Their story began with a single rose.

 

On an ordinary day in August of 2021, Thadijah sent Kenn a Rose on Hinge—one of those rare digital gestures that immediately signals intention. Kenn responded the only way he knew how: with humor, curiosity, and a spark he didn’t bother hiding. “A rose?!?” he wrote back. And from that moment on, the conversation never paused, never strained, never required effort. It simply… flowed.

 

They met in person that same week, at Thirsty Turtle, where the connection that had lived in their messages made its way into real space. Kenn left that date and told his best friend he had met his future wife. No hesitation. No disclaimers. He felt it immediately. He didn’t tell her, not then, but he quietly made room for her in his life—clearing out every other dating situation, choosing to give his attention to the woman who had surprised him with a single rose.

 

For Thadijah, the realization came in New Orleans. They had argued the night before—a normal argument, the kind that would usually lead two people to distance, silence, or bruised egos. But when morning came, they chose each other without question. No lingering tension. No emotional retreat. They communicated, understood, adjusted, and kept loving. That moment showed her the type of partnership she wanted: not perfect, but willing. Not performative, but intentional. Not fragile, but resilient.

 

From there, their relationship didn’t explode into magic; it unfolded into something deeper. Their journey grew through the moments that matter—first trips, blended-family dinners, meeting each other’s kids, meeting Kelli, taking the children to Holiday World, creating their first home together, then their next one, navigating arguments that taught them how to see each other clearly, and embracing small rituals that stitched their lives together. Along the way they discovered their dynamic: Kenn was “dictionary,” grounded in definition and structure. Thadijah was “thesaurus,” full of nuance, color, and expansion. Both essential. Both speaking the same language, but from different angles.

 

Their love became something they chose daily. In the way they showed up for each other. In the way they told the truth even when it stretched them. In the way they leaned in—even during the uncomfortable moments. It wasn’t dramatic. It was steady, intentional, and alive.

 

When Kenn planned the proposal, he wrapped it inside another dream—a surprise 30th birthday celebration. He knew she had never had a surprise party as an adult, and he wanted her family and closest friends present for the moment she would step into her next chapter. As they entered the room, she was blindfolded. She expected a quiet dinner, maybe a private moment between the two of them. Instead, she heard the sound of Kenn’s recorded poem layered over “Tru Love,” with a photo collage playing behind her. The cadence of his voice told her something life-changing was coming, even if she didn’t know what.

 

When she finally took off the blindfold, Kenn was on one knee. Her grandmother was smiling. Her people were watching. And she said yes.

 

Their story is filled with “us” moments—pronouncing their favorite restaurant Superica as “SUPER ERICA,” spoiling each other on birthdays, sharing deep conversations, raising children, exploring new places, laughing at themselves, and building a life rooted in authenticity. Their love is like the seasons: always shifting, always stretching them, always revealing new forms of beauty with each cycle.

 

It is delicate and strong.

 

Soft and steady.

 

Intentional and deeply human.

 

Two people who found home in each other and kept choosing it.

 

This is not simply a wedding.

 

This is a legacy in motion.

 

The Burks-Marshall Experience.