The Wedding

Jennell and Johnny were married in 2016. The one moment they both will never forget from their June wedding is the daydream moment. Jennell’s father officiated their wedding. “As he was asking ‘do you take Jennell as your wife?’ Johnny was daydreaming. It was just quiet. And my dad said ‘well do you?!’ Johnny said ‘oh yeah yeah yeah.’ Everybody started laughing. He was just in his own world. It was so funny!”

“I had never been part of something like that,” said Johnny about their wedding. “Her brother was playing piano. It was the hottest day that year. It was kind of when I knew that it was the real thing. I grew up in foster care, in and out of boarding homes. My whole life, I had never experienced anything like that. This is what life is supposed to be like I thought.”

“This is what life is supposed to be like I thought.”

The Ring

Jennell custom designed their engagement ring with Jenny of Diamonds Forever. This ethereal yellow gold ring has a unique twisted rope design. The center stone has a bezel set round brilliant diamond center stone. Striking!

“My favorite thing is how unique it is,” said Jennell. “I had an idea of what I wanted and Jenny just really took the time to listen. We bounced ideas off each other. I wanted the side of the ring to be just as beautiful as the top and it is.”

Jennell said her ring symbolizes “the ups and downs that come with marriage. It’s beautiful when you get into the details, you get caught up in its beauty, it’s such a beautiful thing. Everyday when I look at it. It reminds me of our relationship.”

“Johnny let me design my own ring. He said you are the one who will have to wear it and Jenny made it happen. Johnny absolutely loves the ring! He is so proud to see me wear something so beautiful.”

“We searched for a ring all over southern California, it was insane. We went to all the standard places, but we just couldn’t find anything,” said Johnny. “When we met Jenny, it was just a really good vibe. She has a really good spirit. She is a little bit of a hippie, just like my wife. We only go to Jenny now.”

When I asked Jennell about Johnny’s proposal, she said, “He didn’t really propose, he made a proposition.” According to Jennell, he didn’t get down on one knee until they picked up the ring.

“We got the ring from Jenny and we were looking at it and telling Jenny how Johnny never really proposed. Jenny told him to get down on one knee, so he got down on one knee in the store. I responded, ‘okay, yes, yes, just give me the ring!”

“Okay, yes, yes, just give me the ring!”

Finding Forever

“Johnny knew I was the one the day we met. Long story short, at the end of the night he asked for my number. He handed his phone to me and it said ‘Mrs. [his last name]. The audacity! I didn’t want him to be right. I realized he was right three months into it. I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s everything. As soon as I stopped fighting it, it was so beautiful. I can’t believe he called it after only knowing me a couple hours. It’s really annoying!”

Jennell’s favorite thing about Johnny is his sense of humor. “He makes me laugh every day. And he’s so supportive and comforting, when I’m down he knows exactly what I need which is to laugh.”

“My favorite thing about my wife is her drive. She gets it from her parents. She is very driven and is just the most genuine person I know. I tell her all the time, she is my bigger person and so humble.”

“Johnny knew I was the one the day we met.”

Jennell and Johnny’s Tips

Jennell’s advice for newlyweds is to keep it unique. “Cookie cutter ideas of what a relationship or marriage should look like can create strife and confusion when planning love forever. For me, the more unique the love is to you, the more special it is. Don’t try to be the ideal couple or have an ideal relationship, focus on making it different so it’s not like anyone else’s relationship.

“I would just say this, people say that there is this adjustment period and that is absolutely the truth,” said Johnny. “Legally you are married and spiritually you are beginning a journey together. A lot of times people think it’s a seamless transition, but it’s not. I would be doing people a disservice to say otherwise. Everyone wants a fairy tale ending but everything is a process. You have to be dedicated to the marriage. It’s all a process.”

❤ Thank you so much to Jennell and Johnny for sharing your touching love story.