Sophisticated and Classy Engagement Session in Houston, Texas -Munaluchi Bride

We wait for the things in life we know matter the most to us.

For medical residents, Mariatu and Terence, waiting for life to work in their favor would only mean they get to hold onto each other a little longer. After an initial proposal, life had taken the two in unexpected directions. However, with their grounded faith and persistence, Mariatu and Terence were able to make their long-awaited marital union come to fruition. With the mist of rain and cloudiness on their backs, nothing would stop these lovers from committing to make their engagement session a joyous occasion.

Look into this sophisticated engagement session in Houston, Texas and read all about their engagement story and wedding plans.

Couples’ name: Mariatu & Terence
Occupations: General Surgery Resident & Neurosurgery Resident
Wedding date: May 9, 2019
Wedding location: Houston, TX
Location of Engagement shoot: Downtown Houston (Sabine Promenade)

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. We met in 2009 through a mutual friend in Raleigh, NC. Terence first proposed to me on January 1, 2015, at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C. We later celebrated our traditional wedding ceremony on May 9, 2015. It was a nice fusion of my Sierra Leonean culture and his Cameroonian heritage. We had planned to celebrate our “white wedding” after we completed our residency training in 2022; but, God had a different plan for our marriage. Through our challenges and struggles over the last couple of years, I found Christ and Terence’s faith has been renewed. With our new-found faith, we felt it was important for us to properly dedicate our marriage to God this year. The second proposal happened on April 10, 2019. A couple of weeks prior, Terence had asked me to keep the evening free, but wouldn’t give any more information. After a difficult day at work, I came home excited to forget about the day’s troubles and just enjoy the evening with him. Per his instructions, the attire for the occasion was dressy. After we were dressed and got in the car, I started playing the guessing game trying to figure out where he was taking me, all of which were wrong. He finally hushed me by telling me that it wasn’t anything big and he just simply wanted us to have a romantic dinner. We finally arrived at the Spindletop Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency. I was super excited because he knew I had been looking forward to visiting this restaurant for some time. At the restaurant, our table had rose petals on display and the evening skyline view of Houston was the perfect touch. After our entrée, Terence came over to my side of the table and got down on one knee and opened the black box with a similar ring to what I had before, but with a bigger diamond. He asked me to marry him again, but this time with God as our foundation.

Describe your engagement session. Did you have a theme? We had two outfit looks for our engagement session. The first was a fun, playful and casual theme. We wanted to channel a garden or vineyard backdrop. We opted for the beautiful park at Sabine Promenade in Downtown, Houston. The second outfit theme was sexy and formal and the downtown Houston Financial center served as our backdrop. Our goal for the shoot was to have fun and to capture the romance and intimacy of our relationship. Interesting fact, the entire day had been wet and dreary, so we were a bit nervous about the shoot. We couldn’t reschedule the photoshoot because of our work schedule, but I believed in my heart that God would make a way. As soon as we arrived at the park, the mist caused my hair to frizz and my hair dresser’s beautiful creation was gone, haha. However, Terence and I still persisted, and we agreed to just have fun. Although the sun wasn’t shining as bright as we would have liked, the day was a blessing because God held the rains until we completed the two-hour photo-shoot.

What did you do on your first date? We went to Olive Garden; the date was special for us because it started our interest in wine tasting.

What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple? We enjoy traveling and sharing new experiences together.

How has wedding planning been so far? Fairly joyful. We chose to have a very small, intimate wedding because we wanted to honor each other and God. We’ve both been equally involved and our strengths have complemented each other throughout the process. It has been such a joy and a blessing for us to be able to have this wedding.

Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day. Hearing each other’s handwritten vows.