Shaunie Henderson Says Life With Pastor Keion Is ‘Amazing’ As They Celebrate A Year Of Marriage

Near the end of May, Shaunie Henderson (formerly known as Shaunie O’Neal) and Pastor Keion Henderson celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary. At an event following that milestone, the LadyLike Foundation’s Women of Excellence Awards & Fashion Show, she spoke about how life and love with the Lighthouse Church & Ministries senior pastor has been “easy.”

“Newlywed life is amazing,” she shared with PEOPLE at the event. “I love this guy, and the best part about it is he’s my best friend.”

“We enjoy each other,” she added. “We enjoy being around each other. We enjoy talking to each other and loving each other. So, it’s easy.”

PEOPLE also caught up with Keion, who was present to support his wife as she was being honored during the event.

“It’s been easy,” he said, using the same words as Shaunie to describe married life. “I felt like the day I met her, I felt like I knew her. That kind of natural transmission between souls that meet, it’s amazing.”

While they describe things as “easy,” he noted that they have committed to making an effort every day to make sure that things stay interesting, or as he put it, to ensure “it never gets old.”

“Every day we wake up, try to figure out how to make sure it feels as good as it was in the beginning,” Keion said, noting that when it comes to such work, “it’s worth it.”

Shaunie and Keion Henderson said “I do” on May 28, 2022 in Anguilla, and ESSENCE was present for the big day. Their nuptials were officiated by Bishop T.D. Jakes and included performances by Yolanda Adams, as well as by the Isley Brothers at the reception. O’Neal’s five children were on hand for the celebration, including sons Myles, Shareef and Shaqir, who walked their mom down the aisle after the passing of her father earlier in the year. The couple announced their engagement in November 2021 after nearly two years of dating.

In a podcast chat with her hubby after they wed, she admitted that she thought dating a pastor would be dull.

“I’ve never dated a pastor before or preacher,” she said. “First of all, I thought it was going to be really boring. I didn’t think that you would be fun. I didn’t think that your lifestyle really allowed you to be the kind of fun that I like. I want to go dance with my friends at The Dime. I just thought that you’d be like, ‘Oh no, that’s of the world.’”

Thankfully, she had him all wrong. “You were not like I thought you would be at all,” she said.

Congrats to the couple on one year down. Here’s to forever!