Deon + Darrian

I've been waiting seems like years....okay maybe a few weeks... to blog about Darrian and Deon's wedding. If there were any two people meant for each other, it's these two...and their wedding day definitely showed that! There were so many moments, where I literally either had chills, was tearing up, or even straight up ugly crying at some points.

You could 100% feel God's presence in every aspect of the day.

Before the ceremony started, we were told that Darrian's father (who also pastors them) was going to pass down their family mantle that had the descriptions of a godly husband on it. Well...Deon had NO idea. It was such an emotional part of the ceremony. Darrian cried...Deon cried...their family cried.... I cried....

What was the most EMOTIONAL part of the day?

" When I received the mantle from her father. The sense of trust and responsibility shifted my spirit as a man to a husband. It was truly powerful!!!!!!!" - Deon

"Definitely the moment my dad placed the mantle onto Deon. I didn't realize the moment was going to be as special as it was."-Darrian

Number One Tip for Future Phocus Brides to Consider:

"When the wedding day finally comes, I would encourage future brides to absorb every minute of that beautiful day. Trust that everything will work itself out and have the time of your life!"

What was something unique about the day?

I absolutely adored their seating chart. On each table was a sign with a local place that Darrian and Deon liked to have a date night together. I thought it was the cutest and most "them" thing they could have done! I love seeing the different things that couples include into their wedding day that make it reflect them as a couple.

What moment were you most looking forward to seeing in the photos?

" Everyone crying during the ceremony."- Deon

When I say there wasn't a dry eye in sight... I mean there wasn't a dry eye in sight. I'm pretty sure everyone teared up at some point of the ceremony. And at the end, let's just say they could have had an altar call. I think we sometimes take for granted the love that God has for us. We see it as just "Jesus loves you", when in reality, it's such a deeper love than that. All I know is that if the love Darrian and Deon were showing is even a percentage of the love that God has for us, then we can't even fathom His love.

"Deon's reaction to me walking down the aisle." -Darrian

I knew the moment Deon saw Darrian for the first time, he was going to lose it. You could tell that he had been waiting for this one moment with his queen. It was simply beautiful.

How did you two meet?

"We both met in high school in Spanish I class. She was sophomore and I was a junior. We were classroom friends but we never spoke after class. She had a slight crush on me (she was mesmerized by my jokes). After we both graduated we remained connected through social media. 7 years after we graduated I made the smoothest move and DM Darrian on instagram. I told her that “the fact that you love God is truly amazing to me. Keep glowing girl” Again, she was mesmerized by my jokes and charm and I was amazed by her beauty and overall spirit."-Deon

Tell us about THE dress!

"Yes, the dress!!! Trying on dresses at Bridal Suite was a dream! I always imagined myself in a mermaid gown, but when I tried on my wedding dress, I definitely had that "Say Yes to the Dress" moment. The dress screamed beauty and elegance, and that's just how I wanted to feel on my big day."-Darrian

GIVE ME ALLLL THE FUR COATS... there is just something elegant and timeless about fur coats. It's the perfect thing to incorporate to get some variety in your wedding look. Whether it's a jean jacket or fur coat. It is 100% okay to have it throughout your day.

Describe the BRIDE on your wedding day!

"The best feeling in the world is to realize the day that your queen is the most gorgeous person on the planet. The wedding is the day the makes you notice that every beautiful thing in the world does even compare to your own bride. She was elegant, breathtaking, and honestly the most astonishing view I have ever seen. I promise I will never forget the way my wife looked on the wedding day and I will never forget the feeling I had once I saw her. I could only thank God for sending someone so beautiful and perfect in my life."-Deon

Describe the GROOM on your wedding day!

"He was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. The walk down the aisle felt down like eternity because I could not stop gazing into his beautiful eyes. He was the most handsome groom ever!"- Darrian

Tell us about your first dance.

"Our first dance song was Blessed by Daniel Caesar. The lyrics of this song is beautiful, and we felt as if the song portrayed the essence of our relationship as a whole."

OKKKAYYYYY.... Their first dance song was so PERFECT. I literally added it to my "favorites" playlist the day after their wedding. Seriously, STOP... go grab your spouse, turn on this song and just have a moment (then come back and finish reading this blog). If you can't tell from the photo above, it was as though it was the two of them and no one else in the room.

LET'S TALK NIGHT SHOTS...

We had been dying to shoot under this LED tunnel and just haven't had the time or the right couple for it...until Deon and Darrian. It was super cold that night and we ALMOST didn't get the chance to shoot, but I knew I would regret not getting these shots for them. And IT. DID. NOT. DISSAPPOINT! It was the perfect way to end the perfect night.

Favorite Part of the Phocus Experience?

"The WHOLE experience was my favorite part. It's really hard to to choose a favorite part! After our engagement shoot with Phocus, we knew our wedding day was gonna be magical because they were our photographers. Tim, Audrey, and their team made us feel like part of the family from the very beginning. On the wedding day, they made us feel comfortable and at peace with everything."

Here's some of our favorites of the day!