Teceim & Ariel

from Black Bride Magazine: 2018 Winter Issue

Maureen & Billy

Teceim and Ariel met at the Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. while attending a festival to celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day in 2015. Rather than approach Teceim right away, Ariel walked around with his friends and planned to say something later in the evening. When he returned, Teceim was gone. About an hour later, he glimpsed Teceim as she was leaving with her friend. Determined to not miss another opportunity to introduce himself, Ariel quickly went up to her and said, “Hello, my name is Ariel, like the mermaid.”

Teceim laughed and entertained his conversation until she explained she was on her way to church. Intrigued, Ariel gave Teceim his card because he knew he was not getting her number that night. Teciem texted him the next day and said, “I love the smell of possibilities in the morning.” They have been inseparable ever since.

Engagement Story

We got engaged in 2017, on our second anniversary, which happened to fall on Easter. I thought we were going to brunch to celebrate after attending church. Little did I know, family and friends traveled from New York, Florida, and Virginia to see this moment.

On the way to brunch, Ariel drove by Freedom Plaza and insisted we take a picture. As he faked taking the picture, everyone came out of hiding, and he took a knee, asking me to be his wife.

The Proposal {His Story}

First and foremost, I am not a planner, but I am old school and wanted everything about my proposal to be right. A few months prior, I flew to Orlando and secretly asked Teceim’s parents for their blessings. Then came the big task of coordinating 50 people to arrive in one location on time, with very specific instructions, and keeping it all secret.

We went to church that day and I communicated with everyone to make sure everything was set. When we arrived, Teceim was surprised to see all her family and friends. It did not go exactly as planned, but it was amazing!

Q: What makes your love special?

A: The expression, “opposites attract” is true! Neither of us were what we thought we wanted, but we quickly learned we were what each other needed. We are the perfect blend orchestrated by God.

Q: What was the theme of your shoot?

A: We recreated our first date. From our sweet talk at Starbucks and walking the gardens and halls of a local art museum to sharing poetry and best reads at Barnes & Noble. It was a date neither of us will forget.

Q: Were there any memorable moments during the shoot?

A: The entire shoot whisked us back in time! Each location reminded us of our nervous butterflies, our conversation topics, and all the fun we had.

Q: Have you started planning your wedding?

A: We are happy to share that the wedding planning is over! We were wed on May 27, 2018 at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. We honeymooned in Spain.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?

A: We looked forward to having our prayers answered and represented as we walked down the aisle. It was a joy to marry the love of our lives and party with loved ones.