Real Weddings

Love is truly patient and kind for happy couple who says "I Do" after years of friendship

When planning their wedding Chelsey and Jeremy Williams, incorporated Bible verses from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, which details attributes of love.

Love is patient. Love is kind.

The verses characterized their relationship, which spanned years, starting in college at Howard University where they shared classes, overlapping friend groups and interests, but yet, they never dated.

Love is patient. Love is kind.

Even after college, as they entered the Teach for America program, they were still just friends, although something was brewing. Chelsey’s teaching position was in Houston and Jeremy’s was in Dallas and on a trip to Dallas visiting friends, Chelsey once again saw Jeremy and they both felt a spark.

“Once we realized we had chemistry, we knew this could get really serious,” Chelsey said. “By the end of the night, we were holding hands.”

But Chelsey still wasn’t sure if it was the romantic setting or the real thing, so she prayed about it. If he was the one, that spark would still be firing the next day. Much to their mutual delight, it did.

“We knew this was our person. We knew this was going to be our last relationship,” Chelsey said.

They had found each other, despite years of knowing each other, but they were still in two different Texas towns, doing the long-distance relationship thing while looking for jobs in either Houston or Dallas.

Jeremy proposed to Chesley in November 2014, working with her family to ensure a meaningful family-filled engagement she would always remember, surprising her in front of both of their families at a private room at a Memphis restaurant.

“He always loves to surprise me. I just knew it was the moment,” Chelsey said.

The couple chose The Springs Event Venue in Brookshire for the wedding and reception because it fit their needs for flexible space that was big on vintage charm and elegance. Family and friends were at heart of their celebration, so they kept that in mind when planning the rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception.

They even made a place for Chelsey’s beloved dog CoCo, who jumped the broom with the couple. Their college friend Jae Murphy, a famous Los Angeles DJ (he’s the official DJ for Jason Derulo), flew in for the reception and kept the party going.

“The wedding was everything we could have ever wanted,” Chelsey said. “We had our family and friends there and the weather was beautiful. We truly could not have asked for a more beautiful day.”

And that thing about patience?

“Everything happens for a reason. It was in God’s timing and it was his orchestrated hand at work,” Chelsey said.

• Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The Element (Catered by the mother of the groom)
• Rehearsal Dinner Dress: ASOS
• Reception Venue: The Springs Event Venue
• Ceremony Venue: The Spring Event Venue
• Photographer: Trisha Cornwell & Emily Ries
• Florist: Simply Beautiful Flowers & Events
• Dress: Winnie Couture
• Shoes: DSW
• Groom's Tux: J. Crew
• Wedding Planner: The Bride (Day-Of: Kenya Washington-Johnson from Florida)
• DJ: Jae Murphy
• Ceremony Music: Soloist Alison Sifflet
• Cocktail Hour Music: The Groom

Chelsey and Jeremy Williams were college friends who became sweethearts after graduation.

weddings

money woes

Texas dips on ranking of America's most financially distressed states

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

Texas actually improved in this year's ranking.

After spending an unfortunate year as the No. 1 state with the most people in financial distress, Texas has slightly recovered. But the Lone Star State isn't out of the woods yet: it's still among the five most financially distressed states in America for 2026.

According to WalletHub's 2026 report, Texas sits in the No. 4 spot this year, while Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida moved up to become the top three states with the most financially distressed residents.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states based on residents' average credit scores, the share of people with "accounts in distress" (meaning an account that's in forbearance or has deferred payments), the one-year change in bankruptcy filings from March 2025, and search interest indexes for "debt" and "loans."

Despite improving in the overall ranking, the study found Texas has had the fourth-biggest spike in bankruptcy filings nationally from March 2025 to March 2026. Texas residents also have the 10th worst average credit scores in the country, according to the findings.

This is how Texas ranked across the study's six key dimensions, where No. 1 means "most distressed:"

No. 4 – Change in bankruptcy filings from March 2024 to March 2025 rank
No. 5 – Average number of accounts in distress rank
No. 8 – "Loans" search interest index rank
No. 8 – People with accounts in distress rank
No. 12 – Credit score rank
No. 13 – “Debt” search interest index rank

It feels like inflation and affordability have been top-of-mind for many Americans over recent years, and uncertainty around the national economy also adds another level of distress. That's especially true for Houston residents, which were dubbed the second most financially distressed people in America earlier in 2026.

"Americans have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, as inflation, shifting unemployment levels, public health emergencies, and natural disasters have made it more difficult for many households to stay on top of their bills," the report said.

The top three states that have the least financially distressed residents are Maine (No. 50), Rhode Island (No. 49), and Hawaii (No. 48).

The top 10 most financially distressed states in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Lousiana
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – South Carolina
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Georgia
No. 8 – California
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Kentucky

economy wallethub reports texas finance

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Love is truly patient and kind for happy couple who says "I Do" after years of friendship

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money woes

Texas dips on ranking of America's most financially distressed states