Real Weddings {Houston}: Lauren & Lamar!

Laurena and Lamar met on October 7 of 2011 at an OU/Texas party in Dallas. The two went on their first date in the last week of October and have been together ever since! Check our their romantic wedding day, captured by Amber Knowles of The Amber Studio.

Engagement story:

Lamar proposed to me during the 2014 OU/Texas Weekend. After the game on Saturday, I was completely exhausted. I get very into our games and my energy was completely drained. Some friends were supposed to be having a surprise birthday party for my sister-cousin (she’s really my cousin, but we’re basically sisters). Well, since she’s younger than me, I assumed all of the people there would be really young and that I it would be no problem if I went later than the 7:00 starting time. My friends were even asking me if I was going, and of course I was, but I knew I wouldn’t make it by 7. I had to take a nap if I was going to be any good. Let me note here that I had thought that Lamar was actually proposing the night before when he told me that friends of ours would be getting engaged at the venue where I sang every Friday. I was really surprised when those friends actually did get engaged! Anyway, after the game, I went to Chipotle, went home and turned my phone on silent. Since everyone had been asking me about this surprise party, I figured they would be calling me, too. So, I put an end to all of that! I woke up around 7:15 to several missed calls and texts and still did not rush to get dressed. Surely they would be partying all night! Why did I have to rush! Then finally, one of my friends called to say that my sister-cousin’s boyfriend would be proposing that night. WHAT?! I jumped up and was ready in 15 minutes. I was so mad because I didn’t know about this “proposal” ahead of time and as her sister-cousin, I should have been one of the first! My friend came to pick me up and I fussed all the way to the venue. I walked into the venue, which I didn’t even recognize as one of Lamar’s and my early dating spots, and it was silent. I then realized that some of these people staring at me would not normally be at my sister-cousin’s birthday party and then ‘All of Me’ started playing. Finally, I got it. My brother and his wife, Lamar’s brother and his wife, and my parents each walked up with a sign. ‘Will’, ‘you’, ‘marry’,….and then my Lamar walked up with the ‘me’. I was sobbing loudly at this point. He told me he loved me and got down on his knee with the ring. I didn’t even look at it. I let out another big sob and said yes! He had planned a surprise engagement party for me and I almost missed it because I was sleeping!

From the Groom:

I was very excited. The night leading up to our wedding day, I couldn’t sleep. I remember reflecting and realizing how my dreams were actually becoming reality. I was marrying my soul mate and she was made just for me. On the day, I felt so blessed being surrounded by so many people that loved and supported us, both as individuals, and now as one. The emotions I felt were overflowing when I saw my fiancé coming down the aisle with her father. Best day of my life.

From the Bride:

My wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I woke up knowing that I would be marrying my best friend. I kept waiting for the nerves to hit, but they never did. I was even doing hair on my day, and not just mine! My bridal party was the absolute best. So was my wedding coordinator and her staff. If there was a snag of any sort, I never knew. It was handled. My mom seeing me, then my dad, was all very emotional for me, but perfect. Then, walking down the aisle on my daddy’s arm to the man who I love more than life and will be with for the rest of my days, and seeing the tears on his face…priceless. All in all, my day was perfection and there is nothing that I would change about it at all!

Most memorable moment:

My most memorable moment was when it was my turn to say my vows. I love him so much and I was so happy (and emotional) to share my love in front of our family, friends, and most importantly, God.

Wedding song:

< p>‘Let It Burn’ by Jazmine Sullivan: It was the perfect song for us. I first heard the song the week before the wedding. As soon as the music started, I was praying that the words were of love and would fit Lamar and me. They did. The throwback to After 7’s ‘Ready or Not’ mixed with the newness of Jazzy gave us the perfect song to groove to. We even used some of the lyrics as the quote on our program: “Call me crazy, but I think I found the love of my life!”

Favorite wedding detail:

We talked about it, and we honestly can’t pick a favorite. The venue was beautiful and had so much character. The décor was way more than we ever expected. It all came together perfectly with the colors of the bridesmaids’ dresses and the flower girl dresses (which were made by a friend) . The food? Oh my God. I was still eating on it the next day. The fact that we had banana pudding AND peach cobbler was so US. I’m not even a cake person, but the cake was delicious! People were asking if we had leftovers! I didn’t really get to hear all of the pre-ceremony music, but it was my best friend on the keys and another friend with her vocals; not even anything I had to question. Even though the ceremony was not held in a church, my aunt ushered in the Spirit and made sure that everyone knew that this was all for the glory of God. The reception music was a perfect blend of 90s jams and new school. We definitely had the party that we wanted! Plus, our wedding photos and video captured the entire essence of our day so that we have all of these perfect memories.

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

We are excited about our future together while still remembering to live in the moment. We want to have children, embark on business endeavors, travel a lot, but most of all, love each other and uphold our vows. We are just happy that we found each other.

Advice for a Bride/Groom on their wedding day:

The best advice I got on my wedding day came from my sister-in-law. She told me to make sure I took mental snapshots of my day because after it was over, it would all be a blur. She was so right! Luckily, I did take her advice and made sure to take those snapshots during all of the extra important moments.

See more from Lauren and Lamar's special day in the video captured by JCi Creatives