Nora and Chris Photography Contest - Free Destination Wedding Photography

[Shay4966]

Hi ladies –

John and I met on an internet/gaming site. I use to go onto that site and play the love match-up games, but they also had a dating portion where you can meet other people. So one day I got an email from John asking me about elephants in Thailand. I posted on my profile page that my next goal was to go to Thailand and ride an elephant. I thought he was just another guy trying to get a way to ask me on a date. Before I replied I went on his page to check him out. It seemed unreal that his profile page had the same sentence as me referencing Thailand. I have always wanted o visit Thailand since I was in college but I never had anyone to go with.  I decided to reply, and within a week we were talking on the phone about the many places we wanted to travel to. We actually had a lot in common, which is weird because I’m always outside the box on ideas and my thought process. The first time we met was on Halloween 3 years ago, he asked me to go to a party with him. I was very nervous because I never met anyone off the internet. After some thinking I decided to go, but meet him at the train station.  When he showed up he had on a “Cat-in-the-Hat†costume,†I was dressed as a burlesque dancer.  So it looked like the “Cat-in-the-Hat†was a pimp. That same night was the night his best friend proposed to his now wife, so it became a huge celebration. There are pictures that capture me and him staring at each other in a dazed. For the first time I was speechless and nervous, I’m surprised I didn’t try to talk my way out of being nervous. John really didn’t talk much either, so instead of coming up with conversations he kept complimenting my shoes. As a female who looovees shoes I thought it was sweet but a little weird. Later I found out the real reason behind it (he didn’t know what to say, he thought I was breathtaking and he kept looking down to try not to stare at me – his words). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really didn’t waste any time traveling. The first vacation we went on was to Cancun, Mexico about 3 months after meeting. We enjoyed ourselves soo much. There was this one instance where we decided to travel to Cancun City or Downtown Cancun (can’t remember the name right) via bus. We went to a restaurant and decided to walk around without a plan. It was not a good idea because we got lost. Everyone kept giving us different directions, and eventually it got soo late I got scared. I had on heels, and my feet was killing me so he took his socks off and gave them to me. He kept assuring me that I was okay. Then we finally found a bus stop but we had to wait another 40 mins. I got cold so he took his shirt off and gave it to me (he had a t-shirt underneath). The little things like that made me want him to be long term. This is the reason we decided to have our wedding in Mexico because while there, you would have never known we had just met, our connection was instant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two years later we went to Thailand. OMG! It was awesome. While in Thailand we found out we were expecting. I couldn’t believe how happy he was, me on the other hand had wish it happened later. While I couldn’t drink, it didn’t hinder us at all. He became very careful with me. He made sure that every need was met even when there was none. Once we got back to the states and went to our first doc’s appt we found out the baby’s due date was December 11^th which made it even more special because my birth date is November 11^th and his is September 11^th. We decided to move in together while in Thailand, and eventually found a place about a month later. Although we previously discussed marriage, and he’d joke about our kids running around with afros and chinky Asian eyes, I didn’t expect it to happen until maybe another year.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two months after moving in, he proposed to me. Since I was already 6 months pregnant, he decided to create a “Before the Baby†bucket list. There were exactly 11 things we had to do before the baby came. We had done all on the list except number 11 which was to go to my favorite restaurant. On September 17^th we went to my favorite restaurant (Italian place), we ate and then I ordered desert. All of sudden the music changed from Frank Sinatra to soul love music and I was taken aback by it because this place is a pure Italian restaurant, everyone was from Italy. While we are discussing the change in music they bought my dessert only it was not what I ordered. I ordered cheesecake but I got this gigantic chocolate cake with whipped cream. He tells the waiter it was wrong and the waiter says’ compliment on the house for the pregnant lady. Me being pregnant and greedy began to chow down. Stick the fork in it, realized the center was hard as a rock. So I try my hardest to crack it and then tell my fiancé, he say’s open the cake. I didn’t even realize all the waiters and servers were staring at me. Once I open the cake I pull a brown box out, still confused (thinking it’s frozen chocolate) I look to see my fiancé on his knee and that’s when I realized what was going on (pregnant brain). I instantly started crying and he started crying, then the waitress started crying and he asked me if I would marry him.  As you can tell I said YES!!!

 

 

Our baby girl Isabelle Jonae

[alyssaw]

Great entries!! It has been so fun reading all of your love stories:)

[mrscantatore]

Joey and I first met while we were both on vacation in the Dominican Republic.  He was with a group of friends celebrating their graduation from their Masters Degrees and a girlfriend and I just wanted to get away for a week.  Fate and similar colored bracelets brought us together!

 

I had noticed him and the group he was with because it was a small resort; I had actually seen them a couple of times but didn’t pay much attention because I was fresh out of a relationship and just wanted to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle from NYC. Turns out, so was he…

 

On our 3^rd night there I noticed one of his friend’s smoking outside the bar.  I just stopped in my tracks and just had to ask him WHY he had a different colored bracelet like we did and why we didn’t match anyone else in the resort.  Turns out we were both there on our family’s time share and that entitled us to have those amazingly bright, florescent bracelets!

 

So long story short, he looks at me and says, “come on, let’s go meet my friends…I think you would really like to meet Joeyâ€.  I obliged and was curious which one Joey was…was he the tall handsome man I’d been sort of eyeing the past few days?? (I  was crossing my fingers that it was)

 

So upon walking in, up starts house of pain’s “jump around†and there in the midst of us looking for him, his friend starts to laugh and says…â€yep that’s him.† I look and all i see, about 4 feet above the rest of the crowd, is a tall, doof jumping and practically touching the ceiling with his spiky hair and I couldn’t help but laugh and fall for him a little right there.

 

After he finished his routine, haha, we met,  and I was hooked.  We just meshed.  We just talked and laughed and caught glimpses of each other and smiled when we did.  It wasn’t even 10 minutes into that we were talking about ourselves and we were just dumbfounded with the coincidences.

 

First of all, we were both from New York; he was from Queens and I was from the Bronx and were literally about a 10  minute drive from each other.  Then work.  He was interning and then starting his new position at  5 Times Square in New York and  I was working at 4 Times Square!  We just couldn’t believe we went that far to find someone that was literally across the street from me, lunched and hung out at the same places and we just never met.  It was because of that we knew we were destined…he was my kismet—my fate. My destiny.  And I had to travel all that way to meet my prince charming who was literally right under my nose.

 

He is the reason I believe in “meant to beâ€. We're happy and silly and just enjoy eachother.  Its nice when someone gets you...

 

Our love story will continue and start a new chapter when we get married June 2, 2012 at the RIU Palace, Cabo San Lucas.

 

[RustyClay]

would have ever led to this much happiness. I am truly blessed!

[Chris N C Photo]

Oh man! These are fantastic!

Only one more day to enter, and then Nora and I will start contacting the finalists via PM. We'll set up a time with each finalist to chat, find out a little more about each other, and go over some details

Good luck everyone!

[AllieRay]

My fiance and I met my first year of law school at SMU Dedman School of Law.  We were both members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on campus.  Ahman was an evening student so we only saw each other at the social events, first at a game night and second at Main Event.  Every time we hung out, we had a blast! It still never went further than that though of course, cause I was still in a relationship. 

 

Kneeling: In the middle (Ahman), to the right of him (leaning on the left should (me). At Main Event.

 

Fast forward into my second year of law school, my other relationship had ended (and for the best). I started spending more time with friends, which included Ahman.  Somewhere along this year, we got to the point where if you saw one of us, you saw the other.  If we were hanging out with our friends, we rode together (since we lived about 5 minutes apart).   Of course, we both denied either of us having any feelings for each other when our friends asked, but they knew better.  Ahman and I both love Mexican food, so he would find different street taco places, pick me up and we would go try them.  I remember telling one of my guy friends about Ahman and I having dinner before I came out with him for drinks, and he said we were dating.  Of course, I denied it explaining we were just friends.  With his guy knowledge, he said, he picks you up, he never lets you pay, etc...ya'll are dating! This is right around the time I start admitting I have feelings for him, and so I began to notice he did as well. 

 

By my third year of law school, we were spending a couple of days per week together.  Our new hobbies, bowling and pool! We would invite others to join, but even if they couldn't make it, we never noticed! Ahman and I had become unspoken best friends. Christmas 2010 I was at my best friends house for a week, about 30 minutes away from Ahman.  We planned a bowling night, which was really a date night.  Met for dinner and drinks, and then rode together to the bowling alley.  BUT before we get to the car, he says I have something for you. I'm shocked, and he has a pair of bowling shoes, exactly how I mentioned, only once, to him when we were bowling early in the year.  It was so sweet, it showed just how much he listened to the little things I said.  Now we both had a pair of our own bowling shoes (even though we're not really that good!) At this point, there's no denying our feelings, yet neither of us has come out and expressed them. 

 

January 2011, a month I'll never forget.  Ahman invited me to go watch his nephews basketball game and then hang out with his family afterwards.  Now, this was by no means the first time I had been invited. Nor was it the most important event he had invited me to.  But it was, the first time I said yes.  We were both taken by surprise.  Little did we know at the time, we were both using the family bonding time as a way to determine whether we would begin a relationship (we admitted this later).  I had more fun that I could have imagined.  By the end of it, his mom had a recording of me playing Dance Central on the xbox! Craziness! But I loved it.

 

Two weeks later, we went on a trip together to Washington D.C.  Still, not "dating". Ahman had been working full time for an airline and was going on education leave so he could finish law school earlier, since he was in the evening program and decided to get his MBA while he was there. He's not an overachiever at all    The trip was originally meant as my going to locate a nursing center for my grandmother, alone. Ahman called one day and said, he might as well go on a trip before he went on education leave and wondered if I would mind if he came along and we could make a weekend of it.  We had been having so much fun up to then, of course I said yes.  After walking around the city and exploring all the historical features, Ahman formally asked if I would be his girlfriend and told me he loved me! CRAZY right?! I loved him too! We were both so stubborn and had not expressed our feelings, but we both fell in love with each other over the years.  This was one of the best weekends of my life. 

 

Our D.C. Trip!

 

 

We flew back to Dallas and were welcomed by an  ice storm, so I was stuck at his apartment for a couple of days.  Since that weekend, we have essentially never left one another's side.  We moved in together. When we told our friends one night that we were dating, several of the responses were "wait, weren't ya'll already dating?" I guess you can see why.

 

Fast forward a year.  We have both graduated from law school, Ahman one semester after me.  While I studied for the bar he was my rock.  And, if you have been around a loved one while they are preparing for the bar exam, you know how much of a trying time that can be.  Few months later, results are out, and I passed! We are both interviewing for jobs, and we both get an offer.  My job offer, in Dallas.  My fiance's offer...Minneapolis, MN.  After talking to me about moving with him over that month, we decided to accept his offer and move to MN.  One weekend at the Belmolnt Hotel, over looking the Dallas skyline, Ahman was telling me how much he would miss Dallas and his family, while I was getting dressed for dinner.  In the background Eric Benet's "Spend my life with you" song was playing.   Hearing him say that, I walked out to the balcony, looked into his eyes and told him, I understand and I will miss everyone too, but as long as I'm with you I'll be fine and I'll have everything I need. Ahman bends down on one knee, and asks me to spend the rest of my life with him.  And, well. Based on this story, I'm sure you know the response, right? Just in case, I said YES! Now we are getting married January 19, 2013 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!!!!

 

Other pics of me and my better half: 

Out with friends in Dallas. 

In San Antonio for his best friend Scott's wedding!

In Vegas after a wonderful buffet at The Wynn Hotel 

And, we're off to Minneapolis! 

 

 

 

 

 

[AllieRay]

My fiance and I met my first year of law school at SMU Dedman School of Law.  We were both members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on campus.  Ahman was an evening student so we only saw each other at the social events, first at a game night and second at Main Event.  Every time we hung out, we had a blast! It still never went further than that though of course, cause I was still in a relationship. 

 

Kneeling: In the middle (Ahman), to the right of him (leaning on the left should (me). At Main Event.

 

Fast forward into my second year of law school, my other relationship had ended (and for the best). I started spending more time with friends, which included Ahman.  Somewhere along this year, we got to the point where if you saw one of us, you saw the other.  If we were hanging out with our friends, we rode together (since we lived about 5 minutes apart).   Of course, we both denied either of us having any feelings for each other when our friends asked, but they knew better.  Ahman and I both love Mexican food, so he would find different street taco places, pick me up and we would go try them.  I remember telling one of my guy friends about Ahman and I having dinner before I came out with him for drinks, and he said we were dating.  Of course, I denied it explaining we were just friends.  With his guy knowledge, he said, he picks you up, he never lets you pay, etc...ya'll are dating! This is right around the time I start admitting I have feelings for him, and so I began to notice he did as well. 

 

By my third year of law school, we were spending a couple of days per week together.  Our new hobbies, bowling and pool! We would invite others to join, but even if they couldn't make it, we never noticed! Ahman and I had become unspoken best friends. Christmas 2010 I was at my best friends house for a week, about 30 minutes away from Ahman.  We planned a bowling night, which was really a date night.  Met for dinner and drinks, and then rode together to the bowling alley.  BUT before we get to the car, he says I have something for you. I'm shocked, and he has a pair of bowling shoes, exactly how I mentioned, only once, to him when we were bowling early in the year.  It was so sweet, it showed just how much he listened to the little things I said.  Now we both had a pair of our own bowling shoes (even though we're not really that good!) At this point, there's no denying our feelings, yet neither of us has come out and expressed them. 

 

January 2011, a month I'll never forget.  Ahman invited me to go watch his nephews basketball game and then hang out with his family afterwards.  Now, this was by no means the first time I had been invited. Nor was it the most important event he had invited me to.  But it was, the first time I said yes.  We were both taken by surprise.  Little did we know at the time, we were both using the family bonding time as a way to determine whether we would begin a relationship (we admitted this later).  I had more fun that I could have imagined.  By the end of it, his mom had a recording of me playing Dance Central on the xbox! Craziness! But I loved it.

 

Two weeks later, we went on a trip together to Washington D.C.  Still, not "dating". Ahman had been working full time for an airline and was going on education leave so he could finish law school earlier, since he was in the evening program and decided to get his MBA while he was there. He's not an overachiever at all    The trip was originally meant as my going to locate a nursing center for my grandmother, alone. Ahman called one day and said, he might as well go on a trip before he went on education leave and wondered if I would mind if he came along and we could make a weekend of it.  We had been having so much fun up to then, of course I said yes.  After walking around the city and exploring all the historical features, Ahman formally asked if I would be his girlfriend and told me he loved me! CRAZY right?! I loved him too! We were both so stubborn and had not expressed our feelings, but we both fell in love with each other over the years.  This was one of the best weekends of my life. 

 

Our D.C. Trip!

 

 

We flew back to Dallas and were welcomed by an  ice storm, so I was stuck at his apartment for a couple of days.  Since that weekend, we have essentially never left one another's side.  We moved in together. When we told our friends one night that we were dating, several of the responses were "wait, weren't ya'll already dating?" I guess you can see why.

 

Fast forward a year.  We have both graduated from law school, Ahman one semester after me.  While I studied for the bar he was my rock.  And, if you have been around a loved one while they are preparing for the bar exam, you know how much of a trying time that can be.  Few months later, results are out, and I passed! We are both interviewing for jobs, and we both get an offer.  My job offer, in Dallas.  My fiance's offer...Minneapolis, MN.  After talking to me about moving with him over that month, we decided to accept his offer and move to MN.  One weekend at the Belmolnt Hotel, over looking the Dallas skyline, Ahman was telling me how much he would miss Dallas and his family, while I was getting dressed for dinner.  In the background Eric Benet's "Spend my life with you" song was playing.   Hearing him say that, I walked out to the balcony, looked into his eyes and told him, I understand and I will miss everyone too, but as long as I'm with you I'll be fine and I'll have everything I need. Ahman bends down on one knee, and asks me to spend the rest of my life with him.  And, well. Based on this story, I'm sure you know the response, right? Just in case, I said YES! Now we are getting married January 19, 2013 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!!!!

 

Other pics of me and my better half: 

Out with friends in Dallas. 

In San Antonio for his best friend Scott's wedding!

In Vegas after a wonderful buffet at The Wynn Hotel 

And, we're off to Minneapolis! 

 

 

 

 

 

[AllieRay]

My fiance and I met my first year of law school at SMU Dedman School of Law.  We were both members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on campus.  Ahman was an evening student so we only saw each other at the social events, first at a game night and second at Main Event.  Every time we hung out, we had a blast! It still never went further than that though of course, cause I was still in a relationship. 

 

Kneeling: In the middle (Ahman), to the right of him (leaning on the left should (me). At Main Event.

 

Fast forward into my second year of law school, my other relationship had ended (and for the best). I started spending more time with friends, which included Ahman.  Somewhere along this year, we got to the point where if you saw one of us, you saw the other.  If we were hanging out with our friends, we rode together (since we lived about 5 minutes apart).   Of course, we both denied either of us having any feelings for each other when our friends asked, but they knew better.  Ahman and I both love Mexican food, so he would find different street taco places, pick me up and we would go try them.  I remember telling one of my guy friends about Ahman and I having dinner before I came out with him for drinks, and he said we were dating.  Of course, I denied it explaining we were just friends.  With his guy knowledge, he said, he picks you up, he never lets you pay, etc...ya'll are dating! This is right around the time I start admitting I have feelings for him, and so I began to notice he did as well. 

 

By my third year of law school, we were spending a couple of days per week together.  Our new hobbies, bowling and pool! We would invite others to join, but even if they couldn't make it, we never noticed! Ahman and I had become unspoken best friends. Christmas 2010 I was at my best friends house for a week, about 30 minutes away from Ahman.  We planned a bowling night, which was really a date night.  Met for dinner and drinks, and then rode together to the bowling alley.  BUT before we get to the car, he says I have something for you. I'm shocked, and he has a pair of bowling shoes, exactly how I mentioned, only once, to him when we were bowling early in the year.  It was so sweet, it showed just how much he listened to the little things I said.  Now we both had a pair of our own bowling shoes (even though we're not really that good!) At this point, there's no denying our feelings, yet neither of us has come out and expressed them. 

 

January 2011, a month I'll never forget.  Ahman invited me to go watch his nephews basketball game and then hang out with his family afterwards.  Now, this was by no means the first time I had been invited. Nor was it the most important event he had invited me to.  But it was, the first time I said yes.  We were both taken by surprise.  Little did we know at the time, we were both using the family bonding time as a way to determine whether we would begin a relationship (we admitted this later).  I had more fun that I could have imagined.  By the end of it, his mom had a recording of me playing Dance Central on the xbox! Craziness! But I loved it.

 

Two weeks later, we went on a trip together to Washington D.C.  Still, not "dating". Ahman had been working full time for an airline and was going on education leave so he could finish law school earlier, since he was in the evening program and decided to get his MBA while he was there. He's not an overachiever at all    The trip was originally meant as my going to locate a nursing center for my grandmother, alone. Ahman called one day and said, he might as well go on a trip before he went on education leave and wondered if I would mind if he came along and we could make a weekend of it.  We had been having so much fun up to then, of course I said yes.  After walking around the city and exploring all the historical features, Ahman formally asked if I would be his girlfriend and told me he loved me! CRAZY right?! I loved him too! We were both so stubborn and had not expressed our feelings, but we both fell in love with each other over the years.  This was one of the best weekends of my life. 

 

Our D.C. Trip!

 

 

We flew back to Dallas and were welcomed by an  ice storm, so I was stuck at his apartment for a couple of days.  Since that weekend, we have essentially never left one another's side.  We moved in together. When we told our friends one night that we were dating, several of the responses were "wait, weren't ya'll already dating?" I guess you can see why.

 

Fast forward a year.  We have both graduated from law school, Ahman one semester after me.  While I studied for the bar he was my rock.  And, if you have been around a loved one while they are preparing for the bar exam, you know how much of a trying time that can be.  Few months later, results are out, and I passed! We are both interviewing for jobs, and we both get an offer.  My job offer, in Dallas.  My fiance's offer...Minneapolis, MN.  After talking to me about moving with him over that month, we decided to accept his offer and move to MN.  One weekend at the Belmolnt Hotel, over looking the Dallas skyline, Ahman was telling me how much he would miss Dallas and his family, while I was getting dressed for dinner.  In the background Eric Benet's "Spend my life with you" song was playing.   Hearing him say that, I walked out to the balcony, looked into his eyes and told him, I understand and I will miss everyone too, but as long as I'm with you I'll be fine and I'll have everything I need. Ahman bends down on one knee, and asks me to spend the rest of my life with him.  And, well. Based on this story, I'm sure you know the response, right? Just in case, I said YES! Now we are getting married January 19, 2013 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!!!!

 

Other pics of me and my better half: 

Out with friends in Dallas. 

In San Antonio for his best friend Scott's wedding!

In Vegas after a wonderful buffet at The Wynn Hotel 

And, we're off to Minneapolis! 

 

 

 

 

 

[AllieRay]

My fiance and I met my first year of law school at SMU Dedman School of Law.  We were both members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on campus.  Ahman was an evening student so we only saw each other at the social events, first at a game night and second at Main Event.  Every time we hung out, we had a blast! It still never went further than that though of course, cause I was still in a relationship. 

 

Kneeling: In the middle (Ahman), to the right of him (leaning on the left should (me). At Main Event.

 

Fast forward into my second year of law school, my other relationship had ended (and for the best). I started spending more time with friends, which included Ahman.  Somewhere along this year, we got to the point where if you saw one of us, you saw the other.  If we were hanging out with our friends, we rode together (since we lived about 5 minutes apart).   Of course, we both denied either of us having any feelings for each other when our friends asked, but they knew better.  Ahman and I both love Mexican food, so he would find different street taco places, pick me up and we would go try them.  I remember telling one of my guy friends about Ahman and I having dinner before I came out with him for drinks, and he said we were dating.  Of course, I denied it explaining we were just friends.  With his guy knowledge, he said, he picks you up, he never lets you pay, etc...ya'll are dating! This is right around the time I start admitting I have feelings for him, and so I began to notice he did as well. 

 

By my third year of law school, we were spending a couple of days per week together.  Our new hobbies, bowling and pool! We would invite others to join, but even if they couldn't make it, we never noticed! Ahman and I had become unspoken best friends. Christmas 2010 I was at my best friends house for a week, about 30 minutes away from Ahman.  We planned a bowling night, which was really a date night.  Met for dinner and drinks, and then rode together to the bowling alley.  BUT before we get to the car, he says I have something for you. I'm shocked, and he has a pair of bowling shoes, exactly how I mentioned, only once, to him when we were bowling early in the year.  It was so sweet, it showed just how much he listened to the little things I said.  Now we both had a pair of our own bowling shoes (even though we're not really that good!) At this point, there's no denying our feelings, yet neither of us has come out and expressed them. 

 

January 2011, a month I'll never forget.  Ahman invited me to go watch his nephews basketball game and then hang out with his family afterwards.  Now, this was by no means the first time I had been invited. Nor was it the most important event he had invited me to.  But it was, the first time I said yes.  We were both taken by surprise.  Little did we know at the time, we were both using the family bonding time as a way to determine whether we would begin a relationship (we admitted this later).  I had more fun that I could have imagined.  By the end of it, his mom had a recording of me playing Dance Central on the xbox! Craziness! But I loved it.

 

Two weeks later, we went on a trip together to Washington D.C.  Still, not "dating". Ahman had been working full time for an airline and was going on education leave so he could finish law school earlier, since he was in the evening program and decided to get his MBA while he was there. He's not an overachiever at all    The trip was originally meant as my going to locate a nursing center for my grandmother, alone. Ahman called one day and said, he might as well go on a trip before he went on education leave and wondered if I would mind if he came along and we could make a weekend of it.  We had been having so much fun up to then, of course I said yes.  After walking around the city and exploring all the historical features, Ahman formally asked if I would be his girlfriend and told me he loved me! CRAZY right?! I loved him too! We were both so stubborn and had not expressed our feelings, but we both fell in love with each other over the years.  This was one of the best weekends of my life. 

 

Our D.C. Trip!

 

 

We flew back to Dallas and were welcomed by an  ice storm, so I was stuck at his apartment for a couple of days.  Since that weekend, we have essentially never left one another's side.  We moved in together. When we told our friends one night that we were dating, several of the responses were "wait, weren't ya'll already dating?" I guess you can see why.

 

Fast forward a year.  We have both graduated from law school, Ahman one semester after me.  While I studied for the bar he was my rock.  And, if you have been around a loved one while they are preparing for the bar exam, you know how much of a trying time that can be.  Few months later, results are out, and I passed! We are both interviewing for jobs, and we both get an offer.  My job offer, in Dallas.  My fiance's offer...Minneapolis, MN.  After talking to me about moving with him over that month, we decided to accept his offer and move to MN.  One weekend at the Belmolnt Hotel, over looking the Dallas skyline, Ahman was telling me how much he would miss Dallas and his family, while I was getting dressed for dinner.  In the background Eric Benet's "Spend my life with you" song was playing.   Hearing him say that, I walked out to the balcony, looked into his eyes and told him, I understand and I will miss everyone too, but as long as I'm with you I'll be fine and I'll have everything I need. Ahman bends down on one knee, and asks me to spend the rest of my life with him.  And, well. Based on this story, I'm sure you know the response, right? Just in case, I said YES! Now we are getting married January 19, 2013 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!!!!

 

Other pics of me and my better half: 

Out with friends in Dallas. 

In San Antonio for his best friend Scott's wedding!

In Vegas after a wonderful buffet at The Wynn Hotel 

And, we're off to Minneapolis! 

 

 

 

 

 

[AllieRay]

My fiance and I met my first year of law school at SMU Dedman School of Law.  We were both members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) on campus.  Ahman was an evening student so we only saw each other at the social events, first at a game night and second at Main Event.  Every time we hung out, we had a blast! It still never went further than that though of course, cause I was still in a relationship. 

 

Kneeling: In the middle (Ahman), to the right of him (leaning on the left should (me). At Main Event.

 

Fast forward into my second year of law school, my other relationship had ended (and for the best). I started spending more time with friends, which included Ahman.  Somewhere along this year, we got to the point where if you saw one of us, you saw the other.  If we were hanging out with our friends, we rode together (since we lived about 5 minutes apart).   Of course, we both denied either of us having any feelings for each other when our friends asked, but they knew better.  Ahman and I both love Mexican food, so he would find different street taco places, pick me up and we would go try them.  I remember telling one of my guy friends about Ahman and I having dinner before I came out with him for drinks, and he said we were dating.  Of course, I denied it explaining we were just friends.  With his guy knowledge, he said, he picks you up, he never lets you pay, etc...ya'll are dating! This is right around the time I start admitting I have feelings for him, and so I began to notice he did as well. 

 

By my third year of law school, we were spending a couple of days per week together.  Our new hobbies, bowling and pool! We would invite others to join, but even if they couldn't make it, we never noticed! Ahman and I had become unspoken best friends. Christmas 2010 I was at my best friends house for a week, about 30 minutes away from Ahman.  We planned a bowling night, which was really a date night.  Met for dinner and drinks, and then rode together to the bowling alley.  BUT before we get to the car, he says I have something for you. I'm shocked, and he has a pair of bowling shoes, exactly how I mentioned, only once, to him when we were bowling early in the year.  It was so sweet, it showed just how much he listened to the little things I said.  Now we both had a pair of our own bowling shoes (even though we're not really that good!) At this point, there's no denying our feelings, yet neither of us has come out and expressed them. 

 

January 2011, a month I'll never forget.  Ahman invited me to go watch his nephews basketball game and then hang out with his family afterwards.  Now, this was by no means the first time I had been invited. Nor was it the most important event he had invited me to.  But it was, the first time I said yes.  We were both taken by surprise.  Little did we know at the time, we were both using the family bonding time as a way to determine whether we would begin a relationship (we admitted this later).  I had more fun that I could have imagined.  By the end of it, his mom had a recording of me playing Dance Central on the xbox! Craziness! But I loved it.

 

Two weeks later, we went on a trip together to Washington D.C.  Still, not "dating". Ahman had been working full time for an airline and was going on education leave so he could finish law school earlier, since he was in the evening program and decided to get his MBA while he was there. He's not an overachiever at all    The trip was originally meant as my going to locate a nursing center for my grandmother, alone. Ahman called one day and said, he might as well go on a trip before he went on education leave and wondered if I would mind if he came along and we could make a weekend of it.  We had been having so much fun up to then, of course I said yes.  After walking around the city and exploring all the historical features, Ahman formally asked if I would be his girlfriend and told me he loved me! CRAZY right?! I loved him too! We were both so stubborn and had not expressed our feelings, but we both fell in love with each other over the years.  This was one of the best weekends of my life. 

 

Our D.C. Trip!

 

 

We flew back to Dallas and were welcomed by an  ice storm, so I was stuck at his apartment for a couple of days.  Since that weekend, we have essentially never left one another's side.  We moved in together. When we told our friends one night that we were dating, several of the responses were "wait, weren't ya'll already dating?" I guess you can see why.

 

Fast forward a year.  We have both graduated from law school, Ahman one semester after me.  While I studied for the bar he was my rock.  And, if you have been around a loved one while they are preparing for the bar exam, you know how much of a trying time that can be.  Few months later, results are out, and I passed! We are both interviewing for jobs, and we both get an offer.  My job offer, in Dallas.  My fiance's offer...Minneapolis, MN.  After talking to me about moving with him over that month, we decided to accept his offer and move to MN.  One weekend at the Belmolnt Hotel, over looking the Dallas skyline, Ahman was telling me how much he would miss Dallas and his family, while I was getting dressed for dinner.  In the background Eric Benet's "Spend my life with you" song was playing.   Hearing him say that, I walked out to the balcony, looked into his eyes and told him, I understand and I will miss everyone too, but as long as I'm with you I'll be fine and I'll have everything I need. Ahman bends down on one knee, and asks me to spend the rest of my life with him.  And, well. Based on this story, I'm sure you know the response, right? Just in case, I said YES! Now we are getting married January 19, 2013 in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!!!!

 

Other pics of me and my better half: 

Out with friends in Dallas. 

In San Antonio for his best friend Scott's wedding!

In Vegas after a wonderful buffet at The Wynn Hotel 

And, we're off to Minneapolis!