Not many couples can say their relationship started with a little white lie, but for Jarrod and Amirah, that lie was only the beginning of the rest of their lives. Find out how they made their relationship work, along with a few photos of their special day, captured by Omari Souza of JazzyMae Photography.
Bride: Amirah Lacey, Intervention Specialist
Groom: Jarrod Pughsley, 26, NFL Offensive Guard
Place of residence: Akron, Ohio
Wedding date: July 15, 2017
Wedding location: Fairlawn Hilton Hotel
Jarrod and Amirah first crossed paths in the field-house at the University of Akron in 2010. Amirah ran track and Jarrod played football. The second Amirah saw Jarrod walk through the doors she knew she had to make a move. “We exchanged names and he began to ask my age,” explains Amirah. “I said ‘I’m a junior’ instead, not wanting to lose my opportunity with him by saying that I was an 18-year-old freshman. He then stated he was only a sophomore here at Akron and that he had never noticed me around before. I, of course laughed, giving an excuse that I was a transfer, but quickly realized how silly it was of me to try to gain his attention by saying I was older than I was. I awkwardly admitted that I was only a freshman. He then smiled intriguingly, showing off his handsome dimples!” The couple now looks back fondly on that moment and gets a good laugh out of it.
Jarrod and Amirah were friends for five years before they began to date. They had helped each other through multiple sport-related injuries on and off the field, and the both graduated with degrees in education. Today, they strongly believe that “being friends” was the best foundation they could have ever built together. It made the transition into a romantic relationship so much smoother. They got engaged 13 months later.
Jarrod and Amirah are both originally from Ohio, but Kansas City, Missouri has become their new hometown. The couple moved when Jarrod was signed to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs in 2014. Amirah continued her career as an Intervention Specialist at a Charter School.
Jarrod and Amirah celebrated their union on July 15, 2017 at the Fairlawn Hilton Hotel in Akron, Ohio, the very city where they first met.
Congratulations to the newlyweds! We wish you many years of wedded bliss.
