Soooooooooooo, can I say the best day of my life was on August 8, 2015???? I don’t know where start raving about that experience. God truly blessed Jamaar and me with our dream wedding. Before I start rambling, let me say THANK YOU from the inner most sacred area of my heart to Dure Events & Floraeventi for orchestrating such a grand wedding!!! Chioma and the Dure Dolls made sure that the reception was on time and ran accordingly and Floraeventi provided stunning decor. The Wortham Theater Staff. One word……..AMAZING!! Especially Mathew and Michael’s hard work. They not only took the time to ask me throughout the event if everything was ok, but asked if anything could be changed to ensure my vision was perfect. (You can catch all my previous #APbride posts here).
I also want to thank Thai Couture (@ThaiCouture) for my beautiful traditional outfit, RH PhotoArts for capturing beautiful moments, Visual Influence for videography, Soul Influence Singer (they performed during cocktail hour), Anzeo and the Band (performed during the reception), and many other vendors that I mention as I tell the story about the Greatest Love Song.
The day began for the bridesmaids and myself at 5am. We had to ensure that 14 lovely ladies were dolled up in time to head to the church before 12pm. Alaina (@Colordujour) and Denise (@iriejadebeauty) did a fantastic job with the face beats! Tinnell (@tinnell83) quickly and beautifully crowned our heads with cascading curls. I tried VERY hard to take my advice and “be a bride” that day. During the traditional wedding, I worked non-stop! To my Future brides, that is a BIG no, no! I really enjoyed allowing others to cater to me.
My biggest pet peeve is tardiness. It was time to head to the church and I still wasn’t completely dressed. I was getting a little worried and panicking in my head. The All-Star Bridal Party was already on the way to Notre Dame Catholic Church, which was 35-40 minutes away from hotel (Westin Downtown Houston). I was getting really nervous, then I looked down at my phone, and scrolled through the All-Star Bridal Party GroupMe chat. I busted out laughing!!! I couldn’t stop either. The Bridal Party Party Bus left Jamaar! They had to quickly circle around and pick him up. Ironically, after I read the text “I know y’all didn’t leave me..…” my nerves were restored to normal. I was God’s way of tell me calm down, relax, and enjoy your day. That’s probably not how Jamaar felt at the time LOL! I finished getting ready, took a few pictures, and my Mom, Maid, & Matron of Honor SPED to the church. That Rolls Royce Ghost can move! Sheesh!
We made it! I met with my Dad, who was the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and we prepared to walk down the aisle. I have four brothers and no sister, so my Dad only got that opportunity once to walk down the aisle. We took our time. My mother met us at the end of the aisle and my father gave me away. The whole ceremony was perfect. I had my favorite choir, from Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, perform our favorite songs. Jamaar and I were able to commit to each other in front of God and our lovely family and friends. Once we sealed it with a kiss, the most important part of the day was complete. Now it was time to PARTY!!!!
The best dressed guests arrived and had an opportunity to be serenaded by Soul Influence. They were served the BEST refreshments that I have seen. The Bride and Groom signature drinks were on POINT! I walked into the wonderful wonderland and my heart smiled. The venue was beautiful and decorated soooooooo nicely. I stood back and tried to soak all of it in. The All-Star Bridal Party, Jamaar, and I had to quickly take pictures and get ready for our entrance.
We began the reception with the introduction of the MC, Dami (@AphricanApe06), entrance of our families, and the All-Star Bridal party. Jamaar and I danced our way in to lead up to a surprise bridal performance. It was like a scene from You Got Served LOL! After that quick turn up, we ate our delicious meal, and listened to the sweet sound of Anzeo and the Band. After some time it was time for our first dance as a married couple. Anzeo performed our song “The Greatest Love” by Musiq Soulchild. If you get a chance, listen to the lyrics of that song it completely describes Jamaar and my relationship and the theme of our wedding. I was on cloud nine as my hubby and I slowly danced. I’ll never forget that moment.
The day would not have been the same without the father and daughter dance. My Daddy and I danced to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King and mixed in our favorite song “Nabeleli” By Jean Baron. My Daddy still got it! He was grooving, LOL! Jamaar and my mother-in-law danced to “For the Love of You” by Isley Brothers. After dancing, we directed to head towards the cake. I did not want to cut our cake because it was so pretty. Edible Designs By Jessie really out did herself. This time I got my piece of cake! I didn’t get to eat mine at the traditional wedding, lol. We toasted with our CremNoir Luxury Bridal Atelier Champagne Flutes (@crem_noir) and continued the reception with my Sorors singing our lovely Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hymn to me. We then played a game called the “Love Dance” similar to musical chairs with a few couples. Of course I tossed the bouquet, and Jamaar did the garter toss (I was so shy, lol), and the guests danced to DJ Tunes sounds all night.
We changed into our traditional outfits, took several pictures, partied, and had so much fun. P.S. The fabric for my bridesmaids and my traditional outfits came from Beth’s Textiles Houston. Our guests truly enjoyed themselves. Jamaar and had one last outfit that allowed us to freely move and party for a few more hours. It was a magical day that went by too fast!
My final token of advice for future brides would be relax, let others pamper you that day, completely trust your team, and enjoy your day. That day will go by soooooooo fast. Well, it has been an awesome experience sharing my journey with you all. . I’m sure you all will hear from me again JThank you Aisle Perfect for this opportunity!
Until we meet again, keep smiling, and love hard!
XOXOXO
P.S. If you would like to see some more awesome pictures, please click on the link below and enjoy.
http://rhphotoarts.com/stellaandjamaar/
