Couple: Lishawn and Miguel
Wedding Date: November 17, 2013
Wedding and Reception Location: Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wedding Theme: Diamonds Are Forever

Meet Me at the Ball Game “Miguel and I met back in the summer of 2004. I was on my regular auntie duties taking my nephew to peewee football practice when all of a sudden this handsome, tall, dark chocolate man approached me. He smelled so good and was well dressed,” recalls Lishawn. Miguel was equally smitten. “I thought she was stunning. It was a sunny day at the park and she immediately stood out from the crowd. I still smile thinking about that day,” he shares.

All I Do is Think of You It didn’t take long for the pair to become an item. Miguel admits, “I knew I was in love with Lishawn when I would hang out with other people and all I would do is think about her.” He continues laughing, “I would constantly check my phone to see if she called.” Lishawn agrees and shares, “It was a mutual feeling and connection from the start. It began with me staying at his place a few nights a week, to me living out of a duffle bag, to us eventually having the conversation of moving into a new place together.” She continues, “It wasn’t long before that move happened and a year and a half later I was pregnant with our daughter Dallis who is now 7 years old.”

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[All images by AJ Shorter.]

In Sickness and In Health “Like any other couple we’ve gone through ups and downs. We’ve had job losses, lost loved ones, had temporary breakups, navigated being news parents and more. But our most challenging time was when Miguel got really ill and was admitted into the intensive care unit. I juggled being a mom, employee and fiancee for several weeks. I made the hospital my temporary home while he was there. I would wake up at Miguel’s hospital and drive to the hospital where I worked only to leave work and go back to the hospital where he was admitted. God gave me the strength. Thankfully Miguel recovered and was discharged with no complications.” Miguel cosigns with pride saying, “In May of 2012, I was hospitalized with pneumonia. My lung collapsed and my diagnosis did not look good. Lishawn was by my side every step of the way.”

A Couple That Laughs Together Miguel proposed to his beloved on Christmas Day, in the same restaurant where they spent their first Christmas together. “It was beautiful,” remembers Lishawn. The couple planned a wedding day that was also beautiful and more importantly reflected their humorous personalities. Example? “Miguel is 6’6 feet tall and I’m just shy of 5 feet. I had a custom designed stool made just for our first kiss. As our pastor was about to tell my husband he could kiss his bride, we had my brother interrupt the ceremony by yelling “Hold on, wait!” He pulled out the stool from a hidden spot and proceeds to say “Ya’ll know she can’t reach!” It was hilarious and now a classic moment,” Lishawn explains. Miguel adds, “We wanted everyone to see our personalities and how much fun we have together.” Mission accomplished.

Lishawn’s Budget-Friendly Tips for Brides-to-Be

Ask and You Might Receive “Don’t be afraid to negotiate, you’ll be surprised how many times you get what you ask for.”

Become a Digital Diva “Use the Internet to your advantage. My favorite website app was Etsy. I found almost everything I needed there. Amazon is great, too.”

Sunday Funday…in November Like many modern couples, Lishawn and Miguel opted not to wed on Saturday. Their nuptials were on Sunday so they likely received significant savings because of it. Tying the knot between the months of November to April can also be financially beneficial in most parts of the world since the time period is typically off-peak for weddings.

VENDOR CREDITS

Venue + Caterer: Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six
Dress: Enzoani  Shoes: Vera Wang White Collection
Tuxes/Suits: Patricia South’s
Cake: Susie’s Scrumptious Sweets
Florist: Flower of the World, Inc.
DJ/Band: Vision DJs
Hair + Makeup: Mia Hendrickson Lynn
Photographer: AJ Shorter

Take a look at past Tie the Knot Tuesday and (Not Quite) Tie the Knot Tuesday features here.

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