Shadé and A.J. first met in 2011 in Waldorf, MD. As A.J. was leaving IHOP, Shade thought he was handsome and made her move by stopping him and asking for his number. After a few months, the two became good friends but nothing more. Fast forward to Jan. 10, 2016 while visiting family, Shade decided to reach out to AJ to see if he was in the area. AJ stopped by and after years of not seeing each other, they talked for over three hours.
Shade says, “I could not believe the instant attraction I felt towards AJ. I kept asking myself if this was the same guy that I vowed to never see again years ago at IHOP? Ever since the evening of January 10, 2016 we have been inseparable. I believe that our paths crossed in 2011 for the purpose of foundation but God was not ready for us to connect HIS way until 2016. We are my perfect love story!” Read more of their love story and see more from their walk down the aisle captured by Rhea Whitney.
Bride: Shadé Mason, 36, Writer
Groom: AJ Mason, 36, AWS Cloud System Administrator
Photography by: Rhea Whitney
Place of residence: Bowie, MD
Wedding date: August 6, 2021
Wedding location: Hunt Valley Mansion, Hunt Valley, Maryland
Wedding theme/motif/inspiration: Love Story
Honeymoon Destination: We decided to wait until we buy our first house before going on our honeymoon.
Briefly tell us about your wedding experience and how the both of you felt on your big day. Include your most memorable moment.
We both felt loved by the amount of support that surrounded us. Even though we had a private ceremony a few months prior, it still felt like the first time.
Bride’s memorable moment: “The dance with my mommy and being introduced to our family and friends as, Mr & Mrs. Mason”.
Groom’s memorable moment: “Seeing my wife walk down the aisle in her dress and hearing her read the love letter she wrote for me.”
Wedding song, explain choice for song: Be With You by Eric Roberson. AJ played this song for me a year after we met. I fell in love with the song and it became our song.
What are you most looking forward to as a married couple? I’m looking forward to creating a life that we both have dreamed of and sharing it with my other half.
Advice for a Bride/Groom on their wedding day: Focus on simply being a bride and groom. If you have the right team in place, you should be able to enjoy your day without worrying about the what-ifs.
Please feel free to include any other interesting anecdotes from your big day!
We actually had a secretive ceremony on our original wedding (April 17, 2021) date pre-covid. We used the footage from the ceremony to create a “wedding reveal” video that made its debut on our August 6, 2021 wedding to surprise our guests.
Congratulations to the happy couple! We wish them many years of wedded bliss!
Sources
Rhea Whitney Photography|One Of A Kind Management & Events|Ebony Jones of My Stylish Event|Valley Mansion|Shop Revelry|Satin Smith, Satin Monroe Collection|The Gentlemen’s Tux|Debbie Church, Delicate Creations|Martin’s Caterers|Ashley Goodwin, OKME (One of A Kind Management)|DJ Rizzo|Tress Art by Serena Yates|Glamqui- Marquia James|Marlow, McCrystle & Jones Florist|Marry Me Magazines|Fri Longtchi of Beau Décor|Viz Ink Weddings|Alisha T. Styles
