“I had never met someone with such a form spirit, crammed with a lot joy, and who exuded positivity,” she says of J.R.’s impact on her. “He made me feel protected and cared for. He was all the things I all the time knew I needed in a mate.”

“We got here from different backgrounds yet had many commonalities and wanted the identical things for our futures,” the groom shares, adding that things were clear for him from their first date. “I knew at that moment that she was the perfect person to begin life’s journey with jointly.” He declared that he would marry her the day after their date. “Fast forward 4 years and my dreams have finally come true.”

There have been quite a lot of obstacles when planning their wedding. The pandemic put restrictions on guest counts at some venues, while others wouldn’t will let you have a reception in the identical place because the ceremony. The bride and groom also had different ideas for the massive day. “I wanted an out of doors garden-themed wedding, and J.R. desired to have a marriage concert,” says Ashley. But things began to come back together after they decided to look into getting married in California and the groom remembered a location that will find yourself being perfect for his or her nuptials. “J.R. was born and raised in Long Beach and his father was a known local painter of Pine Ave. J.R. remembers growing up and watching him work at every business on that street and immediately considered Ovation Square, as once upon a time, it stood as a bank, a nightclub, and now a church/event space.”

For Ashley, music has all the time been an enormous a part of her life, so it also makes since that it was an enormous a part of her day. She two-stepped to the Anita Baker song “Sweet Love” with J.R. for his or her first dance and shared a sweet moment along with her father to “Unforgettable,” Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole’s classic. “J.R. is an enormous fan of Anita Baker, and after we first began dating, I surprised him with tickets to see her perform live in concert. Every time we hear ‘Sweet Love,’ I just wish to grab him and begin slow dancing,” Ashley says. “As for ‘Unforgettable,’ I really like Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole! I knew this classic hit was fitting for our father-daughter dance. I felt the song was very classy, which is the vibe we were going for throughout the night.”

Comedian Luenell and Morris Day and the Time’s Jerome Benton were the joint host on the fun reception. “Luenell is one among J.R.’s close friends. She received her wedding invitation and was the primary to call and congratulate us. Due to Luenell, J.R. met Vanzil and Curtis, and since they were such an intricate a part of the engagement, he wanted Luenell to be a big a part of the marriage. J.R. wanted my mother and me to fulfill Luenell while she was performing in Atlanta, he asked, and he or she was so delighted that she accepted, and we’re eternally grateful that she did,” says the bride. “You understand Jerome from The Time, but many forget that he’s my actual uncle. J.R. and I really like Uncle Jerome a lot, and he was the primary person in my family that J.R. got to spend time with because of the pandemic. Also, we knew that it will be hilarious for Uncle Jerome and Luenell to hitch forces at the marriage.”

Along with looking beautiful as she watched her baby girl get married, Karyn took to the stage to perform in the course of the special day. “For my mom to perform at our wedding was a dream come true!” says Ashley. “My husband’s favorite song of hers is ‘Love Saw It,’ so performing that may all the time be so special to me. She didn’t just perform by herself but brought the amazingly talented O’Bryan to duet along with her on stage.”

“My favorite moment from the marriage was, after all, saying ‘I do,’” Ashley says. “But once I accomplished saying my vows, he made a joke saying, ‘Wow, that was long. I didn’t write that much.’ Then he pulled out this 12ft scroll and commenced reading his vows. I used to be laughing, crying, and so completely happy to marry my life’s love.”

One other highlight of the night for Ashley was watching singer Cherrelle perform the jam, “Saturday Love” for the packed house in Ovation Square. “My mom and I began dancing, and everybody jumped out of their seats to hitch us on the dance floor,” she recalls.

“My favorite moment from each the marriage and reception was feeling the love within the room in its entirety,” says J.R., pictured together with his mother and Ashley’s mom walking down the aisle. “Everyone wore their hearts on their sleeves and embraced one another with it.”

The couple’s cake was crafted by A Heart’s Baked Desire and it looked pretty much as good because it tasted.

Pictured from left to right: Jimmy Jam, the groom’s father James Pittman, Ashley, J.R., and the bride’s father, Terry Lewis.

Pictured from left to right: Jimmy Jam, Vanzil Burke, Jerome Benton, Victor Burke and Terry Lewis.

The newlyweds now reside together in Atlanta and are planning for his or her next chapter. “My mother gifted us with a good looking country cottage as a stunning wedding present, so we uprooted our lives in Los Angeles, remodeled our home, and are preparing for our next chapter,” says Ashley. “First comes love, then comes marriage…and the remainder.”