Alysia Wilson first spotted David Leyva at a nightclub in Virginia Beach, VA. She immediately noticed his hair, as he was sitting on one of the speakers, and had been looking at him all night. After realizing she could ask his friend to relay a message that she’d like to talk to him, David’s friend responded with, “Oh he’s really cool, his name is David, you go tell him.”
“I went up to him,” Alysia describes, “and asked him if I were to give him my number, would he call me. I then put my number in his phone. I remember his cologne had me mesmerized and I thought he was so handsome.”
“It was never the wedding, always the marriage.”
The proposal came when the couple was on their way to church and Alysia was driving. She normally puts her hand on David’s leg; and when she did, she noticed something was inside his pocket. When they reached a red light, she asked what it was. David said he was going to wait until later, but then popped the question, right there at the red light.
“David and I have been married for 14 years,” says Alysia. “Together for almost 18. Our first wedding was in the living room of my mother's apartment because we couldn't afford a wedding. After many years of building a successful business, we decided to have a fairy tale wedding which would include our two children. We reached out to Tica Rose Events because he wanted to get remarried in Miami, which is where my husband grew up. We planned this wedding for a little over a year and I remember telling Tica that I wanted tons of flowers. Tons of flowers is what she gave me!”
The floral design created a beautiful celebration space, from flowers strewn along the ceiling, to the floral entryway. As one would expect, the guests kept talking about the heavenly scent.
“Our wedding truly touched on the five senses,” Alysia states. “More importantly, it was the energy and love in the room. That could never be duplicated. We had chicken and salmon on the menu, a live painter, a violinist, ballerinas, and Chrisette Michele sang as I walked down the aisle. You hear of things that go wrong on the wedding day; but with so many moving parts, no one dropped the ball. It was pure perfection. Our children were supposed to leave during the reception, but everyone was having such a good time that we forgot. Of course, the kids didn't remind us, either.”
The following week was Spring Break for the couple’s children, so they didn’t technically go on an official honeymoon. However, they do travel often and believe that every day feels like a honeymoon when they’re together.
“I'll remember our renewal every day for the rest of my life,” says the bride. “The feeling of that day will stay with me forever. I always say that it was never the wedding, always the marriage – and I believe people felt that at our renewal.”
WEDDING TALENT
Planner and Event Designer: Tica Rose Events, Miami, FL; Photography: Imagery by Jules, Miami, FL