“I knew that Daryl was the one when he left and went to Argentina for a whole semester,” Shakira tells us. “I was depressed and didn’t want to do anything. I was invited to hang out with friends that semester but I felt something was missing. That something was Daryl. That semester was the hardest semester of us being apart.” Now they’ll never part again. Read their love story!
A church family member helped the bride with hair and makeup for her big day.
Before deciding on the perfect style for her big day, Shakira pined through loads of bridal magazines in search of the right look for her. Cascading curls for the win!
Shakira’s loyal bridesmaids were happy to help her slip into her gorgeous ballgown.
Shakira’s girls found their elegant, royal blue bridesmaids gowns and David’s Bridal.
“Searching for my dress was probably one of the hardest things I had to do for the wedding,” says Shakira. “Because I am tiny, I didn’t find the ‘One’ until about three months before the wedding. I knew it was the one when it actually fit my upper body. My wedding dress was designed by Hin. (A private seamstress) She was very cooperative and very inexpensive!”
“The shoes that I wore were the shoes that I wore to the banquet Daryl and I went to freshman year,” shares the bride. “They were still shiny and comfortable, so I decided to wear them. My veil was special to me because my seamstress also surprised me with this. My veil was made from the same material as my dress.”
Daryl and his groomsman stood tall on his wedding day.
Shakira and her girls pose for the perfect portrait. Don’t you just love that blue?
“Her personality is flawless, making the people she comes in contact with so loved and cared for,” says Daryl. “She is hilarious and keeps me laughing daily. I’ve met some people that are strong in some categories, but in other areas leave much to be desired. Shakira is the most well-rounded, complete package, and I’m glad I got to her early and held on to her, because she wouldn’t have been on the market long.”
“I remember laying in the bed one day looking at her picture and whispering to myself, ‘I’m going to marry this girl someday,’” says Daryl.
“I would describe the man that I married as a neatly wrapped package just for me,” says Shakira. “Daryl is gentle, loving, caring, my protector and my best friend. Not many people have the opportunity to have the whole package, I praise God for giving me Daryl.”
“I knew that she was the one when I spent a semester abroad in Argentina,” says the groom. “May to December of 2012 were the hardest four months of my life. Since we lived in different states, summer vacation was always spent apart. I figured, since I was accustomed to having short periods of distance in our relation that going to Argentina would be no different. Boy was I wrong!”
“I prayed and asked God to send me someone who is like him,” says Shakira. “God went above and beyond and sent me just what I’d asked for. Daryl encourages me, has me rolling on several occasions, and the most important of them all, he is God fearing.”
“In this sinful world, it is impossible for a human to be perfect but Shakira is as close as it gets,” says Daryl. “I chose to make her my wife because I am confident that I won’t find another woman that will excel in every category like Shakira does.”
“Shakira is a virtuous woman, and everything I could ask for,” she says. “She is beautiful beyond words with a smile that brightens the room. She loves God and pushes me to be a better Christian.”
Group love was in the air on Shakira and Daryl’s big day.
“The woman I married is an anomaly,” says Daryl. “I’ve met pretty girls, I’ve met nice girls, funny girls, sweet girls, friendly girls, Godly girls, pure girls, smart girls, ambitious girls, you name it. But rarely do I meet a girl that has all of these qualities and more. I consider those women anomalies. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“Shakira is everything that I could ever want and exactly what I need,” says Daryl. “She has all the intangible qualities that I look for in a woman and they’re wrapped in a beautiful covering. I can only describe her by saying that she’s heaven sent, and I’m the lucky recipient.”
The flower girl and ring bearer were the cutest!
Didn’t the fellas looks dapper at the altar?
And the ladies too!
“My father walked me down the aisle,” says Shakira. “I knew he’d appreciate it. My father and I reunited my freshman year in college and when Daryl mentioned to him that we were getting married my dad was ecstatic. I thought it’d only be right for him to walk me down the aisle.”
“I walked down the aisle to ‘You for Me’ by Johnny Gill,” Shakira shares. “Daryl and I heard the song while watching a movie once and I told him that I wanted to walk down the aisle to it someday. Well, when the day came, he remembered. When I walked in the church doors, everyone stood to their feet. I heard the song start playing and knew that it was my cue to begin walking. I didn’t expect what happened next. Daryl grabbed the mic, and began to start singing. As I was walking towards him, he was on the altar singing to me. It was amazing.”
What’s sweeter than getting serenaded at the altar?
“Our wedding officiate was our current pastor, Pastor Debleaire Snell,” Shakira says. “We selected him because he did our premarital counseling. He is a great man of God that we trust, and we really valued what he had to say to us. We learned so much through our counseling sessions and felt like he really cared for us. We couldn’t have chosen a better officiate.”
Two sands combined as one to celebrate the joining of their families for eternity.
Daryl and Shakira held a traditional Christian ceremony where they exchanged their vows and rings.
“Looking into her eyes was unlike anything else I’ve ever felt,” says Daryl. “It was so surreal. I couldn’t believe that it was happening for real. Looking at her in her white dress knowing that in a few short minutes we’d be bound together for all of eternity was exhilarating. Although we spent months planning and preparing, it wasn’t until that moment that I realized that my dream was coming true. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized how lucky I was to be able to soon call myself her husband.”
Daryl and Shakira sealed the deal with a movie kiss to be remembered.
Introducing Daryl and Shakira, husband and wife.
“For our first dance, we danced to the song ‘Endless Love”’by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey,” says Shakira. We can see the love!
Join us as we congratulate Shakira and Daryl and wish them well on their journey. Leave the couple a little comment love below! Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Email us now!
