Talk about a full house! Casme and Gary Carter only had three months to pull off the wedding of their dreams. With so much to plan in such a short time frame, the one thing they didn’t have to worry about was finding enough folks to join their bridal party. Seriously, they had enough ladies for three weddings!
The couple met at a Thanksgiving Community Dinner and got engaged during a family road trip. Gary planned an elaborate proposal during one of their pitstops. “I slowed down so he could open the car door like he always does,” Casme tells ESSENCE exclusively. “This time when the door opened, pink rose petals flew out into the wind, a beautiful bouquet of multi-colored roses set in between our seats and a banner marked “MARRY ME CASME.'”
One of the things that struck us about their wedding, among many things, is the fact that Casme had a whopping 34 bridesmaids, 29 of whom walked in the ceremony. As a singer/entertainer, Casme has lived in over eight cities and three states including Atlanta, New Orleans, and Nashville. Throughout her travels, she’s racked up plenty of friendships while continuously making new ones. “Every woman was handpicked because they have blessed my life at one period and time. They all knew my desire for love and being loved by the right man.”
The wedding ceremony, located on a beautiful beach in Destin, Florida, started at sunrise…and for a very special reason. “Gary and I have been celibate this whole journey,” Casme says. “So I thought, ‘let’s do the wedding early before the heavens and the earth, then go get it on, and come back later for the sunset reception.”
The couple ended the night with a laid back reception complete with a crawfish boil, barbecue, beach volleyball, and games. Casme says she plans to write a book about her celibate journey to the altar. “I’m releasing my second book entitled ‘Worth The Wait’ in 2020,” she tells ESSENCE. “I was a virgin until 23yrs and, though I fell off track, I made a vow to God to wait until I had a husband. Gary is my blessing. He waited and he adores me.”
Though the Carters’ wedding was not without some slight misfortunes (Casme’s original dress was stolen, and soon after, her engagement ring slipped into the ocean during her bachelorette trip), she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “This wedding weekend was everything!”
Scroll through for more moments from Casme and Gary’s Florida wedding.
Credits: Event planning: B Sherrie Events & Sher Bliss Events, hair: April lane, makeup: Jamila Debow
