Omar + Marquia

As their wedding photographer I wanted to get to know their story and how everything happened, detail by detail so I suggest you buckle up for this one.

Omar and Marquia were local church friends of mine and we volunteered many months together but now it was time to capture a side of them I never knew about. I was shocked when I was approached to capture their wedding day and I didn’t have a clue that they were even dating (haha). So this is the amazing story, enjoy the read!

These love birds met at church a few years back, perhaps 2012 at a Field Day Event hosted by the ROC Singles Ministry at The Faith Center, a church they both attended. She usually didn't attend singles events, but it involved sports so she was super interested. Over the years, they would walk past each other with a casual "Hi" and kept it moving. Marquia always thought he was a “ladies man” so she didn’t have much interest. Omar always thought she was really pretty but she always looked like she did yoga. It was typically every Sunday because she always had on workout clothes lol :)  Marquia wanted me to put this here, she said “For the record, I taught Sunday school and wanted to be comfortable” she laughed.

Fast forward to July 2018. During the summer of 2018 Marquia spent some time and prayer to initially pray for her family and her next moves concerning her future. While praying, she felt that she was hiding some deep desire that she tried to cover up by serving in multiple ministries, staying beyond busy at work, and working towards a Master’s degree. All things that she felt could fill a void. Well, God asked her “Do you want to be married?” Initially, Marquia felt a little ashamed because Christian circles always tell you that God is enough, which he totally is! However, He also places desires in our hearts. So she spoke truthfully and shared her heart’s desire. She left the request at His feet and started the top of the summer with a new attitude and a fresh outlook.

During this time as well, Omar was praying for a spouse after experiencing some misfortune in dating. He always said that he had a "type" but asked God for the right woman for him. Shortly after, Omar hosted an event called "Barbershop Talk" where the men would discuss topics that women could listen to concerning the male perspective. The event went very well and a group of them went to a restaurant afterward. Somehow, Omar and Marquia talked the whole night because he was absolutely mesmerized by her (lol). Seriously, it was a light and refreshing conversation that continued the next day and beyond.

About a few weeks after, he asked her out on a date. They talked a lot! Like the restaurant closed and they had to leave (lol).  During this initial date, they were very comfortable and felt like old friends. (Marquia even said out loud “This could work!”, it was supposed to stay in her head). Both of them then talked to their Pastors and gave the heads up that they were dating. They were very helpful in giving advice, praying for us, and later becoming our premarital counselors. Omar & Marquia also spent a lot of time with their family and close friends in the initial stage, as it truly helped their foundation and provided guidance. “It's crazy how you could walk by someone for years until something clicks,” Marquia said. “It’s been a crazy, wonderful, and challenging year but every day we look forward to a forever future together!”