This Couple Honored Their Blended Heritage With a Vibrant Two-Day Nigerian-American Wedding in Richmond, Virginia
When Matthew Rickert first matched with Fatimah Ogungbade on Bumble, he jumped at the opportunity to meet her for dinner--even though he had been in the middle of his own. "Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to meet such a cute lady, I quickly said yes and stashed my leftovers," Matthew recal...
The Couple's Indian, Belgian and Ghanaian Heritage Filled Their Two-Day Wedding at Borgo Corsignano in Italy
Chloe Eyison and Claudio Eyison’s love story is one of serendipity. ‘We initially met on a night out in Dubai, UAE,” Chloe reminisces. Their first encounter was marked by friendly conversation, although they didn’t exchange numbers at the time. Fate, however, had more in store for them. Just a mo...
Guamanian, Nigerian and Military Traditions Filled This Wedding at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia
Vanessa and Joe’s wedding at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, was inspired by all the things that mean the most to them as a couple. The duo threaded Guamanian and Nigerian cultural elements throughout the wedding to honor their heritage. They also included many military traditions as an h...
A Boho-Chic Ethiopian Fall Wedding at The Oaks at Salem in Apex, North Carolina
To celebrate their marriage, Hiwot and Kevin planned a boho-chic wedding at The Oaks at Salem in Apex, North Carolina, filled with meaningful nods to Hiwot’s Ethiopian heritage. “We started planning our wedding just before the world went into lockdown in 2020,” recalls Hiwot. “There were so many ...
A Romantic Wedding With Traditional Nigerian Elements at The Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, Florida
“Incorporating my Nigerian culture was incredibly important to us,” Tope Leyimu (31 and an attorney) says of her wedding to Eric Stallings (32 and a human resources administrator). Tope wore a traditional Nigerian outfit that her aunt made for the reception, while Eric coordinated in a flowing ag...
An Elegant City Wedding at the Park Hyatt Washington DC in Washington, DC
Louise and Nomzana’s story began in Zimbabwe. “We both wanted to perform Usher’s ‘Yeah!’ in our middle school talent show,” Nomzana says. Years later, the pair reconnected after they serendipitously moved to DC from Africa. After their engagement, the couple welcomed loved ones from all over the ...
Ethiopian Elements Filled This Wedding at Lodge and Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Dina and Solomon's romance began with his appearance on the cover of ESPN magazine. “Solomon moved from Ethiopia to Maryland in 2007,” Dina says. “Everyone knew him as the talented cross-country runner on the cover of ESPN. My mom asked me to friend him on Facebook as a fellow local Ethiopian.” O...
A Glamorous Multicultural Wedding at a Private Estate in Sedalia, Colorado
Lula Geday (31 and a real estate agent) and Darnell Edmonds’s (33 and a market manager) two-day celebration was 18 months in the making. It began with an intimate ceremony at a private estate in Sedalia—one that felt natural and stately all at once. “It was important to incorporate both our style...
An Elegant Wedding with Ghanaian Traditions at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California
Dzifa Kpodzo, who is originally from Ghana but grew up in Los Angeles, wed Coalton Bennett, a California native, at Skirball Cultural Center. As a nod to Dzifa’s heritage, they added shades like tangerine, gold and cerise to brighten their color palette. Dzifa wore a simple silk ivory dress for t...
An African-Inspired Wedding at Summerour Studio in Atlanta, Georgia
A distance of over 8,000 miles wasn't enough to keep Whitney Snell (29 and fundraising consultant) and Patrick Omondi (28 and a special education teacher) apart when the two strangers first met in Kenya while working at a non-profit. After the two spent a summer bonding over Scrabble and Tusker b...
A Modern, Multicultural Wedding the Greystone at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia
rn “We had a sort of traditional fall wedding with a twist,” says Aparna Kumar (31 and a health care consultant). She wed Kelechi Nwoku (35 and a health care consultant) at the Greystone at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. “The theme infused Indian and Nigerian cultures throu...
A Sweet, Nigerian-Inspired Wedding at the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia
Tirzah Enumah (29) and Doug Jones (32) wanted to keep their nuptials classy and elegant but also low-key. The couple held their ceremony and reception at the stately Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia, across from where they had taken their engagement pictures in the park nine months ea...
A Contemporary Nigerian Wedding at Heaven on Earth in Missouri City, Texas
Similola “Simi” Falase (28 and an electrical engineer) and Kingsley Ewetuya (29 and a subsea engineer) said “I do” at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston surrounded by 250 friends and family members. Next they celebrated with a giant bash at Heaven on Earth in Missouri City, Texas. “We ...
An African-Inspired Wedding at Summerour Studio in Atlanta, Georgia
A distance of over 8,000 miles wasn't enough to keep Whitney Snell (29 and fundraising consultant) and Patrick Omondi (28 and a special education teacher) apart when the two strangers first met in Kenya while working at a non-profit. After the two spent a summer bonding over Scrabble and Tusker b...
A Classy, Cultural Wedding at Fairfax at Embassy Row in Washington, DC
It's a beautiful thing to see how the traditions of two different cultures can be fused together at a wedding. That's what happened at the marriage of Erica Ogoe (29 and a management consultant) and Peter Derpinghaus (32 and a social worker) at the Fairfax at Embassy Row in Washington, DC. Their ...
Traditional, Glamorous African Wedding at Red Oak Ball Room in Houston, Texas
When friends of Beverly Ogbeide (28, women’s service nurse) told Tosan Mene-Ejegi (35, business owner) he needed to meet the Beyonce of their group of friends (affectionately named Destiny’s Child), Tosan was eager to meet the Nigerian Beyonce. When the two finally met, Tosan instantly developed ...
Malika & James: A Formal Wedding in Kansas City, MO
James Heath had a broken ankle when he proposed to Malika Ramsey. He couldn't kneel, so he sat on the floor. It was a sweet, offbeat touch on a day that had surely been hectic for James. Earlier that day, he had rushed to the jewelry store to pick up the ring, and he fit in a trip to the barber f...
Reyna & Anthony: An Intercultural Celebration in Brooklyn, NY
Anthony and I met over pancakes, Reyna Abaquin says, describing a love-at-first-bite encounter that sounds like something out of a Meg Ryan movie. But the story quickly veers. THE BRIDE Reyna Abaquin, 29 THE GROOM Anthony Brown, 29 THE DATE May 27 The couple met not in some trendy Manhattan ca...
Brandy & Bankole: A Cultural Wedding in Wilmington, DE
Their love story brings new meaning to the term wingman. Brandy Jones and Bankole Osimokun met through mutual friends when the whole crew went out for buffalo wings. The two clicked immediately, and dated for two and a half years before Bankole proposed during an amazing weekend of meaningful gif...
Aisha & Quincy: A Formal Wedding in Los Angeles, CA
Aisha loves surprises -- including surprising others. So it was typical of Aisha that she decided to hand out small presents to her beau Quincy for a number of days before his birthday. Little did she know that this time, the surprise would eventually be on her. THE BRIDE Aisha Andrews THE GROO...
Rachelle & Stan: A Theme Wedding in Rocky Point, NY
From handmade invitations to a custom-designed wedding gown, artistic pair Rachelle and Stan put all the finishing touches on their unique, outdoor celebration. The Bride Rachelle Etienne, 25, fashion account representative The Groom Stan Robinson, 25, graphic designer/production services The Da...