'Black, White, Bling' North Carolina Wedding

Monique and Harris met in October of 2014 through the dating app Tinder. It was an interesting match because Monique was completely unaware that Tinder was based on your GPS location. She happened to be visiting Durham, North Carolina with one of her closest friends because he was speaking in a church service. While in Durham, Monique was swiping on Tinder and noticed Harris’ profile. What’s most interesting is that Harris’ profile wasn’t one she’d typically “swipe right” for because he had pictures of him with his brother and cousin, so she couldn’t tell which one of the gentlemen he was! However, Monique decided she’d take a chance and they were an immediate match! He messaged her, and they exchanged numbers immediately. Harris called Monique later that day, where they discovered that they lived two and a half hours away from each other. Monique lived in Charlotte, North Carolina while Harris lived in Cary, North Carolina, but through weekend visits and an eventual relocation, they’ve spent a great four years together. By 2018, Monique and Harris said “I do” to each other in their home state. Check out these lovebirds’ special day, captured by Lady Iman Photography.

Bride’s full name, age, and occupation: Monique Michelle Sexton-Williams, 32, Attorney

Groom’s full name, age, and occupation: Harris Ferrell Williams, 33, Business Owner

Place of residence: Greenville, North Carolina

Wedding date: May 5, 2018

Wedding location: Mount Zion Restoration Church and The Grand Hall, North Carolina

Wedding theme: Black, White, and Bling (No Real Inspiration here…I just love glitter!)

Honeymoon Destination: Carmen Del La Playa, Mexico

Engagement story:

Monique and Harris had gone to Gastonia to do some work on her father’s old house. He cleaned the gutters, cut down trees, and he still managed to drive them two and a half hours back to Raleigh. While they were driving Harris mentioned that he had a headache, so when they got back to the house, Monique went to take the dogs outside so Harris could rest. What she didn’t know is that Harris was setting the camera up so he could propose!

When Monique came back to the house, Harris was laying on the ground. Now remember, Monique thought he had a headache, and she immediately began to panic! She was trying to pull him off the ground, and began crying when he wouldn’t move off his knee. He then pulled out the ring, and asked her to marry him. She cried tears of relief and joy, so much that Harris wasn’t sure whether she was happy or sad. All of this was captured on camera. It’s not your typical proposal, but it was perfect for them!

From the Bride:

Our wedding day was the most exciting day of my entire existence! Everyone looked so beautiful, and it was absolutely incredible to see and reconnect with family and friends that I hadn’t seen in years. There was just so much love in the room. I think the most memorable part of the day was seeing the awesome splendor, also known as my husband, at the other end of the aisle. I have heard of men looking at their wives with love and devotion in their eyes, but it wasn’t until that moment that I knew that the tales were true! The love in his eyes was just a further confirmation that I was marrying the man of my dreams.

From the Groom:

The wedding day felt like the culminating event of joining my family with my future. I felt like I was completing myself and my family dynamic by marrying the perfect woman for me. She is everything that I wanted, and everything I needed in a woman. I had so much fun talking with my high school friends, and laughing with my family. I’m truly thankful for this experience.

What makes your love special?

Our love is special because we are a representation of hard work and laugher paying off in the end. Harris and I always say that we’re not your typical love story because we didn’t get along in the beginning. However, we’re a representation of what happens when you take two very strong, driven personalities, and put them together. That’s two very strong opinions on everything; two very different upbringings; two different mindsets–and we merged them together!

We can tell you that it hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes we felt more like we were surviving than living, but we put in the work because we loved each other. We made the necessary adjustments because we recognized that we needed each other. We realized that our lives were better together and that we would do whatever it took to ensure that our better half stayed in our lives. We have been through our share of twists and turns. But, through it all, we found love and laughter in the smallest things. We both find each other to be incredibly corny, so there is a lot of laughter in this home, and we hope to keep laughing together for life.

Your most memorable moment:

Monique’s most memorable moment was when they opened the doors for her to walk down the aisle, and she saw Harris softly crying. Harris is not a crier, so she felt very overwhelmed! You hear about men looking at their wives with all the love and affection in the world, but to feel that when she was looking at Harris was just an incredible moment! It is one that sh
e replays over and over in her mind because it was just so special.

Harris’ most memorable moment was reminiscing with his aunt Yvonne after the wedding. He had been the ring bearer at his aunt’s wedding, and it meant so much to hear her tell him how proud she was of him. It also made him reflect on how far he had come as a man. This special moment shared between him and his aunt is one that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Wedding song:

Our wedding song was “Forever” by Dave Hollister. This song has been one of Monique’s absolute favorites for years. The words were just so fitting because, through good and bad weather, our love has absolutely stood the test of time, and we still remain united!

Favorite wedding detail:

My favorite wedding detail was the beautiful bridal portrait that my photographer gifted us. She really outdid herself with it!

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

Traveling together and seeing the world. We have an entire list of countries that we plan to visit! Mexico was just the beginning. We are also looking forward to having children and starting a family. It’s possible that the pitter-patter of little feet will not be far away!

Advice for a bride and groom on their wedding day:

Live in the moment. Everything happens so fast that if you waste time being upset about the small things, you won’t relish in all the wonderful moments that your wedding will have.

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