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“Do you like black girls?,” read a text sent to me from a colleague. Her boss was trying to set us up on a date. He saw we had a connection on set at the photo shoot. I responded with a tasteless text like, “F*** yeah, I do!”  I remember walking out of the studio and resenting not getting her phone number.

Being fresh out of a long-term relationship, I was open to new possibilities. Our first date, we met at a chicken & waffles joint called Pies-N-Thighs in Billyburg. Completely annoyed, I waited 40 minutes for her to show up. But when she arrived, she glowed all cinematic and backlit in her cute summer dress. The neckline swooped down exposing a hint of her cleavage and they looked incredible and perky. After we indulged in gluttonous chicken-eating and conversation for an hour or two, I instantly felt comfortable and connected with her. We continued the date at my friend Matt’s rooftop in Bushwick where we enjoyed a hot summer night’s sunset.

She put me in my place when we first started dating. She nearly broke up with me when my ex was calling to “talk.” When Ayanna called me out on my s*** at the entryway of PS1, I was dumbstruck. At that moment, she demanded and earned my respect. I was sold. I’ve never seen such a sexy woman as confident, beautiful and smart as she was in that moment.

Now, we go everywhere together. We share the passion of traveling and culture. Portland, Maine, Oregon and Virginia where her family resides, are a few of the places we’ve gone. This was a new experience for me, breaking bread with her family during the winter holidays. Her family provided an abundance of warmth and love and by no means ever made me feel like the token White guy. Our biggest trip came when we vacationed in the Bahamas and Italy. Italy was the most perfect trip I have ever taken.

We are a great team. We utilize our creativity and help build each other’s career. She has her new online vintage boutique, and I photograph all of her fashion storiesI’ve known for the past two and half years that I would marry her. But it wasn’t until we both experienced the Momentum Education workshop that gave me clarity to act upon my desire. As my aunt always said, “Ryan, you need to s*** or get off the pot.” What was I waiting for? The week before I proposed, I took a 7-hour bus ride to Norfolk, Virginia to receive her mother’s blessing. That night, her mother and I enjoyed a great date.

PLANNING THE PERFECT PROPOSAL

On June 19th, our third anniversary, we met at a play called, “Holler If Ya Hear Me.” Afterwards, we ate at the Standard Grill. I wanted an open-air summer experience that exuded positivity and love. During dinner, we discussed going to their rooftop bar but the scene was too clubbish and the Highline park was too much for her blistered feet. Nothing seemed to go right for me and my attitude threw off my focus.

Urgently, I cabbed us over to Gallow Green, the rooftop bar of Sleep No More, to propose to her. Unfortunately, they had just taken their last call upon our arrival. As we headed home, I was swept with a feeling of defeat. Ayanna then says to me, “It’s not about how it looks, babe. I had a wonderful time.” Hearing this opened my perception of what a perfect proposal looked like. When we arrived, I shifted my mood by pouring us drinks and putting on Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved.” She started dancing and singing along, the mood was set. On hand and knee, I asked her to marry me. The engagement ring she now wears is a family heirloom designed by my great-grandmother.

Are you recently engaged or married? Do you know someone else who’s about the head down the aisle? Let us know by messaging us on Facebook or emailing us at hbgotthering@gmail.com and you could be featured!

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For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.