‘I Pulled Out the Ring, Got on My Knee and Asked Her to Be My Wife’

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times

STACI & UNDREZ LAWRENCE

Live: Helena

Married: July 7, 2017

Met: February 2016, at the athletic complex in Pleasant Grove. Both were divorcees and had mixed feelings about pursuing new relationships.

“It was opening day at the field [at Pleasant Grove Park] for softball and baseball and I saw Undrez at a distance and inquired about him,” Staci recalled. “I asked ‘Who’s that guy in the khaki shorts, what’s his story, is he taken?’, and a mutual friend [Danitra Blevins] said I’ll find out because I think the two of you would be a good match. And she went over and found out he was unattached.”

Undrez passed word through their mutual friend that he would find Staci and meet her after the softball game. After meeting, her he was taken by her aura and became nervous and tongue-tied.

“I had never experienced someone’s aura and the goodness in them before. I was so nervous that when I asked for her number I used a pen and paper and people around me were like you know you could’ve used your cell phone right?,” Undrez laughed.

He called two days later and “I asked her out to lunch,” he said. “She agreed and when the day of the lunch date came, she decided not to go.”

“I wanted to meet someone new, but I still had noise [loose ends] in the background,” Staci said.

The pair continued to talk and developed a friendship that led to talking on the phone every day. Eventually, Staci expressed having feelings for Undrez, but still had those loose ends to cut to which Undrez replied ‘I’m not going anywhere’.”

“After my divorce and [subsequent] relationships, I reflected on the ones that thrived were the ones where the woman approached me, and I prayed and told God that for me to pursue another wife, she would basically have to tap me on the shoulder. And Staci did approach me so I took that as a sign, and that’s why I chose to be patient and tell her I wasn’t going anywhere,” he said.

First date: May 2016, Undrez accompanied Staci to a graduation party for a friend who had just completed a Ph.D. and threw a semi-formal celebration at the Bessemer Civic Center. Staci had finally tied up her “loose end” and was ready to spend an evening with Undrez.

“We had a good time getting dressed up and stepping out, Staci said. “He was a great date, we laughed. He’s a people person, he didn’t know anybody there and that didn’t matter, he wasn’t intimidated by not knowing anyone there and that was attractive. We already had good communication so it was easy to be with him.”

“I was very excited about the date because this was one of the first times we were going to be in each other’s presence, this was our chance to interact with each other firsthand. She picked me up for the date and I remember getting into her SUV and her perfume smelled wonderful. Her hair was in an updo, and she wore a black and white dress…. I felt good about the date because she was comfortable being amongst her friends. I actually ended up knowing a few people there and it afforded [she and I] some time together in a comfortable space,” Undrez said.

Staci and Undrez Lawrence met in 2016 at the athletic complex in Pleasant Grove. The couple married in July 2017. (Provided Photos)

The turn: The couple became exclusive that spring and dated for a few months until taking a break in November, but quickly got back together the following month.

“In December [2016] Undrez asked me to go on a beach trip with him and we stayed at a beach house, and one evening we were sitting outside looking at the ocean and being expressive about our feelings for each other and what we wanted out of one another, and it was in that moment, I saw him for him and it sealed it for me. He was my man, and that was it for me,” Staci said.

“It was like a therapy session without a therapist,” Undrez said. “As much as we had talked over the months, we were very raw at that time about our feelings and how we felt. …Staci was finally truly vulnerable with me and she finally got the assurance she needed to move forward,” Undrez said. “I was patient in my pursuit because she was slow rolling it,” he laughed, “but it was in that talk that we said let’s do it, let’s give ourselves to one another.”

The proposal: March 25, 2017, at the Cheesecake Factory at the Summit. Undrez had planned a surprise proposal with family and friends in attendance.

“I had secretly invited our immediate family and close friends. I had arranged for a dozen roses to be at the restaurant and Staci had no idea our friends and family would be there. But when we got there she saw them and thought they were there to celebrate her becoming a licensed realtor, and her pending initiation into Delta Sigma Theta. At the table, I proposed a toast and listed those things. I said, ‘I want to toast to Staci’s achievements… and there’s one other thing that I would like for us to toast to,’ and that was when the roses came out and I pulled out the ring and got on my knee and asked her to be my wife. She said ‘yes’, and the restaurant applauded.”

“When he did it you could see in my face that I had no idea it was coming,” Staci said. “It was like ‘you’re doing this right now here today?’,” she laughed. “I was excited and over the moon that he thought to invite friends and family to share in that moment,” Staci said.

The wedding: On the beach in Destin, Florida, officiated by a provided clergyman. Their colors were turquoise and white.

Most memorable for the bride was “having our daughters by our sides. We didn’t have a wedding party, but we had our daughters, London, Undrez’s daughter, and Ariana, Staci’s daughter, who were 11 and 10, respectively, walk down the aisle with us, and it was so memorable to have our girls right there by our sides as we blended our family,” Staci.

Most memorable for the groom was the weather. “It stormed that afternoon and our wedding was at 6, and by the time our wedding started, it was beautiful outside. So much so, the photographer stated that she had ‘perfect light’ and was so inspired by the scene on the beach and the beautiful colors in the sky, that she took far more pictures than [included in the package]. Our guests also took it among themselves to wear pops of turquoise in their clothing, it wasn’t planned so everything just came together perfectly,” Undrez said.

They honeymooned in New Orleans. “We got a chance to really take in New Orleans, we immersed ourselves in the culture of the city by doing tours and going deeper into the city and learning about landmarks and post-Katrina. It was our honeymoon, but we got to learn more about a city we both love,” said Staci.

Words of wisdom: “Communication is supreme. Always keep the lines open between the two of you. And what really keeps the spark alive is traveling. It offers a reset and a reflection period for the two of us, setting ourselves aside from the day-to-day and just reconnecting,” Staci said.

“I second the communication part, don’t be afraid to have those open and candid conversations. We allow ourselves to be silly around one another. Staci is my best friend, it started in 2016, I can confide in her and she in me, it’s just like having those conversations over the phone. Being spontaneous and being silly around each other is what keeps us going,” said Undrez.

Happily ever after: The Lawrences attend Living Stones Temple in Fultondale, and are a blended family with three children: London, 18, Ariana, 18, and Ava, 4, from their union.

Staci, 44, is a Lipscomb Ala. native and Shades Valley High School grad. She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB], where she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration. Staci is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and works as a Realtor brokered by Keller Williams Vestavia.

Undrez, 49, is a Fairfield native and Fairfield High School grad. He attended The University of Montevallo where he majored in elementary education and became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Undrez is the branch manager for NDI Office Furniture, and DJs under the moniker Dre Live on the side.

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.

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