"I called him ‘Carl’ by mistake for a week," laughed newlywed Kira Bell Johnson, "finally, he said to me, ‘My name is Earl’. But all the girls knew who he was—tall, dark, and handsome— always dressed nice."
Earl Johnson smiled and explained, "We met in Varina High in September of 1997. I was a senior and Kira was a sophomore."
"It was in computer class," continued Kira, "And it was fate that we met. But we didn’t start to date until summer 2000, after I graduated."
Kira, the daughter of Dr. Sandra A. Bell of Surry County and Eddie M. Bell of Petersburg, was soon leaving for The International Academy of Design and Technology in Orlando, Fla.,—and worried about getting into a romance. "I felt weird about having a long-distance relationship. There didn’t seem to be an end point"
Earl, the son of Earl W. Johnson Sr. and the late Delores Johnson, was taken with pretty, artistic, verbal Kira and felt fine about the long-distance courtship. It wasn’t long before Kira agreed.
"Our phone bills were so high," she laughed, "like $600 a month. I got so homesick that I transferred to the art department at VCU and I got to see my family again—and Earl. After that, we were inseparable. We’re so compatible; we complement each other."
Three years ago, the couple purchased their first home, beautifully decorated by Kira. "I’m a colorist at the Nirvana Salon and Spa on Cary Street," she explained, "but I plan to return to school."
Earl, a machinist for Philip Morris, always felt they would marry.
"When we moved in together, he knew that was a signal," said Kira. "He’s very protective, like his dad. He’s the king of the castle."
Earl may be king, but sometimes he does share his throne. In scampered 3-year-old Lemair, a totally adorable American Cocker Spaniel.
"Lemair was actually honorary ring-bearer," said Kira as the little guy snuggled in between his mother and father. A large framed portrait of Lemair, handsome in a tuxedo, proved it.
Kira described herself as being hard to surprise, but in April of 2009, Earl put that to the test. Returning from work, Kira discovered a note saying, "I have a surprise for you. Pick a door."
Their bedroom door was #1. Kira opened it and saw— nothing. Door # 2 lead to the bathroom. She opened it slowly.
There on one knee—with an open ring box— was Earl.
Kira was stunned—and speechless. "I don’t remember too much of the moment…I saw his mouth moving…"
Earl had approached Kira’s parents the week before. After a "yes" from his delighted fiancee, the planning took off.
"I knew the wedding would be fantastic; Kira has such a way with style," said Earl.
Event planner Pearl Walden Thomas agreed. "Kira is creative and their wedding at The Westin was elegant and full of feeling."
"It was 10 years after we started dating that we married," said Kira looking affectionately at Earl. "We themed our wedding, A Celebration of Love and Marriage."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement