BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
BRANDON AND JESSICA SANDERS
Live: Bessemer
Married: May 27, 2023
Met: April 2010, at Jessica and her roommate, Kadesha’s place in Tuscaloosa. Kadesha was dating Brandon’s roommate, Harold, who had asked Brandon to tag along with him to watch the NBA playoffs.
“Basically, Harold wanted me to run interference with Jessica,” Brandon laughed. “He was dating Kadesha, and he wanted me to keep Jessica occupied.”
“Which is funny because it was my house, I didn’t need to be occupied,” Jessica said, “we were all just all gonna watch the game in the living room…but Brandon couldn’t resist me,” she laughed.
Brandon didn’t see it that way. “She kept asking me to come over to watch [the remaining] playoff games after that,” Brandon said. “It turned into a casual thing for a while and then we lost touch.”
The two reconnected in October 2015, when Brandon called Jessica to let her know he was in Tuscaloosa for the University of Alabama’s (his alma mater) homecoming game. However, Jessica was out of town and promised to reach out the next time she was in Birmingham. Two months later when Jessica was in the Magic City celebrating her best friend’s birthday, when she gave Brandon a call to let him know they’d be at the Plum Bar. However, Brandon was late getting off work.
“I texted him to let him know we were leaving and I was about to get back on the road to Tuscaloosa, but he begged me to meet him at a bar for drinks,” Jessica recalled. “He was just getting off work and really wanted to see me, so I went.”
First date: January 2016. Brandon drove to Tuscaloosa for a visit, and they spent a night on the town bar hopping. “We had a good time, and we’ve been going out ever since,” Jessica said.
“A lot of time had passed since we met [in 2010], so we were catching and getting reacquainted … I had a daughter now [London, then 2],” Brandon said.
“We love having good conversation over a good [adult] beverage, that’s our favorite thing to do,” Jessica said.
The turn: Summer 2016. The pair do not recall a conversation about solidifying their exclusivity, and said it was a natural progression over the course of their first six months together. However, they do remember things feeling more serious between them after taking their first cruise vacation that spring, and after Jessica met Brandon’s daughter, London, that summer.
The proposal: Nov. 2, 2022, while away in Jamaica for Brandon’s friend’s destination wedding. Brandon, Jessica, and some of their couple friends arrived a few days before the wedding and Brandon proposed.
“We were all walking along the beach headed to a gazebo sitting over the water, and we played it like we wanted to take a group picture with the water in the backdrop. We got up there to take the picture and when she turned around [to look at the water] I got down on one knee. She was [speechless], and I said, ‘say something’, and she said, ‘you haven’t asked me nothing yet’, and I said, ‘will you marry me?’ and she ‘It’s about time, ‘yes,’” Brandon laughed.
“Everybody laughed,” Jessica said. “It was like we were taking a group prom picture, and I joked about [the men getting behind us] for the picture…. And then I turned my back for one moment to look at the water and when I turned back around, he was down on one knee. I really was not expecting that. The ring was beautiful, it was the most gorgeous ring I’d ever seen in real life. I said, ‘yes’, we hugged, and we all went back to the resort to celebrate and watch [a resort entertainment show].”
The wedding: At White Azalea Estates, in Harvest, Ala., a city right outside of Huntsville. It was officiated by Jessica’s childhood pastor, Reverend Oscar L. Montgomery Sr., of Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church, in Huntsville. Their colors were emerald and ivory.
Most memorable moment for both the bride and groom was “jumping an imaginary broom” after they took their vows. “The wedding planner had nerve to forget the broom after telling my mama not to worry about it and that she would get it,” Jessica laughed.
“So when we turned around, we were waiting for the broom to be put at our feet, and she [the coordinator] was like ‘just come on, just walk, I don’t have it’. I was so pissed because I really wanted to jump the broom,” Brandon said.
“So we jumped an imaginary broom into our new life as a married couple,” Jessica said.
“Also, it was a beautiful day, we had an outdoor wedding, the weather was perfect, and the reception was jumping. Most people said that was the best wedding they’d ever been to. We had buffet style food, and an open bar, so people were able to eat and drink all they wanted,” Brandon laughed.
Words of wisdom: “Patience. That’s it, that’s the code,” said Brandon.
“Have fun. We don’t take things so seriously, we have a good time, and we make life fun,” said Jessica. “Oh, and pray. Please, please pray for each other because that’s what helps you keep it together.”
Happily ever after: The Sanders are a blended family, with one daughter, London, 11, from Brandon’s previous relationship.
Jessica, 39, is a Huntsville native and Lee High School grad [Huntsville]. She attended Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, where she earned a BS in biology. Jessica is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and works for the University of Montevallo for the ‘Gear Up Jefferson County’ program, where she works to prepare students and parents for post-secondary success.
Brandon, 39, is a Ensley native, and Ramsay High School grad. He attended Alabama University where he majored in chemistry and works as a Bessemer City police officer.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
