Tierra and OC first started dating almost four years ago in the spring of 2015. They met in the lobby of their church, although not by chance! A mutual friend had spoken to them separately prior to their meeting, stating that she felt that they would be a good match for each other. Even though they attended the same church, they had never met. They were both hesitant about the suggestion when their friend first told them about one another. One day she brought them together in the lobby and forced them to exchange numbers right in front of her. They both felt awkward and laughed about it, but clearly, it worked. The pair started speaking to each other later that week and the rest is history! Now they’re ready to get married and celebrated their pending union with a fashionable engagement session at the Enid A. Haupt Garden and Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. Get inspired by their special day, captured by Iris Mannings Photograpahy.
Bride’s full name, age and occupation: Tierra Covey, 28, HR Manager & Die Hard Seafoodie
Groom’s full name, age and occupation: OC, Mid-30s, Sushi Enthusiast
Place of residence: Northern Virginia
Engagement Shoot Location: Washington, D.C.
Wedding date: October 12, 2019
Engagement story:
The engagement proposal happened right after church in 2018. I had just finished serving in the nursery and was exhausted, and definitely didn’t look my best! I thought OC and I were going over to my parents’ house for a late lunch to celebrate my acceptance into my Master’s program. We were just finishing up eating when out of nowhere OC started speaking to my grandfather about how special I was to him and that he had already asked my father for my hand in marriage, but he would like permission from him too. Once that was received, I hadn’t thought anything of it until OC got down on his knee and asked me to continue to make his days brighter as his wife.
For the Groom: Walk us through the behind the scenes of creating this special day.
The original engagement I had planned had gotten stalled due to unforeseen circumstances. Tierra was out with a few friends at the time, and we had planned to celebrate our third anniversary together that night. I had hundreds of balloons, candles, and her favorite white roses set up for her arrival to my place, but one thing was missing: the ring. It was special-ordered and the tracking stated that the package was nowhere to be found. I was devastated. To make matters worse she had just called stating that she was on her way, which was when Plan B had to take effect. I immediately told her that we should have dinner with her dad to thank him for something that he had done previously for us, I could tell she was disappointed.
Little did she know that the surprise I had planned for our anniversary was a proposal gone wrong. While she travelled to my place, I rushed to clean up so she wouldn’t know that anything was going on. A week or so later, when the ring finally arrived, I came up with the idea for Plan C to propose while her grandparents were in town, since I know they mean so much to her. On top of that, she had just gotten into her MBA program, so I spoke with her dad to come up with the perfect plan of creating a celebration lunch for her. Tierra is all about family and intimacy, so I knew proposing to her while she was surrounded by people that she loves would mean a lot to her.
What makes your love special?
Our love is made special simply because we know that we both have things that the other person needs. Because we were good friends before we started dating, we already knew what makes us laugh, things we like to do together, and how to be vulnerable with one another. Although far from similar, we know that we have each other’s back with the support of God.
What was the theme of your shoot?
We wanted to have a photo shoot that represented things that we both like. I like to be dolled up and love to see OC in a sharp suit, while he likes to be comfortable and chill in casual clothes. The two different looks were just a balance of that.
Were the
re any memorable moments during the shoot?
Neither of us have ever been professionally photographed, so we were both nervous and felt awkward. To add to that people were staring at us and it was freezing since it had just snowed the day before. But our photographer Iris Mannings definitely helped us through by guiding us which helped us to relax and of course her bubbly personality.
What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?
We’re looking forward to celebrating with the people that God has placed in our lives to support and love us individually and as a couple. This transition from two people to one has been a long time coming, we’re excited to see that the best is yet to come.
Have you started planning your wedding?
We have. We are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of wedding details, but thankfully we have an awesome wedding planner Elise Kolle of Pinkboxe Weddings who has helped make planning this day beyond what we could have imagined.
Congratulations to the happy couple! We wish you a fruitful marriage and many years of wedded bliss.
