A Brownie Love Story

Ande and Marsalis’ story began at the illustrious Oakwood University. Despite Oakwood having less than 2,000 students their paths briefly crossed through mutual friends, their interactions were limited, and neither could have imagined the journey that lay ahead. Years later, as Marsalis was finishing medical school, fate took an unexpected turn. One Sunday, his roommate and now Best Man, Ryan, was catching up with Ande when she jokingly asked, “Why haven’t you introduced me to any of your doctor friends?” What she didn’t know was that Marsalis had already asked Ryan to set them up. Without hesitation, Ryan passed along Ande’s number. What began as a casual text exchange soon blossomed into all-night phone conversations that neither wanted to end. In June of 2019, Marsalis traveled to Maryland where he asked her to be his girlfriend with a beautiful bouquet of white roses. They continued to talk non-stop and their love continued to blossom from a distance. In March 2020, as the two were enjoying a trip to New York City, the pandemic officially started and they witnessed one of the busiest cities in America shutdown together. Similar to many millennials, they spent the lockdown together where it became abundantly clear that this was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love that would last forever. Fast forward to Thanksgiving morning, surrounded by family, Marsalis asked Ande to be his wife. With a heartfelt "yes," their forever began, and now they’re ready to celebrate this next chapter surrounded by the people they love most.