Our Wedding

This love story began, authentically and unconventionally, on June 2, 2019. Rai and Shaun met unexpectedly in a place neither would ordinarily be... but their meeting was divinely orchestrated by the Creator himself. Not long before meeting each other, Shaun’s training schedule was unusual. He had weekends off, which is uncommon in most police training programs. Rai was serving on active duty in the U.S. Air Force in Alabama. In spring 2019, she commuted to Georgia to take her children to the airport to visit family in Maryland, and she too was scheduled to depart for training in Tennessee. Shortly after Rai’s children’s flight departed, she received a message from her military unit informing her that her training had been canceled. Rai was staying locally with her Aunt, who asked if she would stay for the weekend since her trip was canceled. Reluctantly, she accepted the invitation to extend her stay, and Rai and Auntie went to the movies on June 2nd.

The plan was to catch a 12pm movie viewing of “MA” starring Octavia Spencer. Rai went to the movies to purchase the tickets, but she and Auntie were unable to be seated next to each other. Hearing this, Auntie requested that Rai exchange the tickets for a later showtime. When Rai went back into the movies, she visited the guest services area to exchange her tickets for the 2pm show. After completing her transaction, Rai noticed Shaun and his son (Zion) behind her, and he did a “double-take,” unable to resist the beauty within. Shaun then said, “I would speak to you, but you probably find me boring.” Rai said, “Huh?” Shaun replied, “Your shirt.” Rai laughed and said, “Oh, yeeeeah!”

She was wearing burgundy and white Adidas, blue Daisy Duke shorts, and a burgundy shirt that read, “You are boring, bye!” Rai couldn’t help but notice that Shaun was wearing a burgundy shirt, with blue jean shorts and burgundy Jordans. The two continued to exchange pleasantries for a VERY LONG TIME, when Shaun asked Rai for her number. Rai declined, but she told Shaun that she’d take his number instead. After three handshakes & attempts to say goodbye, Shaun said, “I’m not sure what will become of this meeting, but I know it’s going to be something special.” Then, Shaun finally left the movie theater and Rai headed to meet up with Auntie for the movie.

Once Rai and Auntie were seated in the movie and during the previews, she decided to text Shaun so that he could lock in her number ... At this point, like the ’90s group Hi-Five, “She’s Playing Hard To Get.” Within seconds, Rai’s phone rang. You guessed it. It was Shaun, so she stepped out into the main lobby of the movie theater, and she and Shaun talked for HOURS.

Needless to say, Rai missed the ENTIRE movie, but Shaun was worth it. Across 135 miles, they maintained a long-distance courtship for two years, survived the COVID-19 pandemic, Rai’s heart surgery, breast cancer, and a bad car accident. Rai retired and relocated to Atlanta, and the love story continued to thrive; not without challenges, but the couple was always hopeful and prayerful about who they could become.

On June 2, 2025, in the beautiful country of Antigua, while Rai was on business securing an International Ambassadorship with an all-girls high school and to her surprise, Shaun proposed at 10:42 pm. After contacting their children (who were in on the secret all along), as well as close family and friends, Rai and Shaun decided to go somewhere quiet, read the bible, and pray. With love overflowing and joy in their hearts, they began preparing for their next chapter.

Two people met unexpectedly in a place neither of them would ordinarily be... but it was destiny. What they viewed as delays (ex: training), God ordained for their “divine meeting.” From the matinee 2 matrimony...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NET) - “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

Soon you will bear witness to the favor of God, who helped Radiance and Shaun find life after love, after failure(s), through self-forgiveness, healing with hope, and crying with faith.