{"id":363325,"date":"2026-07-07T00:20:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/363325\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T00:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:20:14","slug":"darnell-and-jamar-williamson-fennell-turn-a-decade-of-love-into-a-celebration-outsmart-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/363325\/","title":{"rendered":"Darnell and Jamar Williamson-Fennell Turn a Decade of Love Into a Celebration \u2013 OutSmart Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\"\"Jamar Williamson-Fennell (l) and Darnell Fennell (Photos by Shaimma Photography)<\/p>\n

When Darnell Fennell texted Jamar Williamson-Fennell in the early hours of Valentine\u2019s Day weekend in 2015, he didn\u2019t know he was reaching out to the man who would become his husband. The couple first connected on Tinder while Jamar was preparing to move from New York to Houston. Darnell admits he was intrigued by Jamar\u2019s profile, but not entirely convinced.
\u201cHis profile seemed cool,\u201d Darnell recalls. \u201cHis pictures were not really consistent in some way, so I was a little skeptical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamar laughs at the memory. For him, it was one particular photo that stood out. \u201cMy favorite photo of him was a picture of him laughing,\u201d he says. \u201cIt came off to me as very nerdy. Something about it just made me feel like he was approachable and down to earth. And, I do like a nerdy, intelligent man.\u201d<\/p>\n

After weeks of sporadic communication, Darnell reached out while Jamar was in Houston for a job interview. The two met for lunch at a restaurant that once stood near Montrose and Westheimer. The date was simple, but memorable.<\/p>\n

One moment in particular convinced Darnell that Jamar was exactly who he claimed to be. \u201cWe were at a burger joint,\u201d Jamar remembers. \u201cI had chicken tenders or boneless chicken wings, and I was just eating them things up! He said, \u2018Wow, you weren\u2019t even trying to be cute with it.\u2019 I said, \u2018No, I\u2019m hungry. I\u2019m gonna eat.\u2019\u201d That authenticity would become one of the foundations of their relationship.<\/p>\n

Now celebrating 10 years together, both men describe their connection as something that grew naturally, rather than according to any predetermined checklist. \u201cAs a very logical and very analytical person, typically when I choose to be with somebody, that\u2019s more intuitive in some way,\u201d Darnell explains. \u201cSo I just knew that we were probably gonna go somewhere with this, but that wasn\u2019t based upon a checklist of things per se. It was just more of a connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jamar felt something similar. \u201cWhat I did know was that I was encountering a man of value, a man who means what he says,\u201d he reveals. \u201cWithin that short time that I was there visiting, I could really tell that he means what he says.\u201d The qualities they admire most in one another remain largely unchanged a decade later. Jamar describes Darnell as \u201cvery intelligent,\u201d adding that he loves how grounded and down to earth his husband is despite that intellect.<\/p>\n

Darnell, meanwhile, credits Jamar with bringing warmth and connection into their shared life. \u201cHe is the outgoing, caring expression of our relationship,\u201d Darnell states. \u201cPeople just gravitate toward him, so that is great to have in my life and to be able to witness that.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it came time to get engaged, the proposal reflected both their personalities. Darnell, who proposed, spent years reflecting on what marriage meant to him as a gay man. \u201cFor me, marriage was tied to straightness and being straight,\u201d he admits. \u201cOnce I overcame that I don\u2019t have to be there and I don\u2019t have to live in that paradigm, I wasn\u2019t wedded to that story as much as I once was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, and with the help of a therapist, he realized marriage could be defined on his own terms. \u201cYou can define what this means for you in a new way that\u2019s different from how it may have meant for you in previous chapters of your life,\u201d he explains. With that realization came a carefully planned surprise proposal.<\/p>\n

Under the guise of a brownie-making demonstration, Darnell secretly flew in members of Jamar\u2019s family from Florida. After baking together, the couple was asked to pose with the finished treats. On the serving plate were the words: \u201cWill you marry me?\u201d When family members emerged from hiding moments later, the answer was already clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did good,\u201d Jamar says with a smile. \u201cHe did very good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The couple officially married on July 25, 2025, in Berkeley, California, a place deeply connected to Darnell\u2019s personal journey. The intimate ceremony took place in a rose garden he frequently visited while living there. The wedding itself was intentionally small, attended only by the couple, their officiant, photographer, and videographer.<\/p>\n

Their larger celebration came three months later. On October 26, family and friends gathered atop POST Houston in the venue\u2019s Skylawn. There, Jamar and Darnell decided to put their \u201clove on top,\u201d with a reception that transformed into a joyful expression of community, culture, and love. The event featured a neutral palette inspired by the browns and earth tones the couple wore during their California ceremony. Guests were invited\u2014but not required\u2014to wear similar shades.<\/p>\n

To the couple\u2019s surprise, nearly everyone embraced the request. \u201cPretty much 99% of everybody has these colors on,\u201d Darnell says. \u201cAesthetically, that just represented the continuity and that we are all together, we\u2019re all invested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music became another defining feature of the evening. A choir, DJ, saxophonist, and live vocalist helped create what Jamar describes as \u201ca whole thing.\u201d The celebration also honored the couple\u2019s individual backgrounds. Catering incorporated Jamaican flavors as a tribute to Jamar\u2019s heritage, creating a menu that resonated with family members from both sides.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Yet perhaps the most meaningful moment involved remembering Darnell\u2019s grandmother. Diagnosed with cancer shortly before the Berkeley ceremony, she passed away roughly a week before the Houston reception. Rather than allowing grief to overshadow the celebration, the couple chose to honor her life. During a musical performance, videos of her dancing played on screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an emotional moment,\u201d Darnell says, \u201cbut it was a way to bring her in.\u201d
The evening\u2019s emotional centerpiece came during the couple\u2019s grand entrance. Guests first watched a video of the California ceremony and listened to the couple\u2019s vows. Then, surrounded by loved ones, Darnell and Jamar made their entrance into the reception.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the entry, period,\u201d Darnell says of his favorite moment of the reception.<\/p>\n

Jamar agrees. \u201cLiterally the best day of our lives,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

For both men, the celebration carried additional significance as two Black gay men navigating the complexities of family, faith, identity, and acceptance. \u201cThere was a little bit of heartache during the process,\u201d Jamar explains. \u201cBut being there in that moment and feeling the rush of love and support and celebration\u2014it was nothing but love in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One particularly meaningful moment came during a toast from Darnell\u2019s brother, Robert, who reflected on his own journey toward fully embracing and celebrating his brother. \u201cIt was honestly about how he wasn\u2019t always where he should have been with me,\u201d Darnell says, \u201cbut he is celebrating me now.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a couple whose relationship began with curiosity, authenticity, and a leap of faith, that spirit of growth and affirmation felt like the perfect way to celebrate the next chapter. \u201cWe deserve this for our journey,\u201d Darnell says of their wedding and reception, \u201cboth as individuals and as the collective. To be able to say, \u2018We\u2019re here, we made it, we love each other.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jamar Williamson-Fennell (l) and Darnell Fennell (Photos by Shaimma Photography) When Darnell Fennell texted Jamar Williamson-Fennell in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-363325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}