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.
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