Bride: Dalayna Marie Tillman, 32, Attorney
Groom: JoDane “JD” Joseph Craigman, 36, Healthcare Consultant
The Big Day: 7/23/2016
Location: Pentagon City, Virginia
Style/Theme: Elegant, rich and timeless
“It felt incredible to be a bride,” said Dalayna. “To feel so much love and so much adoration on that one very special day when the entire focus was on celebrating our upcoming union. Then to have so many of our closest friends and family members from various walks of our lives present was incredible. Having everyone there that was truly special to us was in unimaginably great for feeling.”
“He casually said, ‘let’s take a selfie! I didn’t think much of it since earlier in the week we had jokingly mentioned how we don’t have many selfie’s together,” shared the bride. “We took about five or six selfies, each of which I found something disagreeable with us so we had to keep repeating them. Embarrassingly enough I was so self-absorbed that I failed to notice that he was staging the ring box behind me hoping that I would notice it while examining each photo, but I did not! It was not until I reached down to readjust myself for the next selfie where I felt the box and shrieked “what is this!?”. After that JD got on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of his life with him as his wife. I was in complete shock and did not hesitate to exclaim ‘yes!’”
“I was excited to take this step in life with the woman of my dreams; the day was certainly everything I dreamed it would be and more!”
The bride was on the hunt to find a dress that was both sexy and chic. It wasn’t easy but she found the perfect way to get teh dress of her dreams.
“I found the perfect sexy dress, had a tulle skirt custom designed to fit around the dress for the ceremony,” Dalayna admitted. “At the conclusion of the ceremony, I was able to remove the tulle skirt to give it a different look for the reception. It was great because when JD and I did the first look he saw the beautiful fitted dress and then when I came down the aisle with my father, I had the full tulled gown. It was a great surprise and the look on his face was priceless!”
“Several years before I met JD, the Lord gave me a vision of who my husband would be in a dream one night. I had since forgotten about the dream, but after a few months of dating, I began to recall very specific characteristics about the person I was supposed to marry; all of which started to align with JD. Once all the dots were connected, I knew then that this was HIM! “
153 of the bride and groom’s closet family and friends were present to witness their union.
“I knew she was ‘The One,'” said JD. “When I found myself trying to spend every moment with her. We were able to talk for hours and laugh about life. I’ve never felt so comfortable with anyone before and that’s when I knew.”
“Looking into her eyes at the altar was simply amazing,” admitted the groom. “I was ready, ready to make this beautiful woman my wife. I can remember feeling confident in us.”
Before becoming a Mrs., the bride and her father shared the sweetest moments on her big day including him walking her down the aisle.
“I felt incredibly confident in my decision to marry him, protected, and most importantly, loved,” said the bride of being with her groom at the altar on their big day.
“For the bouquets and reception, we selected colors that are typically associated with my favorite season, fall; burgundy’s, rich deep oranges, and flashes of pink,” the bride reflected. “To infuse the bright hues of summer, we added pops of bright greens, peaches and pinks. Our floral designer used an assortment of flowers to include hydrangea, garden roses, ranunculus, dusty miller, orchids and dahlias.”
It’s official–JD and Dalayna are one!
“Dalayna is not only intelligent, she is driven,” shared the groom. “She is constantly working on becoming a better person for herself and our family. Dalayna is honest and genuine and goes out of her way for others. She is ambitious and focused, I don’t see her failing in anything.”
What a special moment for the bride.
We love that the brided selected such a rich color for her bridesmaids to wear on her big day. These ladies definitely look flawless!
“I love his sense of humor, his drive, and his extremely generous nature,” said Dalayna of JD. “To the core, he is the most loving person I know.”
Active in her sorority, Dalayna and her sorority sisters paid tribute to their organization and bond on the big day.
Not to miss out on any of the action, JD and his frat brothers shared a moment on his big day as well.
“I decided to make Dalayna my wife because I felt she completed me,” said JD. “I have always wanted my future wife to challenge me, challenge me to be a better man. Dalayna stepped in and immediately made a positive impact in my life. Then I had the pleasure of meeting her family, who were all amazing, I had to make her my wife.”
“JD is incredibly intelligent, giving, grounded, sharp, and witty. He’s completely trustworthy and filled with integrity. He is practical and quick on his feet. He has a particular drive about him and curiosity to challenge the status quo and chart his own course in life. Every woman wants a man that can lead and lead competently and confidently, he does that and so much more. Not to mention, he is certainly tall, dark, and sexy! He has the softest heart for family and friends, and that’s the kind of man I am proud to say is my husband.”
“We chose an all-white cake with a floral cascade that mirrored the floral centerpieces. We selected our favorite flavor of red velvet with white chocolate mousse and cream cheese icing.”
“Honestly, after a few failed relationships I was close to giving up on love, then I met Dalayna. Sometimes what you’re looking for comes when you’re not looking at all.”
“I didn’t think I would find love when I did; because at that time I wasn’t looking for it,” admitted the bride. “I was just enjoy life and the challenges of being a newly minted attorney. God’s timing is perfect! “
