‘There [Were] signs That Said, ‘Will you Marry Me?’ … I Got Down on One Knee and Asked for Her Hand’

BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY

Special to the Birmingham Times

“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.

KRISTY CHILES PLUMP AND DEZELL

Live: South East Lake

Married: Aug. 31, 2019

Met: August 2001 at W.J. Christian Middle School in Roebuck in their 6th-grade homeroom class, where DeZell’s father, Coach Allan Plump was their P.E. teacher.

“I did like Kristy in middle school but she did not want me, so we went through middle school, high school, and college and did not reconnect until we both moved back to Birmingham after graduating college [Xavier University and Alabama A&M University, respectively],” DeZell said.

Kristy laughed and said, “DeZell was nice, but he was too loud and hadn’t grown into his arms yet.”

The pair reconnected in summer 2015 when Kristy went over to DeZell’s parent’s home in Center Point for a hair appointment with his sister, Alana.

“I did not know Kristy was going to be there, but I thought she looked great, she was still fine,” DeZell said. “I saw her and wanted to reconnect with an old friend, but I didn’t want a relationship at the time.”

The pair exchanged numbers and began texting which led to them trying restaurants around the city together. However, during the visit to Ozan Winery in Calera, Dezell realized he liked Kristy but wasn’t ready to confront his feelings.

“…I still didn’t want a relationship, but the romance progressed naturally.”

“Kristy said she was ‘in the dark’ on DeZell’s growing feelings and thought they were still in the friend zone. “I thought he was just still being a nice guy … but in hindsight, I can see how he was romancing me. And, I had started to think that my next boyfriend should have DeZell qualities, but I hadn’t stopped to think that DeZell could be the boyfriend.”

First date: Valentine’s Day 2016, at the Cheesecake Factory at the Summit. “I gave her [a gift] for Valentine’s Day and I think that’s when she realized I must like her,” DeZell said.

“It wasn’t a traditional Valentine’s Day date. I agreed to go to the Cheesecake Factory with her because the other guys she was dating [hadn’t arranged a date with her for the holiday] and I wanted her to feel special so I created a gift for her,” said DeZell.

“It was a metal Valentine’s Day box and it was filled with my favorite candies… and it was much more thoughtful than anything else I had received from anyone else I was dating,” said Kristy.

The turn: In February 2016, DeZell’s father passed away. Kristy had experienced the loss of her father in 2012, and she and DeZell grew closer following his father’s passing as she helped him through his mourning period. “…but while we were at an event in April 2016, I wrote on the program “I like you”.

DeZell clarified, “We went to hear Spelman College’s Glee Club at 16th Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham … I was chaperoning my choir students [from Restoration Academy in Fairfield, where he taught] and Kristy came along, and as we were listening to the glee club, she wrote on the program ‘I think I like you,” DeZell recalled.

On July 25, DeZell and Kristy made it official when he wrote on the inside of an Insomnia Cookie Box ‘Will You be My Girlfriend,” Kristy laughed.

The proposal: December 2018, at the Alabama Theater. They had gone to see a showing of ‘White Christmas’, and DeZell faked an emergency.

“I told her we had to go pick up my sister off the side of the road, and when we exited the theater, family, and friends were standing there with signs that said, ‘Will you Marry Me?’. She cried and eventually, I got down on one knee and asked her for her hand in marriage, and she said ‘yes’.”

Kristy recalls trying to make sense of what was unfolding.

“As we were exiting the theater, I was like, ‘Why my mama outside on the sidewalk?’ and then I started seeing more familiar faces… there were over 20 people on the sidewalk with signs and then my next memory is of him on one knee and he asked me, and I said ‘yes’.”

Kristy and DeZell Plump met in 2001 at W.J. Christian Middle School and reconnected in 2015 after college. The couple married in 2019. (Provided Photos)

The wedding: At Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, officiated by DeZell’s uncle, Reverend Marcus B. Plump, of New Liberty Worship Center in Montgomery. Their colors were burgundy, magenta, gold, and orange.

Most memorable for the bride was a surprise serenade from her groom. “I had been begging DeZell to sing during the wedding and I forget the excuse he made now, but during the ceremony, he surprised me and sang the Lord’s Prayer. He had secretly practiced with the musicians and I was so glad that he decided to share his gift with not only me on our special day, but also with everyone present,” Kristy said.

Most memorable for the groom was their first dance. “We danced to ‘The Last Time’, by Eric Bonet, and it just solidified the moment and that we were actually married and were in this together,” DeZell said.

They honeymooned in Orange Beach, Alabama. “Kristy let me plan it and she had no clue where we were going until we arrived in Orange Beach, and she really enjoyed herself. It felt like we finally got to breathe,” DeZell said.

Words of wisdom: “Find time for relationship maintenance through joint counseling. I think it’s a healthy outlet for couples to work through whatever they need to work through and help them get and maintain the tools needed to be great communicators,” Kristy said. “Marriage will look different after children, but it can still be good,” Kristy said.

“Be patient, show grace to your partner, and be confident in knowing that they love you despite it all. Marriage is a lifelong learning process, so be willing to take on the evolution,” said DeZell.

Happily ever after: The Plumps attend Fatih Chapel Christian Center, in Wylam, and have one son, Kellan, 2.

Kristy, 34, is a West Birmingham native and Ramsay High School grad. She attended Xavier University in New Orleans, LA where she earned a bachelor of science degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, and UAB, where she obtained a master of public administration. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and works as the program director of community engagement and health equity for the Alabama Maternal Health Task Force at UAB’s School of Public Health.

DeZell, 34, is a Smithfield native [North Birmingham], and a Carver High School grad. He attended Alabama A&M University where he earned a bachelor of science degree in biology/pre-med, the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB], where he obtained a master of education in high school science education, and the University of Montevallo, where he received a master’s degree in educational leadership. DeZell is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and works as an Assistant Principal for Jefferson County Schools.

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