An Elegant, Purple and Gold-Inspired Wedding At Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida

Markevia Gray and Jeremy Mincey met in 2003, during their freshman year at Butler County Community College. Jeremy absolutely loved her smile and dimples, and Markevia’s initial thought was, “He’s so fine and handsome!”

The engagement took place on New Year’s Eve of 2014. Jeremy started off by telling his then-girlfriend that he would be hosting a party for his teammate, who owned a club and restaurant in downtown Dallas. He also had a flier printed out, which made it look as if he was hosting a real party. Jeremy then said that several of his close friends were coming into town, as it was his first year playing for the Dallas Cowboys and they wanted to make it to a game before the season ended.

Shortly after, Markevia’s best friend called to tell her she would be coming to Dallas to join in on the festivities as well. “As we began talking about what we were going to wear, she said she wanted to hire a makeup artist–something I have never known her to do,” Markevia explains. “Jeremy even gave me money to buy a dress, and gave me specific details about what type of dress and shoes he wanted me to wear. That was totally out of the norm for him.” 

New Year’s Eve soon arrived, and it was a cold and rainy night. With the unfavorable weather and terrible downtown traffic, Markevia was wishing she was at home–especially when traffic was too busy to pull up close to the club, and she ended up having to walk the rest of the way. “My feet were hurting so bad, that I had to remove my shoes,” she says.

“By the time I reached the club, my toes were numb and I was so upset that I fussed Jeremy out.” Markevia repeatedly said she wanted to go home until, right before midnight, the DJ played a song Jeremy had written for her. He proposed right there, in front of downtown Dallas.

Unlike the night of their engagement, the wedding planning process was smooth sailing. The couple hired Tiffany Cook from Dream Design Weddings, who organized the entire wedding in a short six months. Markevia and Jeremy chose to have royalty as their theme, and focused on using a color combination of purple and gold. “Our venue resembled Italy, and our food was a mixture of Italian and Cajun,” says the bride. “We love both types of food.”

On the big day, the bride and groom promised each other that they would take in the moment, enjoy themselves, and not allow anyone or anything cause them any stress. That’s precisely what they did, as they enjoyed a peaceful wedding day and savored each moment. “By the end of our wedding, we both had a feeling of completeness,” Markevia says. “We have been together seven years, known each other for twelve years and have two children. Our family is complete in the eyes of God.”