Our Favorite Love Story

Shameka was working the welcome table at "The 20 /20 Experience", an unconventional worship service for the Young Adult Ministry at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. Stephen was new to the area and had been invited to visit the church by a family friend, Jan Holmes Boyd. He decided to attend the event and he and Shameka ended up sitting next to each other. After a dynamic night of praise, a now mutual friend, Jeremy DeWitt, reintroduced Stephen to Shameka exclaiming "he works at J. Alexanders". They chatted about Stephen's recent move and Shameka invited him to a Young Adult Life Group she hosted at her home. They began building a friendship that would last a lifetime...

After building a unique friendship in Memphis, TN, Shameka relocated to Cedar Rapids, IA and Stephen relocated to Nashville, TN. The distance did not stop them from keeping in touch, supporting each others career growth and complaining to each other about dating! Shameka was invited to a wedding in Nashville, TN and asked Stephen to be her date. Little did she know, Stephen had more in store. After a relaxing afternoon drive, Stephen surprised Shameka with a romantic wine and charcuterie experience at Arrington Vineyard. Stephen and Shameka stayed up all night talking. As the sun rose on July 4th, they committed to taking their friendship to the next level.

Shameka and Stephen dated long distance for 2.5 years, making monthly trips to visit each other and investing in what they both knew was something special. St Louis, MO was a central point they could both drive to and became the location of many date nights and milestone celebrations. After both relocating to the Evansville, IN area, Stephen suggested a weekend trip to St Louis to reminisce on their previous trips. Secretly, he had contacted Shameka's father, Wade Outlaw, for his blessing and her best friend, Danielle White, to join in on the surprise. Shameka and Stephen share a love for the beach. In the midwest, this meant often spending time by lakes. In honor of that shared pastime, Stephen arranged to propose to Shameka on a brisk fall day on the banks of Creve Coeur in St Louis, MO. While on one knee, Stephen said "...there is no one else I would rather spend my life with...will you marry me?". Shameka responded "of course I will." And so began the next stage of the journey to becoming one...