Roderic is originally from Chicago and is an assistant principal. He has a passion for education and children. Shawn is a native of North Carolina with a passion for interior design.

From Roderic:

The day we met, you could not have told me we were going to be married. However, two days later, I knew he was the one for me. On August 19, 2010, I got a text (yeah a text), asking if I wanted to do this dating thing exclusively, and after a quick yes, it was a done deal. There were constant confirmations that this was the one for me. I will share a few:

During our first date night conversation — that lasted five hours — he asks, "What's ya favorite song?" as he queues up his to share with me.
"Faith Evans' 'Keep the Faith'" I respond.
He gives a smile and pushes play... and yes, it was his favorite song, too.

We spent the next few years finishing each other's sentences.

If we had a dollar every time someone has asked us, "Are y'all brothers?" we would have a nice size savings.

R comes before S…. Rod/Shawn. G comes before H… Glover/Hister. We're both Libras.

Well, you get it. If you've spent any real time around us, you probably see it too! From that day to this, I've known that there is not a more compatible person for me on earth than Shawn Doran Glover. And now, seven years later to the date of that committal text, here we are.

From Shawn:

Roderic popped the question to me on a beach in the Dominican Republic. The trip was not a surprise, but the proposal was. We took a walk on the beach in front of family and friends on our fifth anniversary: August 19, 2015. Rod recounted our relationship and explained that he wanted to be with me forever, then dropped to one knee in front of family and friends and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Of course I accepted. We didn't have engagement rings, but our wedding bands are from David Yurmen.

We choose the Trolley Barn because we both love the outdoors, and being able to have our ceremony outside and the reception indoors was ideal. We loved our photographers and DJ. Their professionalism was amazing, and they captured every moment we could have imagined. They set appointments with us before the wedding and have kept open communication through the editing process. We could not have asked for better photographers.

Tarissa Flowers made all of the tuxes. She is one of our close friends, and she was professional and very detailed. She met every deadline and maintained great communication throughout the process, and the work she produced was nothing short of amazing.

Phil Miller customized our bow ties to both our personalities and the time of year. We built our color scheme around his ties. Rod picked out the shoes on our pre wedding/honeymoon trip in Hawaii from Jimmy Choo.

Our friend Sergio sang "Love" by Musiq Soulchild while the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked in. One of my best friends, Kevin Thomas, sang the Lord's Prayer during the ceremony. Rod and I are Christian, and having him sing the Lord's Prayer meant the world to us.

Our ceremony was infused with traditional components, but we wanted to bring non-traditional aspects, as well, since there is nothing "traditional" about our union. Dr. Daniel Black was our officiant, and from the Nigerian Yoruba culture comes the tasting ceremony. Each person tastes four flavors: sour, bitter, hot, and sweet. Each flavor represents the challenges and good times that come with marriage and reminds us that although times can be challenging, we must remember why we dedicated ourselves to each other.

Chicago house music is Rod's favorite type of music. The DJ played a lot of the music that Chicago "house heads" are used to, which kept the party going. All of our wedding party came in and danced as they were being announced. When Roderic and I were announced, we entered in our reception attire: black, gray, and yellow dashikis.

We did not do a gift registry so instead we did a receiving line for gifts and to thank each of our guests for coming.

Words by both grooms, as told to Amber Marlow. Photos by DJ Adams and Krys Alex

grooms holding hands at their wedding ceremony

Grooms in bespoke tuxedos at their wedding ceremony

Grooms kissing at their wedding ceremony

Grooms coming down the aisle at their wedding

Two grooms and groomsmen in custom tuxedos by Terissa Joi

Grooms with their bridesmaids in grey and yellow

Grooms dancing at their wedding reception.

Grooms in dashikis cutting their wedding cake

VENDORS

DJ ADAMS-WALKER & KRYS ALEX

DJ Adams-Walker and Krys Alex are freelance photographers who frequently bring their energies together to photograph magical people and places. DJ is a Female Empowerment Photographer born and raised in Seattle, WA by way of Pensacola, FL. Her feminist focus has allowed her to memorialize the experience of pure vulnerability while
simultaneously building her clients self-love through boudoir, maternity, and what she calls “Female Empowerment”; which is about celebrating femininity and sexiness.

Krys is a freelance photographer with a knack and natural eye for professional lifestyle, product, and event photography. The Jamaican born seeks to tell a story and capture raw emotion. She believes in creating an experience, rather than just an image and also serves as the Photo Chairman for Root City and Fem City Atlanta.

Both share a love for creative photography and collectively their clients include: JLL; WABE 90.1 FM, Atlanta's NPR, Root City, Moving Art Atlanta, Karma Nutra, Kellar Williams, BH Jackson Management, EyeSpot Brand Management, and countless families and individuals nation wide.