Marlaina and Dexter’s love story began in 2014 at Louisiana State University, where Marlaina was a new undergraduate transfer student and Dexter a well-established graduate student. It was through a Christian organization called Impact—which Marlaina would later learn Dexter had helped establish—that their paths first crossed and they became acquainted. If you ask Marlaina, she will tell you that she respected Dexter as one of the group leaders. He was always warm and friendly but they never had the chance to get to know each other more outside of meetings. But if you ask Dexter, he will tell you he had noticed Marlaina from the very beginning. Despite keeping in touch over the years, it was never quite the right timing for more yet he still never forgot about her. Then, in the Summer 2023, Dexter felt led to take another chance to reach out to Marlaina and this time, with open hearts, a genuine connection sparked between them. Despite living nearly 500 miles apart—Dexter in Baton Rouge and Marlaina in Dallas—their faith in God and a shared vision for the future kept them grounded. And, of course, they didn’t let a little thing like geography stand in their way. They made time every day, without fail, to get to know and learn each other, building a relationship centered on faith, love, and shared values. Through God’s perfect timing, their journey from acquaintances to soulmates has become a beautiful testament to His faithfulness. Their love story is a reminder that God’s plans are always far greater than our own—and sometimes, a little patience and a lot of faith are all we need to find the love of our lives!

Marlaina had just returned to Louisiana at the end of October but little did she know, Dexter had so much more in store for her than what she expected before she headed back home. On the night of November 1st, Marlaina thought they were going to a dinner to celebrate her soon-to-be father-in-law’s birthday. It was a little odd when Dexter asked her to take her time getting ready but things were otherwise normal—until Dexter insisted on stopping to buy socks as a last-minute gift (despite needing to make it across town on time in the middle of a storm of course). Marlaina tried waiting in the car patiently for what felt like forever until Dexter returned saying that everyone was just going to meet at his house instead. The roads were flooding as they fought to make it back to Dexter's house, so Marlaina was stunned to see a lot of cars already parked in front when they finally arrived. As soon as Dexter opened the door, one of their favorite songs, “Cupid” by 112, filled the air with Dexter’s cousin Kaleb accompanying on his saxophone. A photographer was there capturing every moment as Marlaina’s parents, siblings, cousin, niece and nephew emerged to hand her roses and Dexter’s family filled the room. Then, surrounded by overflowing love, Dexter got down on one knee and Marlaina said YES to being his wife in the home they will soon share. After the emotional proposal, Dexter also took Marlaina to the special spot downtown where he had originally planned to propose just a few short minutes away from where they first met at LSU as well as where they will tie the knot in April. It took Marlaina's breath away to see how much effort Dexter put in with the help of their loved ones to make his proposal an unforgettable memory and a beautiful prelude to their upcoming marriage.