BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
JOY & DeJUAN HENDRIX
Live: Hueytown
Married: May 13, 2022
Met: April 2020, on Facebook. DeJuan hosted a Facebook-based karaoke group for entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic and they met in the group.
“One day I went live in the group, I was singing ‘Sweet Lady’, by Tyrese, and he came on to comment. He was supportive of everybody who went live in the group, but he came on and told me I was doing great… We had interacted in the group before, but after that, I sent my friend, Allyce [to his DM’s] to find out if he likes big girls and the rest is history,” Joy laughed.
“At first I thought Joy had somebody already… I would see certain posts and how she carried herself, I thought she was already somebody’s wife,” DeJuan said. And when her homegirl, Allyce, in boxed me, she said, ‘Hey, do you like big girls?’, and I didn’t know where that was going but I answered her. I said, ‘Hell yeah I like big girls, big girls ain’t never been a problem for me,” he laughed. “Long as you take care of yourself, you good with me.”
“Allyce came back and told me he said yes, and then we ended up messaging each other and exchanging numbers.”
“And come to find out, we stayed around the corner from each other [in Ensley] and didn’t even know it. And a few days later we linked up,” said Dejuan.
First date: April 9, 2020 at Joy’s house in Ensley. It was the early days of the pandemic, and businesses were newly shuttered, so Joy and Dejuan had no choice but to have a home date.
Joy said she was nervous and excited about meeting DeJuan in person for the first time, but since it was a house date, she kept it cute and comfy. “I was literally in sweatpants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on,” she laughed “And when he came in I was so glad he was not short. We just chilled, listened to music and ordered some food.”
“I was nervous too, and I was really just glad she looked exactly like her Facebook pictures because you know a lot of the time people don’t be looking like their pictures,” DeJuan laughed. “And she smelled good; Joy always be smelling good. We had good conversation. We had been texting the last two days nonstop, and that talk [was a continuation of their text conversations] … we talked about any and everything,” he said.
“He stayed for a few hours and then he had to leave because I had to go to work that night [at a hotel].
The turn: April 11, in Jim ‘N Nick’s parking lot in Trussville. “He told me he wanted to be with me, and I told him you don’t know me, I could be crazy, and he said, ‘oh well, we’ll figure that out later’,” Joy recalled. “And then I said, well you gotta ask me to be your girlfriend so I can know when our anniversary is, and he said ‘Joy, will you be my girl?’, and I said ‘yeah.’”
“I kinda moved fast with her. No, I ain’t gonna lie, it was really fast,” DeJuan laughed. “I knew on the second day after meeting her that I wanted to be with her, and after our first date, I changed her name to Joy Hendrix [his last name], because I knew she was gonna be my wife. She was like a best friend that I was also attracted to, and I could really be myself with her.”
“And for me, he made things easy. I would make corny jokes and he would get my corny jokes and laugh. We could make conversations about anything, he’s fun to be around and he’s very sweet and thoughtful. He was always putting me first, and I liked that. And he’s fine!,” Joy said.
The proposal: May 30, 2021, at 8:30 PM, in Memphis Tennessee, on a carriage ride on a riverfront. The couple was on one of their “random trips”, and Joy said she had no idea what was coming.
“We were in the carriage ride, and I was waiting on the right time to do it. And it was funny because at first R&B music was playing and I thought it was perfect timing, but as soon as I got down on one knee the music changed to a Pooh Shiesty song called, ‘Monday to Sunday’,” Dejuan laughed. “So, I proposed to her during a song about trapping, but she said ‘yes’.
“I was just smiling and looking at my hand because I could not believe it. I’m usually good at figuring things out, but I didn’t see it coming so I was taken aback. After that, we were just making googly eyes at each other, and I was like are you sure? And he was like, ‘yes, I’m, sure, are you sure?’, and we were both sure and were on cloud nine the whole night,” Joy said.
The wedding: At Douglass Manor in Columbiana [Shelby County], their colors were black & white, and all their guests wore black. It was officiated by Minister Alonzo Jones.
Most memorable for the bride was walking down the aisle to her groom. “…even though there were so many people there, he was the only person I saw. He started crying and then I started crying; my emotions were all over the place. But what I mostly felt was grateful because I really got to marry my best friend,” said Joy.
Most memorable for the groom was “watching her come down the aisle on her dad’s arm. It was like she was floating towards me. I was crying because I was so thankful and I couldn’t believe it,” DeJuan said.
They honeymooned in Las Vegas, Nevada. “It was hot and fun, and it was like 80 thousand degrees out there,” Joy laughed. “It was the Vegas lights for me. It made the vibe great,” Dejuan added.
Words of wisdom: “My advice is to laugh. Try to laugh every day, forgive easily, and be understanding. Nobody is perfect, but you do want [to allow room] for your spouse to be the most perfect version of themselves,” Dejuan said.
“Pray every day, be patient and always remember the big picture,” Joy said.
Happily ever after: The Hendrix’s are a blended family with two children, Landon, 17, and Kortney, 9.
Joy, 38, is a Ensley native, and Victory Christian Academy grad. She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB], where she studied music education, and is a member of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Inc. and is a Sigma Gamma Row Philo Affiliate. Joy is a makeup artist and creator and founder of Smouve Skincare.
DeJuan, 37, is a Wenonah native, and Wenonah High School grad. He is an army vet, and served in the Signal Brigade in Germany, and works for the U.S. Social Security Administration in Birmingham.
“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.
