Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day?
The wedding was truly a celebration: a celebration of our families coming together (the bride’s family from Chicago, and the groom’s family from California). It was also a celebration of relocating to Chicago with new career opportunities, and a celebration of our love.
For the ceremony, we included the African American tradition of jumping the broom. Carlo is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and he and his fraternity brothers surrounded me and sang their fraternity song.
Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
One of the reasons why we chose LM Studio is because the space already had so much character. It had an accent wall, eye-catching wallpaper, modern light fixtures, really pretty lounge furniture, and the floor to ceiling windows with a lovely view of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. I provided my own candles for a romantic feel. We had alternating centerpieces – some tables with candles, and some with a simple floral centerpiece – as to not take away from the venue’s decor.
What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
I love pink and wanted the florals to compliment the pink linen that were selected for the reception. All the flowers were white and pink. We didn’t need a ton of flowers! We had bouquets, small table arrangements, and two larger arrangements to give the ceremony a romantic feel. Those were repurposed for the sweetheart table.
Did you personalize the day in any way? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
The guests were serenaded with a solo violinist for the ceremony and cocktail hour. It was a nice touch and guests really enjoyed it!
I opted for a second dress for the reception that I was very excited about.
Aside from finally being able to say, “I do”, all of the celebrating and dancing with friends and family was one of our favorite moments of the wedding.
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
We met at Tuskegee University back in 2015. While we focused on college, we remained friends and reconnected again in 2018. I was navigating corporate life and Carlo was finishing up his degree in aerospace engineering. It was so easy for us to rekindle our connection, and it felt like no time had past since we were hanging out at Tuskegee.
Carlo got a job in Dallas, Texas, before the pandemic hit. Thankfully, I was able to relocate with my company around the same time. With both of us being far away from home it forced us to grow together and have each other’s back no matter what.
On April 28, 2022, Carlo took me to Nobu in Dallas, where we reminisced about our first date at a sushi restaurant in Auburn, Alabama. It was there that Carlo got down on one knee and popped the question!
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The first look and private vow reading.
