It all started back in 2010—over 15 years ago—when destiny began quietly writing our story. Craig was a star basketball player at Carver High School—and Calandra was a gorgeous cheerleader from his rival school Lanier High. Yep. A forbidden love story in the making.

Craig had his eye on her from the beginning. But instead of shooting his shot like he did on the court, he got a little nervous and played it safe. He asked one of his friends—who had a class with Calandra—to put in a good word for him. Smooth, right? Not exactly. Calandra didn’t even blink. It was a hard pass.

But Craig wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. A few days later, he slid into her Facebook DMs like the bold 16-year-old Romeo he was, hoping charm would do the trick. And while Calandra still said “nah, I’m good”… she secretly thought he was kinda cute. She remembered his name—and kept an eye out.

Then came the big rivalry game. Carver vs. Lanier. The “Westside Classic!” The gym was loud, the energy was wild, and Craig—aka “Chicken”—was out there doing what he did best… Flying like the spring chicken he was. Calandra finally spotted him and thought, “Okay… he’s kinda fine.” But guess what? She turned him down again.

At this point, most people would’ve taken the hint. Not Craig. He kept showing up, kept trying, kept being sweet and patient—until Calandra finally caved. She gave in and let herself fall… and they’ve been stuck together like glue ever since.

From sneaking in every second they could spend together— to sharing dreams, laughs, and late-night talks—they were building something real. Calandra felt safe. Craig felt seen. And by 2012, he dropped to one knee and locked it in with a ring.

Since then, they’ve traveled the world, made several memories, and welcomed two incredible children: Tristian, their fearless and talented son his dad’s heir, and Christian, their smart, hilarious daughter who’s definitely her mama’s mini me.

And through it all, one thing remained on their hearts—they had everything they could ever want… except the official “I do.” After five attempts at planning a wedding (and life being life), Craig and Calandra finally said, “This is the year.” They put everything else on pause and made this moment a priority.

Now here we are—2025. It’s happening. It’s the official wedding of the year.

A celebration of the couple who made “high school sweetheart” goals look this good.

A love story that has 15 years in the making.

August 23, 2025—we can’t wait to celebrate forever with you.