Bride: Tyisha Quattlebaum, 25
Groom: Lamar Quattlebaum, 28
Occupations: Tyisha, accounting associate; Lamar, home health aide
Homebase: Philadelphia
Wedding Date: June 20, 2009
Wedding Location: ceremony: Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Philadelphia; reception: Fireman’s Memorial Hall, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself: When she was just 17 and fresh out of high school, Tyisha met her future husband, Lamar. She walked into the hat store where he worked in the mall and thought he was cute but brushed it off. The next day, the pair bumped into each other at a graduation party. “He tapped me on my shoulder and asked, ‘Don’t I know you?’” recalls Tyisha with a laugh. Immediately she thought he was just another dude running game but then remembered he was the same cutie she noticed in the mall the day before. A connection was made, the two danced together the entire night and exchanged numbers. Lamar was the perfect gentleman and ensured Tyisha and her friends made it home safely.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: The youngsters began courting but that fall Tyisha headed off to college and Lamar stayed behind in Philadelphia. While the distance would have caused most couples their age to grow apart, these two stuck it out. “I went to visit Tyisha often plus lots of talking on the phone helped me cope with the long distance,” explains Lamar. Tyisha admits she didn’t have many boyfriends before Lamar. But even then she could tell she wasn’t a “right now girlfriend”. “I appreciated his respect for me and people period,” she adds.

Break Up to Make Up: During Tyisha’s senior year of college, the pair reached a rough patch in their relationship that caused them to call it quits. “Even our friends were disappointed that we broke up,” remembers Tyisha. After a few months apart, they found their way back to each others hearts. Tyisha says, “Our love was on another level once we got back together.” “We had some problems just like every couple, but we knew we had something that’s hard to come by so we couldn’t just give up,” says Lamar. This time, they were in it to win it.

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[All photos, excluding honeymoon pic, by Funmi Adeshina of Kolure Images, LLC.]

What’s in a Ring?: To celebrate their fourth anniversary together, Tyisha and Lamar went on a dinner date with another couple who happened to be close friends. The date didn’t go as planned since all their desired restaurants were packed. The venue may have changed but Lamar kept to his original plan to ask for Tyisha’s hand in marriage. Tyisha was so overwhelmed with excitement that she excitedly said yes and never gave thought to the “rock” as many women do. “I wasn’t the girl researching [engagement] rings. I didn’t care about the cut of the diamond and all that stuff,” she says.

Tropical Paradise: Since Tyisha had just graduated from college, finding a job in her field before jumping the broom was important to her. Lamar understood and once she secured a desired position they got the planning started. The couple decided on a tropical paradise themed wedding for their 167 guests. “I was born in the summer; I love the heat,” explains Tyisha. When asked about the best part of her wedding day Tyisha quickly responds, “I would do it all over again fifty times if I could. Everything was perfect in my eyes.” To that Lamar adds, “She loves God and her family…Plus she’s nice to look at! I always said I wanted a wife just like the person I married. God must love me.”

Tyisha’s Budget Bridal Tips For Future Brides:

Use Your Network: Tap into your resources like Tyisha did to get the most bang for your bridal buck. “Lamar’s uncle was our DJ. If people are willing to do things for you, take the offers,” she advises. She also strongly suggests getting references from those you trust which is how she secured her caterer for their reception.

Get Web Savvy: Tyisha used the Web to secure many items for her big day and saved a hefty amount of money in the process. “I was constantly online finding out about bridal shows, sales and other useful info,” says Tyisha. As a result, she was able to purchase her gown and shoes for well below the retail price.

Give Him Something to Do: Although it’s not a “budget” tip, Tyisha suggests that future brides let their sweetie run with the “one thing” that grabs her groom’s interest. “Lamar wasn’t really into the wedding planning but after dragging him to a few bridal shows he became very interested in our pictures and the photographer. So, I let him take care of that completely and he was happy about it,” says the new wife.

Be sure to view previous Tie the Knot Tuesday couples.