NaKisha & Miles’ Wedding

It was an amazing wedding for NaKisha and Miles! Three days before their wedding that they had been planning for 16 months…we had a string of tornados that destroyed so much of Alabama and the Chattanooga area, and of course Ringgold, GA, where we live. Suddenly all of the dreams and planning that they had been working on for so long got thrown up in the air, and whether they could even have a wedding was in question. I have so much admiration for this couple, who in this time focused on what was in their hearts and decided that the weekend couldn’t come and go without them becoming man and wife. Changes were quickly made, and they had a few sleepless nights getting ready…but at the end of the day and after a BEAUTIFUL wedding, NaKisha and Miles were married and love won.

Weddings CAN happen without power…and they can be stunning. I could not be more happy for this amazing couple…we hope you enjoy their story and their pictures.

Congratulations NaKisha and Miles…you should be proud of the wedding you had. It was so beautiful, and the heart of your love for each other was evident throughout the whole day.

NaKisha & Miles…

What did you enjoy most about planning your wedding?
Planning the wedding was super stressful, but I enjoyed all the memorable moments with my mom and my bridesmaids most. Wedding dress shopping was one of my favorite moments… It was just me, my Maids/Matron of Honor, and my mom there. I will never be able to describe the moment when I found my dress—there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and to share a moment like that with the women in my life that are most important to me meant the world. I think the whole process was something I will remember forever, from beginning to end.

What are three words you would use to describe the day?
Chaotic, nerve-wracking, and perfect. We were without electricity after the tornados that destroyed Alabama the Wednesday before my wedding. I spent the 48 hours before the wedding day revamping all of my ideas, finding generators, and just trying to figure out a way to make April 30th happen. Although things didn’t go through nearly as originally planned, Miles and I couldn’t have had a more perfect wedding day. When it was all over, we were so excited to be married and to have been so blessed to be able to have all our friends and family there after so much loss and devastation in the lives of people in our area. With a wedding party of 30 people, everyone was there alive and well. My hair and makeup was done flawlessly by my amazing Maid of Honor, Vanessa, after my appointments had been cancelled. Things just fell together perfectly, and we were truly blessed. I think going through something that hard the week of our wedding and working together to make our day still happen, assured us that we could make it through anything. It was kind of a premarital counseling session put into action. I will always look back on April 30, 2011 as the day I married my best friend in the presence of God and all the people closest to my heart—there was no electricity, but there was plenty of love… And love is all we need. :)

What was your favorite detail of the wedding?
Wow, everything is quite a blur from the day. I loved everything that was done…I was particularly impressed with our cakes, by Diann Laney. I was most proud of how our programs turned out since they were done completely by me, from start to finish. I felt like they were my little project. I loved our wedding colors, and I thought every detail focused on those colors of mocha, champagne, and gold perfectly…with a splash of color in the flowers, which, if you know me, was totally my personality.

How did you decide on your dress?
I found my dress the very first day I went shopping for a wedding dress. I had tried on almost every dress in Alfred Angelo that I thought suited my style. I had found ones I liked, but not “the one.” My mom found a dress in the magazine that she insisted I try on, although me and all my friends that were there disagreed that I would like it or that it would compliment me. I tried to please my mom by trying it on, and before the lady at the store even got the dress fully laced, I knew that it was the one. Before I had even seen it in the mirror, I knew that was the dress I would be leaving in. It just fit my body like a glove and felt so comfortable. When I walked out, everyone had tears in their eyes, and I had never felt so confident in a choice in all my life. The dress was perfect for me, and I was so excited to walk down the aisle in it on the big day.

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding?
I have two. One, when I walked down the aisle to meet my mom to give me away. When I grabbed her hand, I was just overwhelmed with emotion. My mom is my best friend, and I was so honored to have such an incredible woman give me away to the love of my life.  We walked to the front and lit my dad’s memorial candle, and it was just a special moment between not only me and her, but also with Miles. He and I both knew my dad was there in spirit and I knew he was so proud of me. That candle was more than just a candle… It meant so much to be able to include my dad in such an important day.

Next, when I danced with my friend Brandon in honor of my father during the Father/Daughter dance. It was so great to be able to reflect upon my life and remember not only my dad, but all the great times I had had with my family and friends while growing up. Brandon was very close to my dad, and it was great to have someone like him, who I have considered a brother through the years, to help me honor that relationship and reflect upon the good times. What would have been a sad thing, to me, ended up being a celebration of life and love.

The wedding in general, due to the circumstances, was a bright light in the middle of a dark time. I have had several people tell me it was the highlight of their weekend and that it helped bring smiles and laughter during a time when it was hard to find anything to smile or laugh about.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?
Well, we are back to real life again. We are just focusing on our jobs and getting settled into our new home. We are both looking into going back to school eventually, and since our honeymoon, we have fallen in love with the island of Saint Kitts. We would love for our jobs to progress and eventually allow us to move there. We have a lot of work to do, but we are loving every second of life together. It’s always an adventure together, but we are confident that love truly conquers all. We look forward to starting a family together in the future, whenever that may be…. Until then, we have each other and the most amazing people in our lives to share this journey with. The wedding brought us closer to so many people and rekindled old friendships, and we are just excited to see what the future has in store for us. I am truly living my destiny with Miles, and I couldn’t imagine being any happier than what I am at this point in my life.