On July 15, 2023, Edward and Loveta exchanged vows, promising to love each other through thick and thin.
BY DEXTER MCCREE, Feature Writer
ST. PETERSBURG — Their 28-year love story started off rocky. While riding the school bus from Northeast High School, Edward had the audacity to sit in Loveta’s seat. She was furious and not having it.
He was not going to sit his gluteus maximus (butt cheeks) in her seat, and she made him get up. Since that day, the two have overcome many life obstacles. Edward and Loveta are now husband and wife, and she is happy to sit with him.
“Over these 28 years, I would not change a thing. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, all lead to this very moment, and I’m happy,” said Edward Brown.
On July 15, 2023, Edward and Loveta exchanged vows, promising to love each other through thick and thin. The wedding day was breathtaking and more than they could have imagined. Edward labeled that fateful day as “beautiful” and “amazing.”
Edward and Loveta Brown tied the knot after a 28-year love story.
“I am looking forward to living happily ever after and spending the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams,” exclaimed Edwards. “She is the woman that I love. You don’t get many opportunities to marry your best friend.”
The moment was equally exciting for Yvonne Howlett, the bride’s mother. To see her daughter grow from a precious little girl into a beautiful wife brought tears to her eyes.
“I have experienced nice weddings before, and today was one of the best for me. To look around and see all the people who came was unbelievable. Loveta was so pretty. Her make-up was flawless and looked so natural. The entire day was unreal and exciting. It was a joyful and beautiful occasion,” gushed Howlett.
The couple was surprised when they discovered that family members had come down from Canada to share in the event.
“It was amazing because it shows the love and compassion they have for us,” said the bride. “And on top of it, my sis-in-love cooked some wonderful Jamaican food, a spread that you would not believe. We are family, and we love hard.”
The family is so connected that Rev. Aisha Grant, Loveta’s older sister, performed the marriage ceremony. One special moment for the groom was having his brother, Rychard Reddick, as his best man. Reddick got married two months before, and his brother shared in that occasion.
Edward wanted the wedding to be memorable, so he had his groomsmen’s suits tailor-made by Daryl House in Tampa. He added a vest to his best man’s outfit. Then came the surprise. Everyone, including the bride, seemed to have been on the same page about the suits they wore, all except for Edward. What a surprise when he came down the aisle in a completely different outfit of pink pants and a cream jacket trimmed in pink. No one except the groom and his tailor knew that this was coming.
“I just wanted to be different, but I wanted it to be nice. You should have seen the look on [Loveta’s] face. But it made her smile, and that is what I wanted,” said Edward.
Edward and Loveta lived a full 28 years together before their wedding day. They share four children, and both work at Tampa International Airport. May the Browns share the next chapters of their lives in abiding love and joy.