Toya & Tony in Dallas, TX

“I’ve never told her this, but it wasn’t love at first sight,” says Eugene (Tony) Shelton. “It was love at first breath. Our first conversation, I knew she was the one for me.” He first encountered LaToya (Toya) Butler at a leadership conference while both were in college. They were friends for two years and then dated for what Tony describes as “the seven best years of my life.” The Bride LaToya (Toya) Butler, 29, merchandising manager The Groom Eugene (Tony) Shelton, 32, tech developer The Date May 27 On New Year’s Day, he took Toya on a picnic at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth (where Toya’s parents had wed). “I was already extremely happy because it was such a great day, but I totally didn’t know it was going to get even better!” Toya remembers. After enjoying a wonderful picnic together, Tony pulled a ring box from his pocket. The celebration continued even after Toya said yes, as Tony also had two tickets for a Dallas Cowboys game. “They didn’t win that day, but I did!” Toya says.