Darrius and Qulanda met in 2009 when they were both members of the bridal party for mutual friends. At that wedding rehearsal, the attraction was undeniable as the two found themselves in flirtatious banter. Shortly after, they began dating while living miles a part (Darrius in Albany and Qulanda in Atlanta). As recent college graduates, they amicably decided it was best they ended their relationship to pursue their individual paths. Even after the breakup, the two remained friends and stayed in contact with one another with occasional visits during the holidays. Qulanda continued her dreams and passion of being a film writer/director/producer in Atlanta's growing independent film scene and Darrius landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, working as a Program Director for a non-profit organization, improving the lives of those in his community. In 2019, when Darrius relocated to Atlanta, the two rekindled their friendship and found themselves FaceTiming and texting EVERYDAY. On April 15th of 2020, Darrius asked Qulanda to officially be his girlfriend, and sent her a pizza delivery to solidify the deal. Afterall, he was determined to show her that he was serious. And his first duty as her now Boyfriend, was to ensure she never went hungry.

We met. We dated. Now we’re getting married.

After 4 1/2 years of a long-term committed relationship, Darrius decided it was now or never to take the next step. On December 24, 2023 (Christmas Eve), he let Qulanda know that he had come to the conclusion, that they will get married during the Christmas season of the following year. Now, because the two had discussed marriage before, this statement came as a welcomed surprise to Qulanda. Her initial response was "Wow...okay, I wasn't expecting that. But okay, cool." As the two piled into Darrius' Jeep to go to the grocery store, Qulanda asked "So wait, does this mean we are engaged? Like we're officially going to get married?" and Darrius responded "Yes". Don't worry guys, this is not where the proposal ends LOL... So of course, being the southern lady that she is, Qulanda requested he ask her officially. Just as he had done when he officially asked her to be his Girlfriend. One thing the single life had taught Qulanda, was that in the dating world, you could never assume anything is anything unless it is explicitly stated and agreed upon. So Darrius asked her, "Will you marry me?" and as you can imagine, her response was of course, "Yes!". However there was still a problem. He wasn't able to fully look into her eyes, because he was driving. So when they made it to Publix, and he parked the car. He looked at her, in her eyes and asked, "Will you marry me?" Her answer again, was "Yes!" In their journey together, one thing that the couple has learned is that it is okay to never settle. Friends and family of both Darrius and Qulanda will agree that both of them are unique, special and independent in their own way. But like any great couple, they are even better together.

We met. We dated. Now we’re getting married.