife: Edlyn S. Brown, 35, Family Nurse Practitioner

Place of residence: Grovetown, GA

Wedding date: 7/2/2016 (renewal date)

Honeymoon Destination: Cancun, Mexico

How did you know your partner was the one?

He encompassed everything that I felt was a quality in a person. He made me laugh, had compassion, intelligent, and held true to the values I had. When I was with him, I never wanted our time to end. When we were apart, I could not get him off my mind. We were inseparable and it never bothered either of us. We are each other’s halves, together we felt whole.

What makes your love special?

Our love is special because it has stood the test of time. We have had our ups and downs, but true will not surrender. It never allows you to quit on each other. Our love made us keep fighting and just kept growing over the years.

Tell us about your partner
He makes me smile in the midst or crying. If something happens throughout the day, good or bad, he is the first number I dial to tell it to. He is my best friend. He gives me advice when needed, listens when I need to talk, makes me feel safe in time of worry, and powerful in my moments of weakness.

Engagement story:
We were young when he proposed the first time. It was basic, so basic that he could not verbally say the words. I sat in my mother’s kitchen opened the ring box that he had penciled, “Will you marry me?” We married in between his Army schools at a church on the post, 8 people attended. For years we talked about renewing our vows and having the wedding we wanted. I talked about all the girl things I missed out on. The main one being, not trying on and picking out my own dress. I wanted that moment. For our 16th wedding anniversary, we decided to go to Orlando to visit my mother. My mother had planned a girls day full of shopping. We went to the mall and then she announced we were headed to our last stop. I was not paying attention to the route, when we stopped we were in front of a bridal store! I was in shock, asking her why we were there. She told me to walk in. As I walked into the shop, I was greeted by staff that already knew my name. They handed me a card from husband that said, “Happy Anniversary, it is time for you to have your say yes to the dress moment you never had.” I tried on dresses all day, twisted and twirled in front of mirrors with my mom present, and champagne in my hand. As I tried on my last dress, my husband appeared, got down on one knee, and asked if I would be willing to marry him again. Of course, I said yes.

From the Wife:
My experience was great, the team I had around me never let me know if anything went wrong. I was stress free. I felt great on my big day. I relished in everything I did not get to do before. I was grateful for every moment. Before I walked down the aisle I felt humbled. Humbled that my husband did all of this, just for me to have the wedding I dreamed of.

From the Husband:
Surprisingly I was very nervous. Throughout the process I didn’t understand why my wife was acting stressed and acting like a crazy person, but on the morning of the wedding day I completely understood. I have never looked in a mirror so long to make sure nothing was on my face or suit. When my wife walked down the aisle, my entirebody became numb, which is strange seeing how I’ve seen this woman everyday for the past 16 years, but she looked amazing, and I couldn’t believe that she was about to say “I do” again to me. I felt blessed and like the luckiest man in the world.

Wedding song:

Tamia, Day One. The lyrics tell our story. We have beat the odds together, getting married so young people bet against us. We have been through some thin
gs in this life together, but if we had a choice to do it all again, we would.

Favorite wedding detail:

Our favorite wedding detail was the unexpected groom’s cake I surprised my husband with. It featured two of his loves: A Redskins football helmet with a PS4 controller. His face was priceless. The DJ kept our guests on the floor all night as well.

A Family Affair:
We incorporated our kids into our wedding. We had a family prayer after walking down the aisle. We read them a short note and presented them with mustard seed necklaces. We told them that no matter what comes against them in the world, to remember that all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed.

Favorite wedding moment:
Seeing all our loved ones in one place, celebrating our love for each other.

Most memorable moment as a married couple so far :
Our vow renewal, it was a moment I dreamed of all my life.

What’s the best part about being a married couple?

Never having to be without your best friend.

What’s the best advice you received about marriage that you actually use?
Erase the “D” word from your vocabulary. We never say divorce. Words are harsh, once spoken they cannot be taken back, even if forgiven. Divorce should never be taken lightly.

Congratulations to the happy couple! We wish you many more years of wedded bliss.