Real People in Love: Tieka & Brett

Happy June, darlings! Can you believe we've already made it through half of 2011? Where oh where did the time go???


I'm not sure if I can convey my excitement over this week's Real People in Love. 


Tieka is the beautiful woman behind Selective Potential and as I've been posting more and more of my outfit photos I look to her more and more for inspiration. I thought it would be fun to see another side of Tieka as well as more of her adorable hubby, Brett


How old are you & Brett? 
I am 24 (almost 25, eep!), and Brett is 26 (almost 27, eep!)


How long have you been together?
We've been together for 5 years, married for 4 years! It's been the best 5 years of my life. I can't imagine spending my time with anyone else.


When's your anniversary?
August 12, 2007!

What are your occupations?
I work as an entry-level graphic designer for a strategic communications firm. Brett works as a shipping/receiving manager at a place that manufactures furniture parts for big companies like Herman Miller.

How did you meet?
Brett was in a band called 'The Potentials' and I kept seeing him play (he was the drummer). I liked him immediately... he had long, dark hair, supper tight dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and chucks! I stalked his shows, became friends with his friends, and we became friends! It was all downhill from there!


How did you get engaged?
It was the day before we received a HUGE snowstorm and it was the day that my engagement ring got into the store... he couldn't wait at all. :) We took a walk on the pier down to the lighthouse in our hometown and he proposed at the end of the pier. So cute.


Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too):
It was seriously a whirlwind and one of the best days of our lives. Being surrounded by all of our closest friends and family as we told each other we would love each other for life was so amazing. We got married in our hometown of Grand Haven, had our reception at a little grand hall right downtown, took the trolley around, walked the pier. It was the perfect "us" day.

Define Love:
Everyone has a different interpretation, but my definition of love is having someone that is your best friend, that you can have fun with, laugh with, get through the every day stuff with and be stronger at the end of each day. Someone that supports you through your passions, you support them through theirs and everything comes out in the wash and you're happy.

What is the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?
I think sometimes Brett and I struggled in our relationship because we married so young. Although I'd do it all overs again in a heartbeat, neither of us really had the chance to live on our own and really experience the 'adult single life.'

What is the best part?
It really helps us that we're still kids, still stay our super late with friends, still play in bands, go to shows. It's like we're living that young adult phase, but we're still married. It's really the best thing in our relationship- the ability to have fun, have our independence and be 'kids together' still.

What is the best day the two of you have had together?
I don't know if Brett would agree, but my favorite time with him ever was when we went up to the Upper Peninsula for our 3rd anniversary. It was so idealistic. We stayed in a lakefront hotel on Lake Superior and I just loved the breeze coming through as I heard the waves outside, there was this amazing old mission lighthouse in view and you could see Pictured Rocks perfectly. It was just...honestly, magical. Plus we were there celebrating an amazing anniversary.

What makes you different from other couples?
Definitely that we don't take ourselves seriously. We are honestly still kids... and sometimes I don't think people get that. We will still chase each other around our apartment with water squirt guns, jump on the bed, pick up and leave town and drive 8 hours to a difference city for the weekend, blow our entire savings on a cool vacation... we are so irresponsible (which we do need to work on) but we have FUN. That's huge to me! I see couples all the time that are stuck in a rut and it's boring... that could never be us!

What is your favorite thing to do together?
We love to ride our scooters together! We are always on them, riding past the lake, taking trips out to the city. We also love to go see every movie in the theater, eat way too much buttery popcorn and take corny adventures around our state. Everything I do is fun with him.

Do you have a song?
We do! It's Hot Rod Circut- At Nature's Mercy. When we first started dating, we both loved that band... and would just sing it to each other in the car. "Hard not to get hooked... hooked on you" and we'd point at each other on the 'you' part.

What is the most essential element of making it?
I think for us it's always staying on the same page. We're growing together, we're staying the same together. I see some couples that don't communicate, they get interested in things that doesn't involved the other and sometimes it can just make you grow apart. I'm HUGE into my fashion blog, but Brett is a huge part of it. He's constantly with me on outfit shoots, sitting beside me while I try and catch up on thousands of emails, reading my every post, correcting every grammatical error and giggling over cute reader comments.When Brett's band, Tall Ships, was huge and so busy and playing shows every weekend, I was at every single show. We support each other in everything we do- no matter how silly. I listened to his hardcore music a thousand times, he's taken my outfit shoes a thousand times. It's about sacrifice and enjoying each other's passions and supporting them.

What are your hopes for the future?
Our next step is to purchase a home. We've been trying to save for about a year now with no luck. Haha! As soon as we purchase a house, we'd love to buy a puppy! I'm thinking in five years or less we'll start having kids. We're so focused on other things right now and way too immature to have a baby so I know we'll be waiting a while there!


If you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series just shoot me an email. And don't forget to check out the Color Me Happy package exchange!