A TIME WAS HAD last weekend at the highly-anticipated wedding of Dear Future Wifey podcast host, Laterras R. Whitfield, and his Mystery Bride, Mrs. Ashley (Woods) Whitfield! The exciting hybrid wedding event became an instant viral moment, drawing in 28,000 livestream viewers at its peak, amassing over 300,000 views within the first 48 hours, and attracting 147,000 unique visitors to the wedding video, literally making the bride’s long-awaited reveal one that was seen around the world!

ANNOUNCING MR. & MRS. LATERRAS R. WHITFIELD: A LOVE STORY FULFILLED

HE’S MARRIED NOW! In a powerful celebration of love and divine alignment, Laterras R. Whitfield, host of the top-rated, award-winning and often viral relationship podcast, Dear Future Wifey, married his “Mystery Bride,” Ashley (Woods) Whitfield, on Saturday, November 22, in an unforgettable hybrid wedding experience that was hosted in-person at the California Worship Center and online livestreamed through Whitfield’s Dear Future Wifey YouTube page. The event became an instant viral moment, drawing in 28,000 livestream viewers at its peak, amassing over 300,000 views within the first 48 hours, and attracting 147,000 unique visitors to the wedding video, literally making the bride’s long-awaited reveal one that was seen around the world! The location, led by Pastor Warryn and First Lady Erica Campbell, is the place where Laterras and Ashley first met and later became engaged. Their wedding marked a full-circle moment infused with faith, destiny and the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise.

The ceremony opened with a beautiful, melodic performance by David Michael Wyatt, who sang “First Time” by Teeks as Laterras walked down the aisle. As the bridal party entered, Wyatt performed “You (Dear Future Wifey),” the first original wedding song written by Whitfield and Stellar Award-nominated / 2x BMI Christian Song Award recipient, Michael Bethany.

The bridal party included: Bridesmaids – Daphne Hawkins (Matron of Honor), Aariel Holmes Cooper, Lauren McGhee, Goapele Mohlabane, Monique Brown, Jasmine Watts Freeman and Hanna Kim; and Groomsmen – Kenny Lattimore (Best Man), Paul Bashea Williams, Jay Barnett, Michael Bethany, Jay Bradley and Tony Pettiford.

Before the bride’s entrance, a heartfelt audio message from Laterras’ daughter LaTerria Cosby aired, sharing her love and well-wishes, as she was unable to attend the ceremony in person. Then, in a breath-taking moment, Grammy Award nominated singer and songwriter, Kenny Lattimore, who was also Whitfield’s Best Man, took the stage to sing the second original wedding song, “So Marry Me,” written by Whitfield and Bethany and produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Warryn Campbell.

Ashley, who had become known as Whitfield’s “Mystery Bride” was revealed to the audience during Lattimore’s performance, marking one of the most highly anticipated reveals in the Dear Future Wifey community. After an opening prayer, First Lady Erica Campbell welcomed guests, offering spiritual encouragement and heartfelt blessings over the marriage. Actress Brely Evans, a longtime friend of the bride, read Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 as a covering scripture for the union.

Then came the big moment! During his vows, Whitfield read his last and final “Dear Future Wifey” love letter, closing the book on his singlehood and beginning forever with his bride. Stepping into covenant, he vowed, “Today is the day we become one, and there is no greater choice than you. You are my answered prayer and my divine assignment, and as we step into this covenant, I make you this promise: I will be your greatest pupil. I will study your heart, honor your language and learn your love with intention. I will become a nerd of your heart, unashamed, devoted and forever fascinated by the depths of who you are. I’ll stay in God’s classroom for tutoring. Because for the rest of my life, I choose to remain a ‘Student of Love,’ mastering the art of loving you well. Your Future Hubby.”

At the end of his vows, Whitfield’s nephew and adopted son, LaDarrion Whitfield, presented the famous Dear Future Wifey Love Letter Box as Laterras inserted his final letter, symbolically ending his season of waiting.

Ashley’s vows were equally as powerful. She declared, “Where faith carries us, I promise to choose you intentionally and wholeheartedly, in joy and challenge, in clarity and uncertainty, n peace and in pressure. I will choose us again and again. With you, I found a love that is covered, chosen and Heaven-ordained. A love that feels like scripture in motion. A love that feels like home. I thank God for the man you are, the father you are and the husband ‘husbande’ you are becoming today.”

Whitfield’s pastor and spiritual mentor, Pastor Eben Conner of Word of Truth Family Church (Arlington, TX), officiated the ceremony. After the vows, the couple took Holy Communion while Michael Bethany delivered an emotional Gospel medley of “The Blood,” “More Than Anything” and “Goodness of God.”

Bridesmaid and R&B recording artist, Goapele, performed “Ribbon in the Sky” and her hit single, “Closer to My Dreams,” as the couple greeted their parents. The pair then participated in a symbolic sand ceremony, visually representing the unbreakable joining of their lives.

Then it was time to make it official with the presentation of rings for the bride and groom. Curated with Kenyatta Black, owner of the Philadelphia Diamond Company, the happy couple designed rings that encompass the story of their love.

As previously reported at the time of Laterras’ proposal, the total weight of Ashley’s engagement ring was 7.5 carats, which includes a patented 4 carat cushion queen cut center stone and features a stunning set of 31 rubies inside the band, representing the Proverbs 31 woman that she is. To seal the commitment it represents, the ring’s center stone is cradled by the letter “W” on both sides for “Whitfield” and “Woods,” and displays a scripture inscription of Genesis 2:23, which declares, “Bone of my bone.” During the ceremony, Whitfield presented his bride with an additional 5 carat double band wedding band that cradles the engagement ring.

Whitfield’s ring is a 2½ carat platinum and gold band featuring the bride’s initials, “ARW,” as well as an additional inscription: “TDDUP” for “‘Til Death Do Us Part.”

Finally, the newlyweds sealed the deal with a loving kiss and a joyous eruption spread across the in-person audience and the online viewers who all celebrated The Whitfields as they danced up the aisle to Kirk Franklin’s “Love Theory.”

Out of all the amazing moments of the wedding, the one that was nearest and dearest to Whitfield’s heart was the presence and support of his global audience, who has walked alongside him on this journey to “Discover, Uncover and Recover Love.” In the spirit of the wedding’s theme, #ThisIsForAllOfUs, Whitfield intentionally, livestreamed the ceremony, in collaboration with Clear Scope Media, to ensure that fans around the world had a virtual front-row seat. For Whitfield, the theme embodied the truth that his journey was never his alone; it was shared with everyone who has believed in love, rooted for his healing and hoped to see their own dreams realized. The message of his marriage is simple: if it could happen for him, it could happen for anyone who desires a love story of their own.

The reception took place at Republic Venue in Los Angeles, featuring a 25-course dining experience and special moments including the happy couple’s first dance, a loving father/daughter dance, heart-warming toasts from the bridal party, hilarious bouquet and garter tosses, a sweetheart serenade to the bride from her Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and an unforgettable dance party with DJ Mal-Ski!

Notable attendees included: Fawn & Keith Weaver, Egypt Sherrod & Mike Jackson, Drs. Jamal & Karri Bryant, Carl Payne, Tasha Cobb Leonard, Jessica Reedy, Lexi Allen, Anthony O’Neal, Jamal & Natasha Miller, Meagan Tandy, Brandon Wellington, Whitney (“Just Whiti”) & DeAngelo Moss, Albaner & Ambyr Eugene Jr., and many beloved and memorable Dear Future Wifey podcast guests.

Photos provided courtesy of Reems Photography