Our Dallas Wedding: The Johnson's Next Episode
The morning of our wedding was eerily calm. My excitement woke me up around 6AM. I got out of bed, grabbed some water and the pen and paper that I was using to write my vows. I drew back the blinds of the hotel room window to see the sun bringing color to downtown Dallas. I sat back on the bed to finish my vows – I only had a couple of hours before people would start filing into the hotel room.
The next thing I knew it was about 8 o’clock, my sister was on her way to the hotel and my mom was running late. I had dozed back to sleep, making no headway on my vows. I moved from the bed to the couch and started putting the words that had been in my head for months down on paper.
My sister arrived, then the makeup artist and then my mom. Kendra was super quick and professional. She did my mom’s makeup, then my sister’s. She took her time creating my look and I was so happy with the finished product.
My bridesmaids started to arrive in waves. Some were ready to throw on their dress; others needed help with hair or makeup. I was still having my face done so I wasn’t really sure what was happening but everyone looked great by the time the photographer arrived.
We had plenty of time for champagne toasts and dance parties before the photographer, Karla, arrived. Then it was go time.
The First Look
With our wedding happening the evening before the winter time change, I was really nervous about how long we would have good lighting after our ceremony. Rather than stress and rush through the ceremony, we opted to have a first look to make sure we got as many staged pictures as we could. The last time I was this nervous to see Jordan we had just started dating. The nerves fell away as soon as he turned around.
Wedding Party
Our closest friends watched in the background from afar. Shouts out to them for bearing through that direct sun! We made our way to them and captured more fun shots.
The Ceremony
The most important part of the day. We had the honor of being married by my Grandfather. He’s married most of his children and grandchildren, so to me this has always been a given. I hadn’t even realized the abundant blessing in this moment until the day had arrived.
Jordan and I read each other personal vows followed by traditional vows; we sealed it with a kiss and double sealed it with our secret handshake. We marked the coming together of our families by lighting the unity candle. Finally, we honored our ancestors by jumping the broom.
Most people are familiar with the symbolism behind the lighting of unity candles, but not everyone fully understands the gravity and symbolism behind the jumping of the broom. Broom jumping is a ritual handed down from our ancestors. During slavery, slaves were not able to have legally sanctioned marriages; they sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of society. For our ancestors, this small ritual was seen as legally binding, giving legitimacy, dignity and strength to the union. Each element of the broom represents an element of the foundations of marriage:
The sticks represent the couple’s new home together.
The spray of the broom represents all who have been scattered or displaced from their original home.
The ribbon represents the family ties that bind everyone together
The handle represents God who holds us together and guides our path.
The Reception
After we snapped a few epic photos on the street and quickly ate our dinner. We had our grand entrance to what would be the party that I wanted to last forever. We entered to Snoop Dogg and quickly transitioned to a simple box waltz to Beyonce. We greeted as many of our guests as possible, thanking them for coming, for traveling and celebrating us. I danced with my Dad. Jordan danced with his Mom. My new brother-in-law gave a toast followed by words from my sister. The dance floor opened up and DJ Donte did his thing. Our guests floated from the bar to the photo booth and back to the dance floor.
We danced the night away and had an epic bubble send off. Our perfect wedding was made possible by my lovely parents and the best wedding vendors in Dallas (credited below).
P.S. If you haven’t seen it already, check out our wedding video by clicking the button below.
Vendor Credit:
Event Coordinator: Laced in Love Events
Photographer: Karla Janneth
Videographer: The Creative Couch
Photo booth: The LAB Photo booth
DJ: DJ Donte
Hair: Ambishens Beauty Bar
Makeup: Kendra J.
Suit: Soto & Co.
Florist: Gardenia Event Decor
Caterer: CN Catering
Venue: Howell and Dragon