Mood Photo & Video
Is love at first laugh a thing?
When realtor and entrepreneur Rashida Miller first met Nathaniel Stroman, otherwise known as comedian Earthquake, the funnyman was in his element. It was 14 years ago at The Laugh Factory, the famed comedy club in LA, and he took the stage. “It was my first time seeing him perform live and he was killing it!” she recalls. “I was instantly impressed.”
Turns out, so was he. “After the show, he came over and asked me to dinner,” she says. “The timing wasn’t right that night, but we exchanged numbers.” The timing wouldn’t be right for some time. Rashida says that Earthquake “isn’t the type to chase,” so by the time he put some effort into reaching out, she was already being claimed by someone else. Nevertheless, they remained friends — that is, until a family emergency in 2019 changed everything.
“My three-year-old niece was diagnosed with leukemia. To help her parents with medical expenses, I set up a GoFundMe and shared it with everyone in my contacts. Among the many responses, Quake’s donation stood out,” she shares. “At the time, we weren’t especially close, but his gesture in such a painful season revealed a side of him I hadn’t seen before.”
It was then that the two found their way to each other. “What once seemed like a small act of kindness became the seed of something much bigger, a love built on faith, timing, and gratitude,” she says.
Soon after, the two realized they were meant for each other. “One night, we’re just sitting there, not doing a damn thing, and out of nowhere I thought, Man, I ain’t never been loved properly until her. Didn’t even know what that kind of love felt like until she showed up,” Earthquake says. “She sees me. She loves me in a way that makes me want to hurry up and come home, makes me want to do better, but still lets me know I’m already enough as I am. That’s rare. That’s gold.”
Knowing how rare that truly is, he decided to make things official, proposing in June 2023 during a birthday trip he put together in the Turks and Caicos, her favorite island destination, sweeping her off her feet by chartering a four-bedroom yacht. While eating at the yacht’s Caribbean restaurant, which they had all to themselves, rose petals on the floor, champagne on ice, Rashida’s favorite song, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, started playing. “That is when Quake stood up, walked over, and got down on one knee. We spoke about marriage often, so I knew a proposal was coming soon, however, the way he pulled it off was magical, it still knocks me off my feet.”
She quickly said yes. “In that perfect moment, with the man who truly knows me and loves me as I am, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be, ready for the next chapter with my best friend.”
The next chapter began in August, as the two tied the knot at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. In a celebration put on by Slomique Hawrylo of Carpe Diem Events, the room was packed with a who’s who of comedy greats, as well as entertainment icons. That includes Johnny Gill, one of Earthquake’s best friends, who serenaded the couple during their first dance, Bobby Brown, who set the reception OFF by singing “My Perogative,” DL Hughley, Mike Epps, Anthony Anderson, Cedric the Entertainer, Judge Greg Mathis, Tavis Smiley, NBA great Gary Payton, director Stan Lathan, radio personality Big Boy and many more. But nothing beat the moment they became husband and wife when Earthquake recalls his favorite moments from the day.
“Let me tell you, the best part was when she actually said, ‘I do.’ I mean, I was sweating bullets all morning, double-checking my vows, making sure my suit still fit after all those cake tastings,” he jokes. “But when it got to the real moment, and she looked at me and said, ‘I do,’ not ‘I might’ or ‘Let me think about it,’ but ‘I do,’ that’s when it hit me, it was real. She didn’t just say it plain, either. She said, ‘I do take Nathaniel Martin Stroman as my husband,’ and put some meaning on it. I looked at our family and friends and said, ‘Y’all heard her, right? She can’t back out now!’”
Marrying the love of her life, with the people who mean the most, is also the greatest memory Rashida carries from that epic, beautiful day. “Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life. I married my best friend, and all my favorite people in the world were there to celebrate us,” she shares. “I wouldn’t change a thing!”
Take a peek inside Rashida and Earthquake’s big day and learn more about their love story in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
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Here Comes the Bride
“I’ve never been the type to dim my light for anyone. I’m the kind of woman you either see my worth or you don’t and if you don’t, I’m out, because you’re not my person. With Quake I could be me wholeheartedly and he took it all in. He wanted every part me, not a watered-down version!” Rashida says of knowing she found her soulmate. “I’d speak my mind, and instead of shutting down, he’d lean in and make space for even more of me. He was never intimidated, he just had an energy like, ‘Yeah, give me all of you. I can handle it.’”
Mood Photo & Video
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The Venue
Rashida and Earthquake said “I do” at the stunning Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. The day’s event was designed and produced by Slomique Hawrylo of Carpe Diem Events. “There were chandeliers hanging above us and candles glistening everywhere, making it feel like we stepped right into a dream!” Rashida says. “Slomique, our wedding planner, did her big one!”
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A MAJOR. Moment
“As my dad and I walked down to the aisle, I was completely shocked to hear MAJOR. singing ‘Why I Love You,’ a song Quake and I sing to each other all the time,” says the bride. “He had arranged this beautiful surprise just for me, and it was pure magic.”
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Meet Me at the Altar
“There were so many unforgettable moments, but seeing Quake as I walked down the aisle stands out above all,” she notes. “The sun was setting, casting everything in that perfect light, he looked so handsome and proud while waiting for me to take his hand. When I approached the altar, it was like time slowed down. We were cheesing from ear to ear. I’ll never forget the look on his face.”
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A Love Like This
“When I’m on the road, we’ll stay up on the phone for hours, just laughing, swapping stories. You know it’s right when time just disappears and you don’t even realize it. Everything feels effortless with her,” Earthquake says of what he’s found with Rashida. “She listens, I mean really listens. And she doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear, she tells me what I need to hear. That’s love with some backbone! I never had that before. Nobody ever made me feel like I was enough just being me.”
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Before the Party Begins
Take a peek at the stunning decor inside of the hotel, where the reception was set to take place. The lovely decor was done by Blue Iris Floral Couture and Create Event Design.
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Issa Party
“Our guests were dancing, laughing, and celebrating all night,” Rashida says of celebrating love with their favorite people, including the stacked wedding party, dressed in black.
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VIP
Tavis Smiley, D.L. Hughley and Mike Epps were on hand to celebrate the happy couple.
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Special Guests
Bill Bellamy and wife Kristen were there to enjoy the festivities.
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Cedric the Entertainer
A clean Cedric the Entertainer was all smiles as he partied with other comedy greats.
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Big Boy
Big Boy turned up, also with a bright smile, to honor Rashida and Earthquake.
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The First Dance
The couple enjoyed their first dance with help from Johnny Gill, a close friend of the comedian’s. “To have my boy, someone I admire and respect, give us that gift on our wedding day, that meant the world, man. I’m still trying to figure out how I’m supposed to top that for our anniversary.”
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A Party Starter
“And if that wasn’t enough, Bobby Brown grabbed the mic out of nowhere and turned the whole crowd out singing ‘My Prerogative,’ says Earthquake. “I’m talking about an epic reception. My friends showed out for real. It was one for the books!”
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Man of the Hour
Earthquake was over the moon all day, not only because he had a time, and because he has a new comedy special coming out called Joke Telling Business on Netflix on Sept. 30th, but also because he married the love of his life. The woman with whom life is easy. “We can just sit on that couch, Netflix on in the background, and be our real selves. No putting on a show, no trying to impress anybody, or spending a bunch of money,” he says. “We just exist together, effortless. That’s when you know it’s real. Just breathing the same air, me pretending I care about the TV, but really just looking at her, and suddenly it feels like Saint-Tropez. And let’s be clear, I ain’t never been to Saint-Tropez, but that’s what I imagine luxury feels like!”
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Let’s Get Down
Rashida, in a second look, got down with her girlfriends at the reception. She gifted them, and all her guests, her new skincare line, Shic Skin x Glow Skin Enhancement as party favors.
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The Best Dance Partner
“The reception was unforgettable,” she says. Rashida and Earthquake are captured cutting a rug. The bride took off her stilettos at this stage in the reception, keeping the party going in slippers.
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What the Future Holds
“I am really looking forward to building a legacy with Quake,” Rashida says of their plans, including supporting their Stroman Foundation, which currently has a fundraiser going for victims of the Eaton Fire in California. (You can donate at www.thestromanfoundation.org.) “Outside of that, I am excited for all the everyday moments with my husband. I look forward to waking up next to my best friend, sharing laughter, supporting each other, and building a life that is full of meaning and love. The idea of growing together and creating something bigger than ourselves is what I am most excited about.”
Mood Photo & Video
Vendors
Photographer: Mood Photo & Video
Wedding Cake: Sweet Traders
Stationary: Scripted Ever After
Bridal Looks: Yasmins Bridal Company
Florals: Blue Iris Floral Couture
Event Rentals: Create Event Design
Wedding Curator: Slomique Hawrylo of Carpe Diem Events
Venue: The Langham Huntington Pasadena