Morehouse was impressed to begin competing in pageants after seeing how a lot her mom beloved the expertise.
Morehouse has been competing in pageants since she was 16.
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“Two of her finest associates are former Miss USA contestants,” Morehouse mentioned. “And it launched a profession in tv information for her.”
“Pageants are actually a microcosm of the actual world in a manner,” she added. “I feel it’s ready me in additional methods than one as I embark on totally different chapters of my life.”
Morehouse was already engaged earlier than the Miss USA group modified the principles to permit married ladies to compete within the pageant for the primary time in its historical past.
Morehouse’s husband, Taylor Reed Locklear, proposed in April 2022.
Juliana Morehouse
Morehouse’s now-husband, Taylor Reed Locklear, received down on one knee in April 2022, a couple of weeks after Morehouse had positioned third runner-up within the Miss Maine competitors.
She knew she wished to compete for the title yet another time, however the potential for a rule change hadn’t even crossed her thoughts.
“We went forward and set a marriage date and began to do some planning, however made the settlement that if I did win Miss Maine in November, we’d have to maneuver the marriage,” Morehouse mentioned.
Morehouse mentioned she was shocked when she heard the information concerning the rule change.
Morehouse would’ve moved her wedding ceremony if Miss USA hadn’t modified the principles.
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In August 2022, it was introduced that married ladies and moms would have the ability to compete on the Miss USA and Miss Universe competitions beginning in 2023. The timing couldn’t have been extra good for Morehouse.
“I’ve dreamed of getting married for lots of my life, and I’ve dreamed of competing at Miss USA for lots of my life,” Morehouse mentioned. “I by no means thought doing the 2 on the similar time can be attainable.”
“I really feel actually honored to be the primary to do each,” she added. “And it simply excites me as a result of, in a variety of methods, there’s an assault on marriage in our tradition. And I feel marriage is a superb establishment and it may be a very constructive life selection for lots of ladies.”
Morehouse received married on April 29 on the similar church the place she received engaged.
Morehouse and Locklear on their wedding ceremony day.
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Locklear popped the query in entrance of St. Philip’s Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on Easter weekend in April 2022.
“He selected the church as a result of our religion is essential to us and we met a variety of actually great folks at that church,” Morehouse mentioned. “It’s stunning as effectively, and it was cool that it ended up being the place we received married.”
Morehouse wore a customized Pnina Tornai robe that she discovered at Kleinfeld in New York Metropolis.
Morehouse purchased her robe at Kleinfeld’s in New York Metropolis.
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Morehouse mentioned she and her mom had at all times talked about going to Kleinfeld — the well-known bridal retailer from “Say Sure to the Costume” — and turned it into a giant journey together with her two sisters after she received engaged.
Morehouse beloved a long-sleeved costume that suited her “old-soul persona,” however she was apprehensive concerning the heavy skirt. Little did she know, Tornai was truly at Kleinfeld that very same day doing a trunk present.
“She got here in and mentioned we will make the skirt removable and he or she modeled the underside of the costume after one other I had tried on,” Morehouse mentioned. “Our complete expertise was superb, I might ship anyone there.”
Morehouse mentioned her favourite a part of the marriage was the ceremony.
Morehouse mentioned she was “very intentional” concerning the ceremony music.
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“I actually wished it to be a spiritually transferring expertise for folks, and a variety of that was being very intentional concerning the music that I selected,” she mentioned. “We had a full choir, a soloist, strings, organist, pianist, bagpipes, trumpets.”
“So many individuals had been extraordinarily emotional, crying, and mentioned it was one of the best wedding ceremony music at a ceremony that they’d ever heard,” she added. “We had some folks inform us it was actually extra like a worship service.”
Morehouse included her ardour for pageants into the reception.
Company got sashes to put on on the wedding ceremony reception.
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Company obtained light-up crowns as an alternative of glow sticks, in addition to sashes with phrases like “Maine-ly right here to celebration” and “Mr Drywall 2023,” which paid tribute to Locklear’s drywall firm.
The marriage additionally became a candy Miss USA reunion. Morehouse’s mother’s finest associates — a former Miss North Carolina and Miss Rhode Island — had been on the wedding ceremony, as had been the present Miss Massachusetts, Annika Sharma, and former Miss Virginia 2021, Christina Thompson.
There have been additionally cardboard cutouts of Morehouse being topped as Miss Maine USA, which later went crowd-surfing on the dance ground.
Morehouse mentioned her friends beloved the light-up crowns.
Juliana Morehouse
“Individuals had far more enjoyable with the crown and sashes than I believed they’d,” she mentioned. “Each individual of all ages, they’d them on.”
Now that the marriage is over, Morehouse is concentrated on getting ready for the upcoming Miss USA pageant.
Morehouse and Locklear at their reception.
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On high of finding out for her grasp’s in theology and a graduate program in scientific psychological well being counseling, Morehouse is working with strolling coaches, maintaining with the information, and giving shows as a neighborhood educator for the Alzheimer’s Affiliation.
And Morehouse is so excited to characterize married ladies on the Miss USA stage.
Morehouse is presently getting ready for the Miss USA pageant within the fall.
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“There’s no different job {that a} married girl can’t do due to her marital standing,” Morehouse mentioned. “There are married ladies who’re CEOs, there are married ladies who’re docs, there are married ladies who’re legal professionals, fashions, academics, nurses, enterprise homeowners — all totally different profession paths.”
She added: “Miss USA is a job, so how is that any totally different?”