Even in Crisis, Pamela and Malissa Dunnings Show Love’s Strength

Pamela Brantley Dunnings and Malissa Dunnings may not have had the wedding they envisioned, but what they did share was an unforgettable testament to love, commitment, and resilience. And one that honored every word of the vow “in sickness and in health.”

The couple, who now reside in Houston’s Spring Branch area, accidentally met through Bumble in the least romantic way imaginable. “I accidentally super-liked her,” Pamela recalls. “It was an accident.”

But Malissa took the swipe seriously. “Being that she super-liked me, I decided, ‘Oh, I’ll inquire further,’” she adds. It turned out to be the only date Malissa ever went on from the app.

Their first date was as simple as it was telling, featuring a walk-and-talk following a hectic morning at a farmers market. “We just walked around the Heights—like in a circle around the same block for hours,” says Pamela. “She was just very easy to talk to.”

Malissa remembers exactly what Pamela wore. “She had on this beautiful pink dress. It was just a captivating pink dress,” she says. “The conversation never stopped. I think we both felt comfortable enough to ask anything and tell anything.”

Though the timeline might seem fast to some, they were engaged in under three months and married just shy of a year after meeting. Both women were sure early on that they had found something extraordinary. “We started talking about pretty intense things on date number three,” says Malissa.

Pamela, a mother of three, says the turning point wasn’t just the spark. It was Malissa’s wholehearted embrace of her children. “She was genuinely excited about being a stepmom,” Pamela says. “She coaches their basketball team. My kids don’t even like to call her ‘stepmom.’”

Their connection was so strong that Malissa bought an engagement ring just two weeks after their first date. “I did not give it to her right away,” she laughs. “But she started sending me pictures of rings, unsolicited, and I just bought one of the rings.”

Pamela, for her part, proposed the day after Malissa’s proposal. “She didn’t know I had her ring yet,” Pamela says. “She was going to my daughter’s birthday party and was nervous, and I turned around with the ring and said, ‘Will this make you feel even more confident going into it?’”

The couple planned a picturesque California elopement through Intimate Beach Wedding in Laguna Beach’s Heisler Park. “We had everything arranged,” says Pamela. “It was just going to be us, immediate family, and a very few friends. Very simple, very us.”

They started the big day with a scenic wedding brunch overlooking the beach and yachts in Newport Beach. “It was beautiful,” Malissa says. “Just gorgeous scenery, right on the water.” They had also planned a four-hour photo shoot across different beaches they had scouted on an earlier trip.

But just before the ceremony was to begin, something unexpected happened.

“I was just walking around reviewing my vows, and I walked back down to her at the gazebo and said, ‘My heart is doing something funny,’” Malissa recalls. Within moments, her implanted defibrillator activated. Not once, but five times. “It’s like an invisible horse kicking you in the chest,” she describes.

Pamela immediately called 911. “It’s a small beach town,” she explains. “Everybody came. The fire department, lifeguards, paramedics. Probably ten first-responders, maybe more.”

With her wife-to-be sitting on a bench beside her children, Pamela made a snap decision. “I asked our pastor, Carolyn Alexander, ‘How quickly can you marry us?’ She said, ‘Less than 30 seconds.’”

And just like that, the couple said “I do” amid a sea of first responders and curious onlookers. “We had no vows, no pictures of the ceremony. The kids had practiced their parts and were excited to walk us down the aisle, but we were sitting. We just did it right there,” says Pamela.

Malissa was loaded onto a gurney moments later as the violinist hired for the occasion struck up U2’s “A Beautiful Day.” “She was very sweet,” Pamela adds, “but she did not read the room. She just kept playing, even as Malissa was being wheeled into the ambulance.”

They spent their wedding night in the emergency room of a Newport Beach hospital. “We officially exchanged vows in the ER,” Malissa says. “Curled up in a hospital bed together. It was sad, but romantic. All of it.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you this,” Malissa says, turning to Pamela, “but the fact that you didn’t even think about it and just said ‘Let’s do this now,’ it meant a lot.”

Despite the chaos, the day wasn’t without beauty. Their photographer, Margot (a member of the LGBTQ community herself), stayed behind and captured candid moments with their families. “She went above and beyond,” Pamela says. “We were so surprised and grateful.”

Their officiant, Rev. Carolyn Alexander, was equally invaluable. “She rolled with the punches, made sure we were legally married,” Malissa says. “She was a pro.” They also offer a warm shout-out to Astoria Stubbs for doing their hair and styling.

Despite the wild turn of events, Pamela and Malissa both still cherish parts of their wedding day. For Malissa, it was the “first look” photos. “When she put her hand on my shoulder, I was shaking. Like it was our first date all over again.”

For Pamela, it was the brunch: “It was relaxing. Peaceful. Beautiful. Until it wasn’t.”

Pamela and Malissa’s wedding may not have gone as planned, but it perfectly reflected their bond. One that is rooted in openness, strength, and unwavering love. And while their story may be one-of-a-kind, their message is timeless: sometimes the most imperfect moments are the ones you’ll cherish the most.

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