We met at Tuskegee University - me, full of confidence (some might say too much), and her, full of class, beauty, and zero interest in giving me her phone number. I told her that going out with me would actually be doing her a favor - I mean, I was handsome, charming, and generous. She didn’t buy it.

When I asked her out to dinner, she said she didn't have any money. I told her she didn't need any. She said she'd only go if her roommate Tan could come too. And just like that, we began a long stretch of three-person dates - until I gently let her know that if Tan came to one more dinner… there wouldn't be another.

Eventually, she gave me a chance. We dated. We broke up. We found our way back to each other when she was in grad school at the University of Florida (yes, I was actually there for a college fair, don’t let her tell you otherwise).

One morning, we woke up, went to the courthouse, found a stranger in the hallway to be our witness, said our vows, ate lunch at Waffle House, and went back to work. No aisle. No cake. Just commitment - and a side of hash browns.

Over the years, we've lived in cramped spaces (where we once survived on ice cream sandwiches) as well as beautiful places. We built community in houses of faith from one state to another. We raised two amazing sons - Chase and Parker. And we've leaned on God every step of the way.

We said if we made it to 15 years, we'd have a wedding. It took us 20. But we're here - still laughing, still in love, still growing in Christ. And now, we're finally celebrating with the wedding we never had… but the love that's been real all along.