Bride: Erica Hicks, 31, Chief Strategist of PR VEIN, a Fashion & Lifestyle Communications Firm
Groom: Donald Anderson, 31, Relationship Manager, Healthcare Brokerage Firm
The Big Day: 9/4/16
Location: Miami, FL
Theme: Modern “Real-Life Goals” All-Black Affair
“I would describe her as a woman of faith,” said Donald of his wife. “Erica is intelligent, beautiful, stylish, and kind-hearted. She loves hard and her personality captivates everyone.”
“Donald is one of a kind – a mature man with swag, charisma and good intentions,” says Erica about the man of her dreams. “I’ve never met a human whose heart was made of pure gold. He is the kind of man who likes to celebrate the little accomplishments. Donald is the kind of guy who values “old-school” love, precious time together and family.”
“I did not think I would find true love like I did,” recalled Erica. “We were just kids. I would have never thought our young love would turn into real love. I am so blessed that God saw fit to make us best friends.”
“Yes, I love hard, so I’ve always been in search of a woman who can reciprocate the amount of love that I give,” shared Donald. My wife does that for sure.”
“It felt like magic! She shocked me the moment I saw her in her wedding dress,” said Donald of Erica. “Her entrance was very dramatic and left me and my groomsmen speechless. Such a memorable moment!”
It was all about the little things for Donald’s big day attire!
“I felt secure looking him in the eyes at the altar,” said Erica. “He was smiling so hard and rubbing my hands the whole time. I felt complete.”
“I love how our friendship has grown over the years,” said Erica. “Through all of the ups and downs we’ve both managed to keep a great respect for our friendship. I love the fact that I can have fun and party with her. I also love her spiritual strength, her willingness to overcome any obstacle-no matter how great it is! We both offer one another different perspectives on life.”
Donald proposed by sliding a ring on Erica’s finger when she was too tired to notice what he was doing. By the time she realized what he was doing, all she could say was, “yes!”
“His heart and his charisma! I always feel the coolest when I am by his side,” said Erica. “Donald is generous, patient and loyal.”
How cute is this illustration of the bride and groom!
Erica rocked a custm bridal gown by Michael Costello on her big day. “I knew I wanted a custom glamorous dress. The gowns he has designed for Beyonce, Ciara, JLo, and the Kardashians inspired me to atleast send an email to his sales team. It was a YOLO moment!,” she shared.
Erica’s second dress is swoon-worthy!
“I can’t quite pinpoint one exact moment in time,” said Donald of the moment he knew Erica was the one. “I just followed my instincts. Erica makes me happy and our friendship is rare.”
Erica’s bridesmaids look nothing but beautiful!
“We decided to have a chocolate naked cake with buttercream icing,” said Erica. “Donald chose the cake because he loves chocolate. I saw a trend of naked cakes and thought the design fit perfectly with our dessert station. We surrounded the cake with baroque themed desserts like rice crispy treats, cookies, cake pops and our favorite childhood candies like lemonheads, now and laters and more. We encouraged our guests to take a candy bag home with them.”
“I chose to make her my wife because I recognized the value and purpose that Erica serves in my life,” said Donald. “Simply put-it was time! She is my queen.”
The bridal party consisted of Erica’s three college girlfriends and three sisters along with Donald’s best friend, his two brothers and his cousin.
“I said yes because this man tells me ‘I love you’ every single day and sometimes multiple times per day!,” said Erica. “He is a true southern gentleman, a protector, a provider and I feel complete with him.”
“I knew he was the “The One” when he decided to relocate to NYC where I was living so that we could be together,” shared Erica. “We were long-distanced for a year. He just called me one day and said he wanted to move to New York. I just knew he loved me unconditionally.”
“I really enjoyed being a bride,” said Erica. “I lived for all of the special attention and I especially loved hearing Donald introduce me as his “fiancé”. He was always so proud! It was no fairytale though. The stress made me want to just elope on a few occasions.”
“It was an amazing feeling being a groom!,” said Donald. “I’ll cherish this moment the rest of my life. I got valuable advice from family, friends, and co-workers. They all told me to take it all in because the special moment goes by so fast. I spent my time enjoying every second of my wedding day. The wedding exceeded my expectations. You never know how prepared you are until you’re on queue! This was my dream wedding.”
Erica was certainly surrounded by love on her wedding day!
Here’s to lifelong twirling in love for these two!
