When you’ve done what some may deem the impossible, that is, find love, get married and stay married for 25 years, that’s cause for a celebration.
Latasha and Damion met as high school students in the summer of 1991 at a college prep program in Bloomington, Ill. While they wouldn’t go on to attend the same universities, they stayed in touch. Post-college, she began work, in Illinois, in the town he resided in. It was an opportunity for them to spend time together. From there, love grew.
“We started hanging out first as good friends before beginning a romantic relationship,” she tells ESSENCE. “We joke that we never dated; we were friends who got married.”
Their beginnings were in Illinois, and their current life finds them in Los Angeles, with the couple’s two sons, Damion Jr. and Miles. And while they could have stayed close to home for a vow renewal, Latasha had other ideas. The global head of DEIA for Prime Video, Amazon Studios, MGM and Freevee, wanted to go big and far with an event in the South of France. But as someone who travels the world to do the work that allows people to see themselves represented in authentic ways on the small screen, she realized that she needed to make the same effort to ensure the people she loves most, her family, could have access to an authentic representation of Black love.
“We realized that there was an entire generation of young people in our family, including our youngest son, who had never been to a wedding –– and we wanted to give them that experience,” says Latasha. “We wanted to give them transparency in seeing that love takes work, perseverance, and continuous re-commitment, but it is also beautiful and worth fighting for.”
The solution? Tie the knot twice. A fête for their family in Chicago on September 2, 2023. Four days later, on Sept. 6, they had the celebration they dreamed of, and earned, in Monaco. For Chi-Town, they wore silver while their guests wore white. In Monaco, for a smaller gathering of about 40 people, everyone wore white, a simple and elegant look for the French Riviera. The bride even pulled out her original wedding gown for the cocktail hour. “I didn’t realize how timeless the dress was until I put it on,” she says.
Each celebration had top-notch touches, from a performance from D-Nice on the ones and twos in Chi-Town, to a chartered yacht in the South of France for guests to be able to experience St. Tropez post-wedding. Go big or go home.
Twenty-five years of marriage calls for a grand event, or two. And as noted, they have put in the time and work to be able to meet such a milestone. They plan to continue doing so for another quarter of a century. “The key to our lasting love is our faith in God,” says Damion. “We’re constantly looking for ways to be a blessing to each other.”
See photos from both of their big days, the details that helped it all come together, and learn more about what it takes to stay married for 25 years in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
The second time around, the bride decided to switch it up and do silver in this custom gown. “My stylist Germanee and I came up with the inspiration for the first dress together, and we commissioned Los Angeles designer DaSh to bring it to life.”
Matching his bride, Damion opted for a silver/gray suit that went well with his goatee.
“We did a first look this time around, which definitely wasn’t happening 25 years ago,” Latasha said about new traditions they adopted. Both she and her Damion seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.
The couple before their ceremony and celebration.
The couple are pictured with their sons, Damion Jr. and Miles, who were fully incorporated throughout both weddings. The young men walked their mom down the aisle at both celebrations.
The gorgeous space, photographed before all the fun began.
A look at the place settings and florals on each guest banquet table.
The cake incorporated the floral decor found throughout the dreamy space.
As Damion Jr. and Miles escorted their mother to the altar, Damion Sr. began to feel all the feels.
“In Chicago, my favorite moment was standing on the ceremonial riser surrounded by our closest friends,” Damion says of the the experience that stayed with him most from their first vow renewal event.
As for classic traditions they made a part of their big day, the Gillespies made sure to jump the broom.
Damion and the Nupes traded in crimson and cream for Black and white as they put on a show during the reception.
Latasha and her sorors had their own moment during the reception, too. If you hadn’t noticed already, guests wore white for the event. “It was purely aesthetic,” she says. “Since Damion and I were going to wear silver, we thought the white just added a beautiful touch. We decided to flip tradition on its head and ask the guests to wear all white. We were so honored that the guests respected our wishes.”
While some pay for performers at their reception, Latasha and Damion decided to do their own dance for guests. “Doing coordinated dances is another thing we incorporated, and it was probably my favorite part of this wedding,” she says. “We did a medley of Brian McKnight’s ‘Amazing’ and Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Hypnotize’ and ‘One More Chance.’”
“He is a friend, and when I told him what we were doing he thought it was really special and wanted to be a part of it,” Latasha shares of the DJ’s involvement in the celebration.
“There was also an aspirational element that was important to me – I wanted to set the standard of what could be for young people,” Latasha says of the reasoning behind doing their vow renewal for family in Chicago. “Sometimes if you’ve never seen it done by anyone you don’t know it can be done.”
Latasha is pictured in her original wedding gown, which still fits like a glove. “I didn’t realize how timeless the dress was until I put it on.”
A look at Damion in all-white ensemble (down to the footwear) before the ceremony in the South of France.
Less is more when it comes to decor when you have a view like this in Monaco.
A sweet shot of the couple.
“For the first dress I wanted a simple, elegant look for the French Riviera, so I designed that with DaSh as well,” she says of the look pictured. “The slit was a last-minute add that we put in in the final fitting.”
With sparklers on hand, Latasha and Damion cut into their third wedding cake.
The two share a kiss during their post-ceremonial dinner, which guests loved (and took photos of).
“For Monaco we just thought the white would be amazing against the blue of the sea,” Latasha says of the white looks everyone wore.
For Damion, he attributes the fact that they’ve made it so far to their marital foundation being based in their faith and pouring into each other. “We are constantly looking for ways to be a blessing to each other.”
“The key to lasting love for us is really understanding that all marriages go through seasons,” says Latasha. “You can’t give up just because Fall and Winter get windy and cold. You have to push through until you can get to the blossoms of Spring and warmth of Summer.”
