By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor
mgreen@afro.com
With the high profile nature of the wedding and location at the St. Regis Hotel in Black Lives Matter Plaza, one may have thought that the marriage of Karl Jones and Angel Rich would have been more like, “Keeping up with the Joneses,” but instead it was a true Love Jones Fairytale. Aligning with what many in her family noted as an “angel number day” 2.22.22, the wedding of Angel and Karl showed the power of Black love.
“I feel today is important because it’s 2.22.22, and that is a wonderful angel number that you can manifest beautiful things on that last all throughout eternity,” said Matisse Andrews, cousin of the bride.
“In a day where we see so much discord, to find love is a radical act. And on this special day, 2.22.22, which is a phenomenon, that just shows the uniqueness of Angel and Karl and their love,” said Matron of Honor and respected CEO, leader, minister and author Marcia L. Dyson. “Angel, in her own accord, is a very special, dynamite young woman. When you ask her her hopes and dreams, whatever she says will come to fruition, not because she prayed on it, but she activated it through all her work and her intellect. And to be partnered with someone like Karl, who finds and matches her joy, who can kid and play as we saw today in the witness of their vows together. They did engage us to want that child-like, unconditional love that we tend to forget as adults. So, I’m happy for them, and I know that great things will happen for them, our communities, and because of who they are.”
The two showed how much they loved each other, not only in their touching words, but also as they smiled, giggled, held hands and looked like a true prince and princess at the end of a fairytale.
‘“I realized unicorns are real. A person shouldn’t have this much creativity, compassion and pride, but somehow you have that in addition to being fun, intelligent, God-fearing and refined. You are my unicorn, and I promise to cherish you,” the groom declared in his vows. “You’ve taught me so much by simply sharing your perspectives. You’ve brought me closer to God. You’ve challenged me to be a better man. I promise to keep growing and further knowing how to love… I promise to be the foundation to build your future on.”
“Loving you is a fairytale,” the bride said to her groom in her vows. “No one would believe, from visions I’ve received, to the things we’ve achieved, our life has become unbelievable. When God told me my husband would bring me long stem sunflowers, I thought it was inconceivable and the challenge was unbeatable. You said turn up the heatable and I’m willing to show you what I can do. We can paint the mountain or go chill in the gazebo. What do you wanna do? We can take a plane, train or swim in the pool. I’ve got you,” the beautiful bride added.
The planners, who were key in making the big day operate smoothly and memorable for the couple and guests, told the AFRO it was an honor to work with the Joneses and help share their Black love with friends and family.
“It was an experience from beginning to end,” said Andrew Roby Events VIP and Guest Experience Coordinator Frederick Butler “Working with Andrew Roby, the CEO, to get things done for Angel and Karl was fun, tiring, yet exhilarating!”
Family and friends were also elated to be part of the big day.
“It’s a great honor to be here. I’ve known Angel and her mom is my cousin and so I’m just proud of her and it’s good to see how she was developed into the woman that she was created to be and that God created her to be, and I’m just proud that as a young, Black woman, she knows her purpose, she knows her plan and goes along with it, and doesn’t let anything stand in her way,” said family member Yvette Barnes. “So I’m just proud of her. And I know my aunt and uncle, her grandparents, they would be just so elated to see how far she has come, and this love story, this Black love story, is a story that we need in our lives as Black people, and young Black people to see that it is possible and God does send you who he wants you to be with. And so I thank God for that, that he did that for her.”
“I’ve known Angel for a number of years and have had the pleasure to serve as her mentor, as she has developed her programs on financial literacy, which is a key element in terms of closing the wealth gap, in terms of providing a really needed source of education,” Executive Vice President of City First Tom Nida told the AFRO. “Looking at the people in the room, and all the people she’s touched both with her business and her personality, I think it’s just a reflection of how much she’s accomplished.”
There were even some celebrity sightings.
“I thought it was special to come support Angel and Karl, because first off to see such a powerful Black couple deciding to make their relationship official through marriage is exciting. You know, I am about to be a newlywed too. Angel is someone, who I honestly admire. I’m inspired by her, her work, we’re working together with my fiancé on the Credit Rich app. So we kind of got to know each other through business, and Black Tech Matters and all this stuff she’s doing, but I realize that the love that she has with Karl, he’s just made her even more powerful. So I just love to see the power couple killing it,” celebrated actress Naturi Naughton, of Power fame, said.
As “love month,” comes to a close, Naughton reflected on the power of Black Love.
“Black Love is every month for me. My parents have been married for 50 years. I plan to be married that long and then some. To talk about Black love is to talk about Black excellence and legacy. For me it’s about generational wealth,”
CEO and Founder of COCO B. Productions, author, and President of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Metro DC Chapter Mariko Bennett, who is a dear friend and sister to the bride, was also present for the event. Bennett said that the Joneses’ love can be inspirational and a teachable moment for those about to give up hope on, not only love, but challenges in life.
“This union is so incredibly important, if you know the story building up to her meeting this young man and how they connected,” Bennett told the AFRO. “It’s such a beautiful story. She was like almost done, was not going to go on this date, and decided to go on this date and now it ended up in an amazing wedding, and ultimately, a phenomenal marriage. It will be, we claim that. But I think sometimes when you’re at the very end of your rope, and you’re about to give up and quit, this is just an example of why you can keep pushing, because on the other side of that could be what God has intended for you.”
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The post Love Jones: Esteemed local couple weds on 2.22.22 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .
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