Toya & Ryan
July 3, 2022
Where do we begin?… Let’s take it back to Toya and Ryan’s sophomore year at Randolph Henry High School in Charlotte Court House, Virginia, 2005. This is where they officially met each other but there was very little contact made between them back then. They would occasionally see each other in the school hallways, outside the band room, at basketball games, and at church until they graduated in 2007. Little did they know, 12 years later they would be on their journey to marrying each other!
While they were dating, Ryan admitted to Toya that he always had a crush on her, ever since they were in high school! She didn’t believe him at first, but his pursuit and consistency showed her that he was telling the truth. After countless hours of talking and spending time together, they quickly found out that their beliefs in God, family, and marriage aligned.
Growing in love with each other was easy and organic and they were determined to put God first in their relationship. On June 11, 2021, Ryan proposed to her at one of her favorite wineries. Ryan orchestrated the surprise proposal with Toya’s sister Tiffany Jones and their parents. It was supposed to be a sister outing, but after a couple of glasses of wine and a walk to the stairs at the entrance of the winery where Ryan was waiting for her, she soon realized that they were about to experience a life-changing moment that they will always cherish.
After Toya said yes, the wedding planning commenced. The newly-engaged couple attended our Richmond Weddings™ Summer Show at Main Street Station (two days after the proposal to be exact)! They had a blast celebrating with family at this event where they found a few of their wedding vendors and Toya even won diamond earrings from Diamond’s Direct! While the wedding planning in itself was overwhelming, Toya and Ryan made sure to spend quality time together and prepare for their marriage, not just the wedding.
They both wanted their wedding to be romantic, elegant, and a night that no one would forget! Of course, it was their big day, but they wanted to celebrate their families as well and have fun, which they definitely did! They wanted their whole day to be a wow factor in itself. The experience was immersed with a good atmosphere, beautiful decor, and delicious food. As Toya was about to walk down the aisle with her dad by her side, her ‘wedding angel’ (AKA wedding coordinator + decorator) whispered “Toya Jones, this is your moment.” Needless to say, Toya was full of emotions and this left her with memories that would last a lifetime.
