He called her his wife well before their first date

The News Journal

Gaysha Venee Beard and Brandon Morrison Badley

April 21, 2018

THE INTRODUCTION: Gaysha Beard and Brandon Badley met in January 2016 through a mutual friend who often had gatherings at her Middletown house. He was smitten at first sight. She, not so much. Brandon was 29, living in Middletown and working for the state as a behavioral analyst for the disabled. She was 37, living in Newark and working as a district administrator for Red Clay Consolidated School District. Brandon was too nervous to make a move. Both thought the other was dating someone else and Gaysha, in particular, was not looking for a significant other. A few weeks later, they ran into each other at TGI Friday's, which had a video bingo night that Brandon would frequent. He walked in and Gaysha was there with friends. She invited him to sit with her group and they chatted, which only interested Brandon more. Gaysha, not so much. A few weeks after that, Brandon and his brother Andrew ran into Gaysha at Brio, one of her favorite restaurants. He invited her and her friends to meet him and his friends at the Chesapeake Inn. She did, and at some point, Brandon introduced her with "This is my wife." All of a sudden, he registered with Gaysha. "Who is this guy?" she thought and started paying attention. And while Brandon's bold move reeks of confidence, he admits it was more a result of having too much to drink. "I'm not a very aggressive person, except that once," he says. A few weeks after that, they were at a friend's house when he started telling her about the opening of Bellefonte Brewing Co. "Are you asking me on a date?" she asked. "Sure," Brandon said.

THE FIRST DATE: Five months later, on May 21, 2016, they went to the opening of Bellefonte Brewing Co. in Newport. They had a great time mingling with the crowd and posing for a photo taken by Anthony Delle Donne. They were most amused when not one, but two couples asked them how long they had been married.

Gaysha Venee Beard and Brandon Morrison Badley/April 21, 2018

THE FIRST KISS: After going to Bellefonte Brewing, they went to 8th and Union Kitchen because some friends were there. The couple was having a good time when Brandon leaned in for a kiss. "He was super forward. He stole it," Gaysha insists. "She's not going to admit to being swooned," Brandon says. "I could tell she wanted to kiss me." "Ohhhh, uh uh," Gaysha says. From that day, they started hanging out almost every day. They discovered they had a lot in common. Both were very social. Both liked throwing big parties, particularly for Christmas, the Fourth of July and the Super Bowl. They liked to travel and going to performing arts events. She's a major coupon clipper, and he can tell you the specials of every day of the week for many restaurants. Both assumed their relationship was headed toward marriage, and they talked a little bit about it.

THE PROPOSAL: Gaysha had no clue that she was planning her own engagement party on July 4, 2017. Brandon wanted their families there. He had arranged for his mother to return early from her trip to Florida and Gaysha's sister Shea to fly into town from Chicago. He warned his brothers not to be late. Brandon took advantage of a visit by Gaysha's parents to show her father the ring and nervously ask for Gaysha's hand. "If you love her and she loves you, you have my blessing," her father said. The day of the party he zipped the ring in one of the pockets on his cargo pants. They gathered the family in the family room for a pre-meal blessing by Gaysha's father, and then Brandon claimed the floor. He talked about how happy he had been with Gaysha and how hard she worked to get the house ready for the party. She started to think he was about to make fun of her for insisting on a specific red-white-and-blue decor theme. Then she was just confused. And then Brandon dropped down on one knee, and she realized what was happening. "I was, like, oh my gosh!" Gaysha said and covered her face with her hands as she said yes.

THE CEREMONY: Gaysha and Brandon married April 21 at Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green in Old New Castle. It was Brandon's family church when he was growing up and he was baptized there. During the ceremony, his son, Brandon Badley Jr., acted as ring bearer. Brandon's friend Anthony Bailey Jr. played "The Wedding Song" by Kenny G on soprano saxophone, and Adrianne Artist performed a solo in Matthew West's "When I Say I Do.” Gaysha and Brandon presented photo albums of their engagement shoot in Brandywine State Park to their parents.

THE DRESS: Gaysha wore a David Tutera gown from Brides and Grooms in Newark that was described as "mocha" but which had a pale peachy pink hue to it. The strapless gown featured a beaded lace bodice and full ballroom skirt.

SOMETHING OLD: Gaysha's bridesmaids solved her something old, something new dilemma at her bridal shower when sister Shea paired the bridesmaids and assigned each pair one category. Shea and their cousin Kendra Davis gave Gaysha a small picture frame with two oval openings. One was filled with a photo of Shea's and Gaysha's mother on her wedding day, with their grandmother behind her. The bridesmaids suggested Gaysha have a photo taken with her mom in the same pose on Gaysha's wedding day, and she did.

SOMETHING NEW: Amy Jones and Nicole Urti gave the bride a silver cuff bracelet engraved with the coordinates of the apartment house at which they all lived during grad school. They were the first two people Gaysha met when she moved to Delaware to attend the University of Delaware, where she earned both a master's and a doctorate in education. They all lived at University Courtyard Apartments, and all worked together as community assistants.

SOMETHING BORROWED: Megan Gustafson gave Gaysha a broach she had worn at her own wedding. After the ceremony, Gaysha had Megan pin it in her hair so she could wear it during the rest of the night.

SOMETHING BLUE: Chimere McLean and Christina Capone gave Gaysha the garter she wore at the wedding.

THE RECEPTION: Gaysha and Brandon wanted the guests at the reception at Deerfield to walk in and see cream and gold decor with hints of blush and eggplant, the wedding colors. Their first dance was to Ed Sheeran's song "Perfect." One of their favorite moments came after the bride had tossed the bouquet and the groom had tossed the garter. Theresa Hampton, who caught the bouquet, is a social butterfly who is far from shy. Anthony Bailey Jr., who caught the garter, is an ordained minister who is reserved. After the catch, it's tradition for the garter catcher to put the garter on the woman who caught the bouquet. Anthony clearly was uncomfortable with the whole idea, but Theresa vamped it up, brazenly inviting him to "come on, come on" and shifting her leg around, much to the amusement of the wedding party and guests.

THE MOST POPULAR GIFT: They got duplicates of only two things, a waffle maker and a life-size Jenga game, which they wanted for their parties.

THE MOST SENTIMENTAL GIFT: Brandon's brother Rodney Brown and his girlfriend, Donna Barber, gave the couple a personalized crystal cube that contained a 3D copy of the photo taken on their first date by groomsman Anthony Delle Donne.

THE HONEYMOON: Gaysha and Brandon went to Cancun, Mexico, where they stayed at the Villa Del Palmar resort. They traveled to the Cenotes, Tulum and Isle de Mujeres and also had a couples massage and great meals.

THE PARENTS: The bride is the daughter of Betty and Charles Beard of Peoria, Illinois. The groom is the son of Lorraine and Michael Badley of Middletown.

WHAT'S NEXT: The couple is living in Brandon's house in Middletown with his two children, Brandon Jr. and Brielle. They hope to one day buy a house together there. Brandon, who went to Middletown High School and earned a degree in psychology at Delaware State University, continues to work with the state. Gaysha, who earned her high school degree in Naperville, Illinois, and then got a dual degree in dance and education at Stevens College in Columbiana, Missouri, is the English/language arts supervisor for Red Clay.