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What do you think happens at a motorcycling event? Calvin Owens spent time learning about the pretty lady riding the Harley Davidson. Now she is his wife. Kenya shares their story.
Bride: Kenya Owens, 44, area property manager, native of Graham, North Carolina
Groom: Calvin Owens, 35, truck driver, native of Buffalo, New York
Current Residence: Gibsonville, North Carolina
Wedding Date: September 25, 2021
Venue/Location: Embassy Suites, Concord, North Carolina
Calvin and I both ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. We met in 2014 at a motorcycling event. He had seen me around and asked people about my relationship status. It seemed to shock him. He messaged me on Facebook, saying he had asked about me and knew I was single. He asked if I would be interested in going on a date with him. Based on my experiences in the motorcycle community, I always laughed at things like that and did not take them seriously. He did have a funny kind of way of doing it.
We saw each other again at another event, and he approached me in person. Immediately, I could tell he had an old soul. He wanted to go on an old school date, a picnic. There turned out to be a ten-year age difference between us. You wouldn’t think someone ten years younger would want to do that. This time, I agreed.
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We went to Barber Park in Greensboro. We had food from Pasta Café, played dominoes, and sat there talking. I could tell that a Christian, church-going woman raised him. He was very mannerable and respectful and catered to my needs and desires. He was still a man, but you could tell he was mature beyond his age. I later learned he was raised by his mother, who would play an essential part in our relationship.
We kept communicating and went on many more dates and to other events. We started riding together and hanging out by ourselves. The motorcycle world brought us together, but we used that connection to spend more time together without thinking about somewhere to go. We started dating heavily and went from there to living together.
Everybody who knew us always asked questions about whether this was it. It becomes natural, not forced, when you start praying, asking God for signs, and letting Him order your footsteps. We had been together for so long that we even started to dress alike. We were always together. In my gut, I knew that Calvin was the one.
Calvin said he knew I was the one when he saw how I helped him care for his mother, who came to live with us after becoming ill. I cared for her like my own mother, and I held her in my arms as she took her last breath. He also said that I helped him become a better man.
We went to Houston for a birthday and anniversary celebration for a couple of friends. Calvin woke up that Saturday morning and left. He was gone for a long time. I was thinking, “What in the world? Where did he go?” I called him, and he said he had to go to get some clothes because he didn’t like the outfit that he was going to wear that evening.
The celebration was at a popular Houston restaurant called the Turkey Leg Hut. There were about 22 people in our party. I knew someone with connections to the owner, so I could get us seated as a group without a long wait. During the celebration, Calvin and I were called to the front while our friends thanked us for helping make the arrangements.
I assured them it was no big deal when I noticed champagne glasses were placed in front of everybody. I thought we would have a toast to the birthday/anniversary couple. Calvin was standing behind me. When I turned around, he was on one knee.
I ran, almost falling off the deck, and dropped to my knees. He got up, got in front of me again, and got on his knee. I just cried. Everyone was screaming and hollering. Calvin did not ask if I would marry him.’ He asked, “Will you have my last name?” I was like, “Yep. This is definitely a yes!”
He took the time to think everything out. It was spontaneous, which made it feel very genuine. It was a feeling that I really can’t describe in words. It was just magical, and I didn’t ask any questions.
We were in the middle of building a house in addition to wedding planning. We got married on September 25 and closed on our home about a month later. I am an alpha female. I like to be involved in everything and control many things. Still, we decided to hire Kristen Pinkney with Kristen Pinkney Events, and she and Lance Deveraux, with Designs by Deveraux, just took the ball and ran.
I gave them my vision. They took it and said, “Trust us and let us handle it. We will keep you posted, and we promise you it will be the wedding of your dreams.” I could not be directly involved or handle it. I had to let go and trust someone else with this momentous day.
Everyone was so supportive of me. I could not have asked for a better group of bridesmaids and what I called backup bridesmaids. We had a huge bachelorette party in Cancun, Mexico. It was awesome.
Not having the wedding planning to worry about freed me up to deal with the house. Even though they kept me posted, not knowing every step they made left me in suspense and a bit nervous. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but it was smooth sailing. They didn’t miss a beat, and my wedding was simply breathtaking.
Our wedding day went by so fast. I don’t remember much beyond what I saw in the videos and the pictures. We had about 200 guests. Everything was so organized and went well. The timeline was perfect.
I was very emotional. Never mind that my makeup had already been done, I cried from the time I started getting dressed until I saw my dad come in to walk me down the aisle. They were tears of joy.
When the doors opened, and I was finally able to see everything, I was amazed. It was more than I could have imagined. Then I looked up, and Calvin was bawling like a baby. Words can’t describe that moment, and nothing could replace it. Our photographer managed to capture it, so we can go back and look at it repeatedly. It was further confirmation that I was marrying the right person. For that moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the room.
We wrote our vows and lit a unity candle. We had shirts made in remembrance of his mother and his grandmother. We left an empty chair for his mother. His grandmother kept her shirt.
We spent our honeymoon in St Lucia. Our excursions included an up-close tour of a volcano and a boat trip to a waterfall on a smaller island. On the way to the waterfalls, I told Calvin that I wanted to take a nice picture in front of the falls, but he should not pull me under them. Being the jokester he is, he pulled me under as soon as we took the picture. All the other people on tour laughed and said, “They’re going to get a divorce already.” It was lots of fun. He surprised me with a candlelight dinner on the beach the last night.
He is my best friend. He says he has the best of both worlds because I love sports, then I can be as dainty as a china doll.
Marriage counseling is essential. It was important for both of us. Things that may not come out initially but can create problems after marriage can be discovered and resolved before you say, “I do.” with a qualified marriage counselor. I also would say it’s not my day or his day. It’s our day. Take both parties’ feelings, wants, and concerns into consideration.
Wedding Planner: Kristen Pinkney Events
Florals: Designs by Deveraux
Venue: Embassy Suites – Concord
Photography: MACnificent Images, LLC
Brimage Photography and Videography
Videography: One Vision Studios, LLC
Stationary: Boxed Wedding Invitations
Brides Attire: Giovanna Bridal
Grooms Attire: New York Bride and Groom Charlotte
Photo Booth: Photo Booth Therapy
MUA: @silenthmakeup
Bridal Hair Install: @yaehaircare
Bridal Hair: @williams_delana
Flower Girl Hair: @prettyshayyy10
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