Nicole & Kenneth's Uber Romantic Wedding at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland

Nicole and Kenneth looking stunning in the halls of Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland

Bride

Nicole

Network engineer

Groom

Kenneth

Program analyst/ system administrator

Wedding Date

Aug 10, 2019

Locations

Prep - Courtyard by Marriott Greenbelt

Ceremony / Reception - Martin's Crosswinds

How You Met

We met at prom in 2008 (although Kenneth was dating someone at the time). So Nicole played her part as the Facebook friend for the next few years. One day, in 2014, Nicole posted about how she was looking for work in the IT field and Kenneth messaged her to help her find a job. From there, we started a friendship that lead to our first date and that's how it all began.

Nicole's wedding day details including her bridal garter, bridal hairpiece, bridal shoes, and engagement ring.

Nicole showing off her radiant bridal look during wedding day prep.

Nicole showing off her stunning wedding day hair in her bridal robe during wedding day prep.

Nicole and her bridesmaids having fun during wedding day prep.

Nicole and her bridesmaids showing off their custom bridal robes.

Nicole and Kenneth's rings among the Bridal accessories.

Kenneth's charming wedding day accessories.

Kenneth's first time wearing an ascot was on his wedding day.

Kenneth and his groomsmen wore custom engraved cufflinks that bore their initials.

Kenneth's footwear perfectly complimented the wedding color scheme and style.

Kenneth handwriting his vows before the wedding ceremony.

Kenneth posing for a pre-wedding portrait in the hotel lobby.

Kenneth and his dapper groomsmen before traveling to the wedding venue.

How did you know they were the one?

Nicole: I knew Kenneth was the one before our first date! I was impressed by how concerned he was with making a good impression on my mother! He wanted to make sure she wouldn't mind his tattoos. He was nothing less than gentlemen-like and very honest on our first date and only got better after that! Slowly but surely I fell in love with him and now I am his wife!

Kenneth: Simply put, when I realized she was praying for me. I always tried to grow spiritually on my own, but having a partner in spiritual growth really helps. I always felt that was a gap in my life and lifestyle, and she helps me grow and fill that gap.

Kenneth is all smiles walking into the ceremony area at Martin's Crosswinds.

Nicole and her father exiting the bridal suite together preparing for the grand entrance.

Nicole and her father are absolutely elegant walking into the wedding ceremony.

The only thing Kenneth could do when he saw Nicole for the first time on their wedding day was smile the biggest smile!

Nicole and Kenneth sharing what was unanimously their favorite moment of the day.

The beautiful wedding day setup.

Nicole gazing into Kenneth's eyes during their absolutely delightful wedding ceremony.

Kenneth preparing to state his vows to "Nikki-boo".

Kenneth placing Nicole's wedding band on her finger.

Kenneth having the best reaction to finally getting his wedding band.

Nicole and Kenneth sharing their magical first kiss.

Nicole and Kenneth after being presented as Mr. and Mrs. Graves for the first time.

Proposal

Kenneth told me that we were going to celebrate us buying a new house! Little did I know, he had been planning for weeks and weeks a surprise dinner with both of our families! At dinner I see our families and I thought I had forgotten someone’s birthday. Then I turn around to see Kenneth reaching out for my hand. He proceeded to tell our love story and then got down on one knee and proposed! I was so shocked and elated that I could barely speak, so I tearfully shook my head yes! And then scolded our families for lying to me about their plans! They all said they were doing other things that weekend. Needless to say, I was surprised and so happy!

Nicole and Kenneth taking a classic wedding portrait.

Nicole and Kenneth are adorable in this formal portrait

Nicole and Kenneth in their natural state of adorable silliness.

The entire wedding party getting into the fun during the formal wedding portrait session.

Nicole and Kenneth after their wedding ceremony at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland

Wedding Shopping

Nicole: It was stressful for me, I thought I had found the dress for me on the first round but I hadn't. The next time I went looking is when I found the one! And from there it was a breeze! Everything else fell into place after I found my dream dress. Kenneth: It was fun pulling the pieces together first as thoughts and samples. I made several trips to stores to get the perfect combination of style and color. I regularly wear suits, ties, and bowties, and I knew I wanted to do something extra special for the wedding day. To meet that mark I explored ascots and wore my first ascot on our wedding day. It's my new favorite accessory.

The gorgeous couple's table in the Martin's Crosswinds reception hall.

Nicole and Kenneth's elegant wedding cake with red and gold accents.

Nicole and Kenneth's grand entrance into their wedding reception.

Advice for Engaged Couples

Nicole: The best advice I could give would be to get marriage counseling! It is very important to have a neutral party to talk to about planning a wedding, and learning how to properly love one another as well. You want to ensure that you will have a loving and successful marriage. The best way to do that would be to seek counseling! Love is beautiful but you'll need more than love to have a successful relationship and marriage! Kenneth: Keep the opinions and thoughts about your marriage and wedding day out of the conversation. The relationship is between the two of you. Communicate with each other often, even when you don't quite understand each other's points. Clarity only comes through communication.

Describe Your Wedding

I would say our wedding style was romantic and one of a kind! Our colors were burgundy gold and cream.

First Dance Song

Everything - Ella Mai ft. John Legend

Kenneth embracing Nicole during their first dance at the wedding reception.

Nicole and Kenneth look absolutely enamored with each other during the first dance.

Nicole and Kenneth cap their first dance off with a kiss.

Kenneth and his mother got down to a montage of their favorite songs and signature dances.

Nicole and her father's dance was one of the most touching moments of the evening.

The pride on Nicole's father's face is priceless.

Not to be let off the hook, Nicole invites her mother onto the dance floor for a special moment during the wedding reception.

Favorite Memory

Nicole: My favorite memory is when I turned the corner walking down the aisle and I saw my husband standing at the altar excited and happy! So handsome!

Kenneth: Seeing her for the first time that day as she walked around the corner. Her first words to me when we met at the altar were "Hey!", something so simple, yet amazing, settled the butterflies in my stomach

A toast to the newlywed couple from the Maid of Honor and Best Man.

Wedding Party Gifts

Nicole: I got my girls personalized travel bags with wallets and personalized silk robes!

Kenneth: I gave the gentlemen custom gold cufflinks with the first letters of their name engraved.

Favorite Menu Item

Nicole: My favorite thing on the menu was the crab cake! It was also the only thing I ate that night!

Kenneth: The steak!

Nicole was ready to let the bouquet fly to a lucky lady during the wedding reception.

Kenneth put on quite a show while retrieving the bridal garter during the wedding reception at Martin's Crosswinds.

Kenneth sending the bridal garter back to a reluctant group of gentlemen during the wedding reception.

Nicole and Kenneth thank their family and friends for showing so much love on their wedding day.

THANK YOU, MR. & MRS. GRAVES!

We had an absolute blast not only on your wedding day, but during the entire process and getting to know you both. We are truly happy for you both and look forward to watching your love grow. Wishing you both nothing but the absolute best -- SR & TS

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Vendors

Planner - We planned our own wedding! (High five)

Coordinator - Lolita Brown

DJ - Jon Pratt

Florist - Little House of Flowers

Bakery - Teinisha Bassil

Catering - Martin's Crosswinds caterers

Decor - Lolita Brown

Makeup - Ciara Brown

Hair - Kelly Hubbard

Barber - Nicole Graves, (I only cut Kenneth's hair though)

Bridal Boutique - Nordstrom Wedding Suite

Menswear - Macy's

Officiant - Pastor Colin Pugh