Maurice & Donna Taylor
Bride
Donna M. Jones, 30
Groom
Maurice Arthur Taylor, 35
Parents of the Bride
Donald L. and Laura Jones
Parents of the Groom
The late Edwin Taylor and Ms. Veronica Patterson
Hometown of the Bride
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Hometown of the Groom
Lexington, Kentucky
Wedding Date
4/30/2011
Wedding Location
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Occupation of the Bride
Sr. Claims Adjuster
Occupation of the Groom
Owner/Barber
Alma Mater of the Bride
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Alma Mater of the Groom
University of Kentucky
How they met:
‘We met in August 2008 in Atlanta, GA, states Donna. ‘We were at a lounge during the Bonner Brother’s Hair Show.He introduced himself and told me he was from Kentucky. I was thinking in the back of my head, ‘ This is not going anywhere because he lives there and I live in North Carolina.’ Little did I know God had a different plan that neither of us knew anything about.’
The moment they realized they wanted to be a couple for life:
‘Donna and I, alternated weekend travels from Kentucky to North Carolina,’ states Maurice. ‘One particular weekend I had taken her to the airport for her to return to North Carolina. I left the airport feeling a strange. I didn’t want her to leave me anyone more.‘About 20 minutes later she called and told me that they had canceled her flight because of a storm and I needed to come back and get her. At that moment I knew she was suppose to be my wife!’
The Proposal:
‘Valentine’s Weekend 2010 was also my Birthday weekend,’ states Donna. ‘Maurice had flown in from Kentucky to take me to dinner with me closest friends and family. As I was thanking our guests for coming, Maurice was secretly asking them to meet him the following evening at my favorite restaurant.’Upon arriving at Flemming’s Steakhouse the next evening, I noticed that a few extra chairs were at the table. When Maurice told me he was expecting a few of our friends to drop by, I settled down to wait and began playing blackjack on my cell phone.Maurice asked me to give him the phone, but I refused. He took the phone from my hands while saying “You know I love you, right?” and asked me to stand.As I stood up, I noticed lots of camera flashes. I immediately started to cry. Maurice, meanwhile, had gotten down on one knee and was asking me to marry him. Then I noticed my mother and closest friends were there, standing behind him.Words can’t describe my feelings at that moment, but it felt so good…Whoa! The man that I am in love with had just asked me to be his wife.’
The Wedding:
‘Our wedding was absolutely beautiful! It was the last Saturday in April, and the only Saturday that it didn’t rain!My stylist, nail technician and make up artist got started early Saturday morning pampering my bridesmaids and me. I was so blessed to be stress free and I am so thankful for that. Thanks to my wedding planner.My wedding theme was “Taylor-Made” because we wanted our day to be custom and tailor made especially for us. One of my girls even ordered me a custom blinged-out tee shirt to wear pre-wedding.Custom jewelry was made for my bridesmaids and hostesses Their dresses were absolutely gorgeous; full of color and flare!The guys wore charcoal gray tuxes with accent colors ties that incorporated the peacock and raspberry perfectly.Maurice and I showered each other with beautiful gifts, He even replaced all my costume jewelry with real diamonds and he did a phenomenal job!’‘I arrived at my wedding in a 1965 Rolls Royce. We absolutely love old classic cars and this was a MUST!The church was decorated with pink stargazer lilies. William Smith, who is my cousin and was a contestant on the show “Design Star,” decorated my reception and it was absolutely fantastic! The lighting and flowers couldn’t have been more perfect.The shutter booth wedding was a major hit. All of the guests really enjoyed it.We partied at our reception from the introductions to the last song. The DJ kept the floor jumping. We are big party people and love to have a great time. Great friends and family made sure that we did.’
The Honeymoon:
‘We honeymooned in Los Cabos, Mexico for a week. We went horseback riding, zip lining and even swam with the dolphins. We spent time relaxing and enjoying one another without wedding planning on our minds. Everything was great… the hotel, the beaches and the food! ‘
Their Plans:
‘Our plans are to continue to build a strong foundation as a couple, enjoy and love one another during the process, travel and one day have a few mini me’s.’
Advice to Others:
‘Stay focused on one another. Other people and their opinions come a dime a dozen. Keep God first and everything else will fall in place.’
Interesting Fact:
‘In memory of the groom’s father, Mr. Edwin Taylor whom we lost one month before our wedding, Rest in peace.’