Denica and Frank met during their senior year at boarding school high school in 2007. Over the years the two cultivated a great friendship that lasted through college. In 2009, Denica and Frank decided that they were destined to be more than just friends and started their romantic relationship at the end of their sophomore year of college. The two college co-eds turned soul mates, celebrated their union with a summer garden themed wedding at the Ashton Gardens in Atlanta, GA. Check out their special day captured by wedding photographer Michael Overton of Medialifted Weddings!
Bride: Denica Harrell, 25, Marketer
Groom: Frank Harrell II, 25, Tax Consultant
Place of residence: Charlotte, NC
Wedding Date: 8/17/14
Engagement story:
It was our fourth year anniversary and Frank surprised me with a beach trip! I was super excited and I had no clue what he had up his sleeve. I could only hope it was a ring, however, I thought he was going to propose so many times before, only to be disappointed. So, this time I siked myself to believe it was NOT going to happen! Any who, we were sitting on the beach and Frank was too excited and anxious to walk around on the beach. So I finally agreed to take a stroll with him. He then says he wants to walk on this beautiful pier at the beach, but before, he wanted to take some pictures. Knowing that something could be up… I started cheesing for the camera. Once we get on the pier we walk to the end and then there was a bench facing the beautiful ocean. He then starts to pull some “anniversary” gifts from his bag and saying things like “I hope you will enjoy and remember this anniversary”. He then proceeds to pull out this NFL panther’s hat with the name “Mrs. Harrell” embroidered on the side of it. (Side note: Frank and I are avid sports fan, he and I LOVE the Carolina Panthers). At this point I said either he is cruel and he is teasing me, or my life is about to change forever. The next part was very fussy to me because all I remember is Frank getting on one knee and saying a whole bunch of stuff and pulling out the little black box!!! I calmed down from all the excitement and screaming long enough to say… YES!
Your best/most memorable moment:
From the Bride: This is a hard one because we have many. If I were to choose, it would be when my mother walked me down the aisle and gave me away. It was a very special moment, because in 2012 my father passed away from lupus. My mother represented him and our family strongly. Her strength has been the thing that has kept our family going. It was very emotional for me. She is my best friend.
From the Groom: My most memorable moment was seeing my wife walking down the aisle, and knowing that my dream was finally coming true. When the doors to the chapel opened, it was as if the sun decided to shine directly through the doorway to make Denica’s entrance even more grand. I completely tuned everything out and just focused on watching my bride walk down the aisle. She was gorgeous and I was ready to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Words will never due that moment its proper justice.
From the groom :
The wedding weekend as a whole was a lot more stressful than I was expecting. We had friends and family from all over, and I was torn between being able to spend a few moments with them and handle my last minute wedding preparations. The nerves didn’t really kick in until the night before the wedding, but once they kicked in, they were there. However, I was able to truly enjoy my wedding day. I was able to show off my beautiful bride on Friday and Saturday to my friends and family, and present her as the newest member of my family before God and all of our guests on the Sunday of our wedding. The wedding day was perfect, and my bride was perfect.
From the bride:
The wedding day was all I had ever hoped for and dreamed about. It was a bright, beautiful, and blessed day! I chose the colors coral, guava, and tangerine because we got married in a glass chapel and we were surrounded with a lot of greenery. I chose the décor to be simple yet classic, which is my personal style. There was so much natural beauty at the venue that I didn’t want to take away from it. I just wanted to give it my personal touch! It was a perfect day, and I was so happy to share our love with friends and family.
What makes our love special?
Our love was founded upon friendship. We were best friends and loved each others company. We took some of our freshmen courses together, and when the classes got boring we would jokingly play to be married (I know, corny) with kids and a butler (which was our friend who was sitting next to us… We are still working on this part ! But moral of the story… Be careful what you “play” for, it may come true!
Wedding Song: We had two… “When I found you” by BeBe Winans and “If it wasn’t for your love” by Heather Headley.
Favorite Wedding Detail: Our music. We had immaculate musicians and solo artists perform. They really made our day special.
What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?
Growing old together, and seeing who ages better!
Advice for a bride/groom on their wedding day?
Expect some things not to go right, and don’t freak out. Just go with the flow. Everything will work out fine. Also, for the bride, give your maid of honor your cell phone on the day of the wedding. There is nothing like getting a whole bunch of calls from people asking for directions or instructions. It will add to the chaos.
Congratulations to newlyweds Denica and Frank! We wish you many more years of wedded bliss!
Vendors:
Photography: Michael Overton of Medialifted Weddings
Ceremony Location: Ashton Gardens/www.ashtongardens.com
Reception Location: Ashton Gardens/www.ashtongardens.com
Bridal Gown: Oleg Cassini/David’s Bridal
Bridal Party: David’s Bridal
Broom’s Tux: Vera Wang/Men’s Warehouse
Cake: Frosted Pumpkin/www.frostedpumpkin.com
Caterer: Ashton Gardens/www.ashtongardens.com
Favors: DIY
Wedding Planners: DIY
Music: Complete Music Wedding and Events/www.cmatlantadj.com
Hair: Libra Loft Hair Salon-Tricia Conner/www.libraloft.com
Makeup: Bee Wade/www.allthingsbee.com or www.beewademua.com
Flowers: Flowers So Beautiful by Shondola Evans/ www.fsb-events.com
Stationery: DIY
Curated by our Wedding Features Editor, C.K. Alexander. C.K. is the owner and founder of Love Ink and Brownstone Bridal. Keep up with C.K. on Twitter here: @Love_Ink
