We were just two wide-eyed, love-struck teenagers in the 11th grade—sweet, innocent, and completely unaware that our story would become the stuff of epic love songs. Our first love was filled with stolen glances, long phone calls, and the kind of pure joy that only young hearts can know. And then... we broke up. For a very stupid teenage reason. A reason that, to this day, neither of us actually agree on. (JaNaé swears it was one thing, Dontez is convinced it was another, and honestly, at this point, we might both be wrong.) But even after the “breakup,” our bond didn’t fade. We stayed fast friends, still cheering each other on, still showing up for each other in ways that mattered. Then, life threw us into a storm no love story should have to weather. After a tragic and horrible mistake, Dontez was incarcerated. What should have been youthful days of friendship together turned into a decade apart. It's now been twenty years. A lifetime and yet, somehow, just a moment in the grand design of us. But love? Love is stubborn. Love is patient. Love waits, writes letters, prays, and evolves. JaNaé lived abroad, became a Fulbright Scholar, a Christian minister, and a leader in social justice. Dontez became a mentor, a poet, and a force of transformation, guiding hundreds of men toward healing and redemption. And then, like fate had been biding its time, we reconnected—drawn back together by justice, Jesus, and our shared love of deep conversations that lasted way too long. Dontez wrote poetry that made JaNaé rethink everything. JaNaé friend-zoned Dontez like it was a sport. And yet, through it all, love did what it does best—it broke through. When we finally stopped resisting the inevitable, we skipped all the formalities and went straight to fiancé. Months later, in true us fashion, we defied distance, prison walls, and a pandemic, saying “I do” in a virtual wedding with over 200 loved ones. But now, after 20 years of waiting, we're ready for the wedding we always dreamed of—the one where we finally get to hold hands without walls between us, dance without screens dividing us, and say our vows face to face. We are stepping into this new chapter not just as husband and wife, but as something even bigger: Imari. A name rooted in faith, in resilience, in the belief that love—real, unshakable, tested-by-fire love—always finds a way. And because this wedding isn’t just about us, it’s about the village of love and support that carried us here, we invite you to celebrate with us in the best way possible: Eat. Drink. And Be Imari!