I now know that it is true that a bride will feel the most beautiful on her wedding day.
Planning a wedding from hours away had proved to be quite the task, but all of the hard work ended up paying off. My husband, Timi, and I felt extremely lucky with the way things unveiled. Perhaps this token from my sister helped.
I had never felt so proud, so confident, soo exhilarated in my entire existence!
I felt so happy and was beaming ear to ear.
The shoes...
The earrings...
The rings... We decided on purchasing our rings from Brilliant Earth because of their sourcing. We wanted to make sure that this important symbol of our love came from a place of responsible and ethical practices.
The essentials... I love Chanel, so it was important that I wear my signature scent, Chance, on my wedding day. For my lips, I wanted that red pop of color, so I used Chanel Rouge Allure in #104 Passion and a Chanel lip pencil to help fill in.
The Keepsakes...
A Handmade Bridal clutch from my mother...
A Handmade bridal shawl from my mother made out of love knots. Unfortunately, the day proved to be too cold to wear it, but I was able to wear it on my honeymoon in Antigua where it looked beautiful against the aqua blue sea.
and THE DRESS... I love fashion and style, so when it came to picking out my dress, it was a challenge. We had a longer engagement, so I went through so many ideas and so many dresses. Deep down, I always had a vision of what I wanted. With my favorite designer being Jenny Packham, a favorite of the Duchess of Cambridge as well, I knew my dream dress would resemble something like their unique vintage flair. It just had to fall inside my budget which was extremely difficult. I went through racks and racks of dresses that all looked the same! Designers have to understand that not every bride wants to wear strapless. It is WAY too common these days. After trying on about 30 some dresses (the number is probably higher), I headed to Lovely Bridal Shop in NYC one last time to try to find the one! After some research, I came across the Soft by Rosa Clara line which impressed from the pictures alone. When I walked into the shop, my dream gown finally caught my eye and I knew it was the one. When I tried it on, there was no turning back, except to turn around and stare at it in the mirror. Finally, I felt like a bride. Originally, the dress sleeves were a lot longer and the fit was a lot looser. Putting my trust into the wonderful seamstress team from Sew Elegant in NYC, they altered the dress to a more flattering fitted look, while also shortening the sleeves to rest above the elbow instead of below.
As for the bridesmaid dresses, I went through a few color schemes before settling on the hunter green. The color is in fact my sister Stevie's (MOH) favorite color, so it looked stunning on both her and my sister in law, Megan. I was originally thinking pinks, reds and even gold at one point. The hunter green really complimented the wedding scheme and worked perfectly with the flowers. They wore gold accessories that I had purchased on Etsy.
After slipping into my dress, it was time to add my favorite accessories, the FLOWERS! There is so much beauty in florals, so I wanted to make sure they were a beautiful display. Roses were a must because they are my favorite flower. The rest of the bouquet was made up of lush flowers which provided an elaborate texturized look. What is more romantic than vivid shades of red, crimson and fuchsia? They were a gorgeous contrast to the hunter green dresses I had chosen for my girls. When my florist gave me a preview of the bouquets, my jaw nearly hit the floor. I was in awe! She mentioned that they were ecstatic to work with such bold colors, because so many brides tend to want more neutral colors. I was thrilled to know my flowers stood out!
To add a bohemian element, my amazing florist created an exquisite floral crown for me to wear. Everything about it was STUNNING! When my sister laid it upon my head, THAT was the moment I started to get emotional.
I had smaller crowns made for my girls. They were just as gorgeous!
The crown was so distinct that it really made my entire bridal look so unique.
One of the most special moments of the day came right before the ceremony, when my parents gave us a Polish Blessing, an ode to my heritage from my mother's side. It was important to Timi and I to stick to tradition by not seeing each other before the wedding. Agreeing to keep our eyes shut, my brother and his brother guided him in as my parents recited a beautiful prayer.
After the blessing, the excitement kicked in and I could not wait to walk down the aisle to my husband to be. With a few final touches,we were on our way to becoming Mr. and Mrs!
I remember being a nervous wreck at this moment, mostly worrying about tripping down the aisle, but the sweet sounds of the string quartet we had play brought me back to reality and soothed my soul.
The best moment of my life was about to happen. The anticipation that you feel as you wait at the end of the aisle is indescribable. It is just perfect.
To be married, is knowing that your soul is complete. It is a commitment that is filled with a love so pure yet so strong made to stand the test of time. Marriage is a lifelong journey created by angels of love and destiny.
The locale of our wedding was picture perfect. Being a native of Western New York, we had always planned on a wedding towards the WNY region. However one day, a snow storm had led us to our wedding destination in the little town of Skaneateles, NY nestled in the Finger Lakes region. Located about 2.5 hours from Buffalo and about 4.5 hours from NY, we fell in love with it. Our reception was held at the beautiful Sherwood Inn. The gorgeous fall hues of the trees against the muted blue exterior of the historical inn brought such a lovely touch to all of our photos.
As a fan of historical romances and DOWNTON ABBEY, the Sherwood provided a breathtaking scene for our wedding photos. We were surrounded with the most beautiful antique paintings and furniture that could make any romantic swoon. I certainly felt like Lady Mary.
All bustled up and ready to go by my best friend, Ellen. xoxo
The Reception
We had always wanted a gold vintage vibe for our decor theme, so the Sherwood Inn had made that part of the planning easier. For months, I had collected pieces here and there to decorate with. Our dessert buffet wasn't just eye candy; it was most certainly delicious as well. Coming from a creative family of men with great woodcrafting skills, my brother built our escort display while my father designed and built our card trunk. I added some DIY touches with the the table numbers and dessert menus with some chalk and gold paint.
We danced... a slow number to one of our favorites, The Story by Brandi Carlile.
My husband is originally from Nigeria, so in his culture...dancing means so much traditionally. We opened the dancing with a money spray which was so much fun!
I sang... I have been singing and writing songs since I was a teenager. After singing at a few weddings, I always knew that writing a song for my future husband was something I wanted to do. I was accompanied by my brother on two songs which I wrote. It was such a sweet moment.
We loved... This man was made for me. I love him.
We walked through fields... Like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice.
We got married! The day does fly by, but it is so important to remember to cherish every moment you can get with your beloved. Remember what the day is about and the importance of that bond and love you two now share!!! xoxo
*All Photos belong to MaKaStyle and are courtesy of Sj Bridgeman Photography
Take a Sneak Peek into Our Spectacular Day with this AMAZING Trailer created by Tommy Khounlivong from Phenomenon Events...
Bridal Gown: Soft by Rosa Clara "Ubela" / Custom Tailored by: Sew Elegant NYC / Dress Shop: Lovely Bridal NYC/ Shoes: Klub Nico / Earrings: Bella Bleu Bridal / Wedding Rings: Brilliant Earth / Coat: Maison Scotch / Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy / Groom's Tuxedo: J. Crew / Groomsmen Suits: Men's Wearhouse / Florist: Whistlestop Florist / Makeup: A- List Artistry / Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's Church, Auburn, NY / Reception Venue: The Sherwood Inn / Bakery: Patisserie at Sherwood Inn Photographer: Sj Bridgeman Photography / Cinematographers: Phenomenon Events