Nineteen years ago, Tamia walked down the aisle to marry the love of her life, former NBA star and future Hall of Famer, Grant Hill.
On this day in 1999, the couple swapped vows in a gorgeous wedding in Detroit, Michigan wedding, just three years after being introduced by songstress Anita Baker. They have two beautiful daughters together: Myla, 16 and Lael, 10.
While we’ve always known a few things about their love story over the years, we were hoping for a few more details about the notoriously private couple’s big day, so we asked Tamia to spill some throwback wedding tea! The video for her new single, “Today, I Do,” shows never before seen footage of their wedding day, so in honor of the occasion, we asked her to recount her wedding day.
What song did you sing to Grant during the reception?
Grant would always jokingly say that I never sing to him, so I wanted to share that gift with him on our wedding day. For me it wasn’t as much about the song, it was about giving something from my heart. I mean, what do you give a man that has everything?!
What was your favorite wedding day memory?
Definitely the reception. The end of the day when we got to just relax and enjoy the moment, dancing and celebrating with friends and family.
Did you two swap traditional vows or write your own?
We chose to exchange traditional vows.
Did anything go wrong on the big day?
Of course! We had an outdoor wedding and it poured rain the night before. With Michigan weather, you never know how it’s going to turn out. We were trying to decide what to do, but fortunately, when it came time for the ceremony the sun came out and it became an extremely hot day. It was 100 degrees (at least it felt like it)! Grant was definitely sweating, I don’t know if it was because of the weather though.
Where did you honeymoon?
We chose to honeymoon in beautiful Bali, Indonesia.
Did Anita Baker attend the wedding?
Anita was our matchmaker. She told me about Grant at the Soul Train Awards one year. She called me to share her kind words and wishes for our wedding but was unable to attend that day.
After all of these years, what’s the one thing you and Grant remember to do/say to each other each day?
Whether we’re together or apart, we always start the day with “good morning” and say “goodnight” to each other before the end of the day. It may seem like a little thing, but communication is the most important thing for us.
Watch the video for Tamia’s new song, “Today I Do” featuring never before seen footage from her and Grant’s wedding day, here.