*Written by the Groom* _____

Our love story began in the Summer of 1998, when we were introduced by our friend Ashley Windmon, outside of her grandparents' house. For me, it was infatuation at first sight; for her ... ummm, not so much. From there we became friends, in her eyes at least; I was just patiently waiting her out. So for 6 months I waited, showing up everytime I heard that she was at her grandparents' house (thanks Ashley). Then one fateful, rainy night, January 23, 1999 to be exact, she finally came to her senses and began flirting with me. This was my dream come true! After a couple hours of flirtation, butterflies, and a pep talk from Ashley, I finally asked her to be my girlfriend. Shockingly she accepted! Buuuutttt, that lasted less than 3 months, and back to friends we went. We would remain in the "friend zone" until the Fall of 2003, but this time I put the moves on her. And once again, she came to her senses, and we began casually dating (long distance) and exploring the possibility of being in a serious relationship. Although my infatuation had grown into love by this point, I felt that this was not the right time for us to start a lasting relationship, and I refused to except anything less. In the meantime, we each went our own ways, speaking sparingly but loving each other the entire time. In the Summer of 2007 the flames of our love were reignited when we met for a final farewell dinner date. Yes, we were done .. we were over ... well obviously not! From there we picked up where we left off, dating casually and again exploring the possibility of being in a serious relationship. We spent 6 months repairing our friendship, reconciling our differences, and inevitably realizing just how much we both loved one another. So on one fateful, rainy night, January 23, 2008 to be exact, I finally asked her to be my girlfriend again. We were finally in that serious relationship that we both had longed for. During our time as boyfriend and girlfriend, I delt with feelings of guilt. I knew that I never should have asked her to be my girlfriend; I should have asked her then to be my wife! On November 16, 2008, I finally stopped over-thinking it and popped the question as the sun set on us at Lover's Key Beach. Since that time we have been working tirelessly to perfect ourselves and our relationship in an effort to establish a stable foundation on which we will build our marriage. Thanks to Maurice and Kia Howell, we attended our premarital course at Calvary Chapel, which has been the biggest blessing in our relationship as well as our individual lives. We have since began to regularly attend church at Bible Teacher's International, being nourished in the word of God, and putting Him first as we prepare to be joined together as husband and wife.

Our wedding will be held at the beautiful Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida. We have chosen a tropical theme for our wedding, which epitomizes exactly who we are. We love the laid back feel and tranquil vibes of the tropical island atmosphere, and we hope to bring that to everyone that joins us on our big day. Our wedding colors are royal blue, turquoise, and a light green (called pistachio) which represent the beautiful colors of the coastal sea. Our ceremony and cocktail hour will be held outdoors (weather permitting) on an open-air terrace overlooking a serine golf course. The ceremony will begin promptly at 1 pm. The dress code calls for semi-formal attire.

Our reception will also be held at the Inverrary Country Club in the Grand Ballroom.

** The Inverrary Country Club is located at:
3840 Inverrary Blvd. - Lauderhill, FL 33319.**

** Directions: Take I-95 to Oakland Park Blvd, Exit West. Continue West on Oakland Park Blvd for approx 4 miles to Inverrary Blvd/NW 56 Ave (landmark = waterfall at the corner). Make a right onto Inverrary Blvd and continue North 1 mile. The venue will be on the right.**

We are so excited about our upcoming nuptials! We are also very blessed to have such a great support base in our family and friends. Thank you all for your continuous love, it is greatly appreciated! We love you all.

XOXO,

Tamala Elliard & Edward Wallace