“I first laid eyes on Terrencia when I was 18 years-old on the campus of Florida A&M University (FAMU) in 2012,” says James Rhoden. “She attended FAMU and I attended Florida State University (the schools are right next to each other). One day, I went to FAMU and she had on a stunning red dress and was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I was too shy to approach her at the time but I was able to find her on Facebook through a mutual friend. I messaged her, we started talking, sparks flew, and from that moment on our lives have never been the same.”
Fast forward to when the couple started ring shopping, which prompted the idea to have a special photoshoot together. Knowing Terrencia would think of the photoshoot as the perfect opportunity for a proposal, James decided to plan something else. He told the photographer to pretend his hard drive crashed and that he lost all their photos – after which, the two had a completely staged “argument” in front of Terrencia, throwing her off any suspicions that an engagement was coming.
“THE YEAR-LONG WAIT MADE THE WEDDING DAY THAT MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL AND PERFECT.”
On the proposal day, Terrencia spent the morning getting a manicure and pedicure, followed by a massage with her best friend. She then went to the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort – where she believed her friend was checking in for a work conference – but instead found several wardrobe options pre-arranged by James, along with a “Why I Love You” video to watch. After watching and getting dressed, she was escorted to the proposal location where James was waiting with a live singer and guitarist. During that special moment, family and friends popped out as a surprise and James proposed.
Like many engaged couples in 2020, Terrencia and James experienced a non-traditional wedding planning process that included postponing their wedding date due to Covid-19. Still, the experience was “a breeze,” thanks to Marjorie from MBM Events and Design.
“Marjorie made it a walk in the park for us,” the couple shares. “We told her what we wanted and no matter how hard it was, she made it happen! She went above and beyond from the small details to the main focal points. She’s simply the best. The wedding day was beautiful. We were both excited and nervous – we didn’t eat all day until the reception! It was amazing to finally get to this day after the long wait. We believe everything happens for a reason and the year-long wait made the wedding day that much more meaningful and perfect. We laughed and shed tears doing our first look. It felt amazing knowing we would finally be husband and wife and live the rest of our lives together.”
Upon seeing their reception décor for the first time, the bride and groom’s jaws dropped. The lighting was incredibly romantic; the flowers draping over the tables looked like a scene from a movie; and the ambiance was nothing short of a surreal dream come true.
“The décor was superb, the food was delicious, all our vendors did an amazing job, and we can’t thank them enough,” the couple adds.
For their honeymoon, Terrencia and James traveled to the Maldives for some luxurious relaxation at the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort.
WEDDING TALENT
Planner & Event Design: MBM Events & Design, West Palm Beach, FL
