Liberian American Wedding (Berlin, NJ)

A: There’s so much to say about our wedding! Well, first off, after we got engaged in August 2016, I knew I wanted to get married on May 20, 2017. My parents and Justin’s (my husband) parents were both married on May 20, so that was literally the ONLY date I had in mind. I’m also impatient, so I couldn’t wait until May 2018. I knew it would be stressful planning your own wedding in less than a year but I was okay with that! My husband and I are really big on family and religion so that was the inspiration behind the day. We had a traditional American ceremony. Ivory dress for me, Ivory tux for him, eggplant dresses for my ladies, and black tuxes for his men, ivory dresses for the flower girls and an ivory tux for our ring bearer. Purple is my favorite color and red is his, so I had to find a way to incorporate both colors in an elegant way, and I believed we pulled it off. The bouquets for the bridesmaids were eggplant and ivory and my Maid of Honor’s bouquets were eggplant, ivory, and a deep red. I had two flower girls, one had ivory and deep red petals (equal parts) and the second one had almost all eggplant petals and a few ivory ones. We had a quartet play through the ceremony (and of course there were a few romantic Disney songs thrown in the lineup…I love Disney).In the venue, the back light was purple, the linen was ivory, and the center pieces were made up of a 12×12 square mirror underneath a vase. The vase was 3/4 full with water and a red light at the bottom, floating in the vase was one large red Gerber daisy (same as the red flowers in the bouquets) and on the table we had rose petals sprinkled around the center piece. Simple and elegant. We also had a waterfall wall with a purple back light and a larger F (for Frazier), a smaller J and H on the sides, and May 20, 2017 underneath. For the cocktail hour, every song during that time was a gospel song. I wanted our guests to know that God is the center of our relationship. Everything we have (including each other) is because of Him. This was my way to showcase that and it turned out perfect!After the first dance, daddy-daughter dance, and mother-son dance, we sat down for dinner. After we said grace, there was a slideshow. The slideshow we pictures of Justin and I through our whole relationship as well as pictures of our family. It was really special.When the slideshow was almost over, all of the members of the bridal party went back up to the bridal suite to change. Justin and I changed into our full Liberian garb (I had a dress and a head piece and Justin had a top and pants). The ladies put on gold head pieces and the men put on gold ties. We came back out and that’s when the party started! At almost every Liberian function (fun-filled), we do a dance called the Grand March. The only American thing I could compare it to would be a remixed Electric Slide. All of the guests participated and it was amazing! After the Grand March, we went right into the money dance. In Liberia, this is a tradition. The symbolism of the dance is for guests to help the couple get started in their new lives together. There was music, dancing, and bills of money being thrown in the air, showering Justin and I. After that, we paid tribute to our beautiful queens, our mother’s! All the women in the room danced around them and celebrated them. It was absolutely one of the best parts of the night! You could see the joy on everyone’s face, especially theirs. Next, we did the garter and bouquet tosses, which were lots of fun and gave us plenty of laughs, then went into the shoe game. Justin and I sat back to back, took off our shoes, exchanged one and the DJ asked us questions about us. Who’s the best cook? Who is messier? Who complains the most? Who says sorry first? At one point I heard someone jokingly say, “She knows her man.” Of course, I do, I love him! :)Afterwards, we cut the cake, loved on our family, and danced the night away (well the next hour). Of course, there were a few hiccups but we had an amazing day and Catherine Rae Photography helped show that! They caught moments we didn’t think anyone saw. I get emotional every time I look that the pictures or watch our video. One of the best days of our life.

Q: Let’s talk about wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: I wanted an evening wedding and I wanted it outside, those were two things I absolutely knew. For the ceremony, we were able to get the part of the venue that was already decorated. There were two waterfalls, a small bridge, flowers and greenery everywhere, and a gazebo. we didn’t really have to do much outside. We put bows down the aisle and changed the lighting to purple. In the venue, the backlight was purple and the linen was ivory, with eggplant colored napkins rolled and large ‘diamond ring’ napkin rings. The centerpieces were DIY. They were made up of a 12×12 square mirror underneath a vase. The vase was 3/4 full with water and a red light at the bottom, floating in the vase was one large red Gerber daisy (same as the red flowers in the bouquets) and on the table, we had rose petals sprinkled around the centerpiece. We also had fresh flowers cascading down the side of the cake. The same purple flowers that were used for the bouquets, were used for the cake. Simple and elegant. We also had a waterfall wall with a purple backlight and a larger F (for Frazier), a smaller J and H on the sides, and May 20, 2017, underneath.

Q: What were the florals like at 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?

A: Purple is my favorite color and red is his, so I had to find a way to incorporate both colors in an elegant way, and I believed we pulled it off. The bouquets for the bridesmaids were eggplant and ivory and my Maid of Honor’s bouquets was eggplant, ivory, and a deep red. I had two flower girls, one had ivory and deep red petals (equal parts) and the second one had almost all eggplant petals and a few ivory ones. The centerpieces were DIY. They were made up of a 12×12 square mirror underneath a vase. The vase was 3/4 full with water and a red light at the bottom, floating in the vase was one large red Gerber daisy (same as the red flowers in the bouquets) and on the table, we had rose petals sprinkled around the centerpiece. Simple and elegant. We also had fresh flowers cascading down the side of the cake. The same purple flowers that were used for the bouquets, were used for the cake. The flowers definitely added a great touch to the wedding but they weren’t extremely important to me.

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment, etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

A: There were a few customizations. The slideshow, the shoe game, the Grand March and money dance, the waterfall wall, the tribute to our mothers. The dances were some of my favorite parts. Not many people get to experience what I got to experience all of my life, so I definitely wanted to make sure my Liberian culture was represented. One of my absolute favorite parts of the wedding, I didn’t remember happening until I saw the video. Justin and I were dancing our first dance and we double high-fived (both hands) each other and then hugged. It was an accomplished feeling to watch that. It was literally us saying, “Babe! We did it!”

Q: Let’s talk about fashion. How did you choose your wedding day look? How did the groom? Describe both looks in detail.

A: Of course, like most girls, I was planning my wedding at 18, expecting to get married at 21, because I wanted my happily ever after to start as soon as possible. Well, let me tell you, I’m glad that didn’t happen! But it did allow me to get a head start on how I wanted my dress designed. I’m taller than average and my husband and I are close to the same height, so I knew I wanted a dress long enough that I could wear sensible shoes for the ceremony. I hardly ever wore strapless anything (shirts, dresses, anything) because I’ve played sports all my life and I considered my shoulders too wide, but honeyyy…when I put on that dress, that was it! It fit my theme, fit me perfectly, was everything I wanted and I didn’t need to add a thing. It was a sweetheart, mermaid, ivory, lace gown, with a sparkled detailed lining and beading and a little sparkle throughout. It zipped in the back but gave the illusion of buttons down my back. The back of the dress had a lot going on with the train but in a very subtle, elegant way. I had a nice sized train and a perfect veil. Justin knew he wanted something slim fit, so he got the only slim fit tux they had in ivory, which he loved and he was so persistent on wearing eggplant suspenders, so that’s what he did. He looked great! All of our things, my dress and veil, my bra and petticoat, his tux, our father’s tuxes, groomsmen/best man tuxes, flower girl dresses, bridesmaid dresses, MOH dresses, and Justin’s mother’s dress all came from Cove Bridal in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Ms. Nadeem was wonderful! As far as our African Ankara garb is concerned, I picked the fabric and the design. Our outfits were designed by Ms. Glam, Liberain Designer, Philadelphia, PA and our headpieces were designed by Blessings, Clayton, New Jersey.

Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

A: Of course I would have to tell the story about how we met! So…I met Justin on November 29, 2014. I remember this day vividly because I had some many other things going on in life at the time. My best friend (and 1/2 of my perfect MOHs), Stephanie took me out that night just to have a good time. I wasn’t going to go out because I couldn’t find anything to wear, but I put on this really cute black and white skirt, a black off the shoulder crop top, some black tights, and booties. So we’re out, dancing, and enjoying ourselves and this guy comes over and asks me to dance. So we’re dancing and he spills water on me! It was only a few drops and only on my leg. I just laughed it off and he told me he liked my skirt. We went and sat down, talked for a little while, and realized we had a few things in common (both from New Jersey, both ran track, and both almost didn’t come out that night). The rest is history. Justin proposed on August 7, 2016. My Dad’s birthday is August 6, so we decided to have a family get together for him that Sunday. My niece (who was 8 at the time), was staying with us for a little while (summer vacation) and her mom (my sister and one of my perfect MOHs) was deployed at the time. Justin was being surprisingly helpful during the weeks leading up to the event. Don’t get me wrong, he’s helpful but he was really doing a lot. Telling me he would contact certain family members (my family and his), would pick up certain items and supplies, telling me to make sure I looked decent (it was a rough week for me, haha!). So a few days before the party, I was on the phone talking to my Queen (my mom), and I asked her if she thought he was going to proposed or was I being crazy. She told me I was being crazy, so I put the thought out of my head. That day, there was just a weird vibe. Of course, I didn’t look super cute, jeans and a black top, but in my mind, this wasn’t about me, it was about daddy so how I was dressed didn’t matter. Again, this vibe, things were mostly normal, but still kind of different. A few hours into the party, I see this woman walking up to my parent’s home. I didn’t recognize her, but my dad has 25 brothers and sisters, there are many people I don’t recognize! A few minutes later, my sister comes walking up! That was the surprise!! We’re all here, enjoying the party and my younger brother, Kai (Justin’s Best Man) gets up, and starts talking about his new promotion and how grateful he is that everyone came to see my father for his birthday and then he introduces Justin. I call Justin Mr. President (referring to Obama), because he can speak to a room full of people, about anything, at any moment, and he does it so eloquently. So he gets up and starts talking, and of course, I don’t think anything of it. He starts talking about my siblings, my parents and his relationship with all of them and then says that if it wasn’t for the love of my mom, the love he receives from me every day, he wouldn’t. It wasn’t until grabbed my hand and got on one knee that I realized what was going on. All I could do was laugh as the loud uproar from both our families filled the room. Of course, I said, “Yes.”

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: My mother is my Queen, one of my favorite girls and when she’s happy, I am overwhelmed with joy. So the day of the wedding as she got her makeup done, her hair done, and put on her dress, she glowed, and it made me extremely happy. She is beyond selfless and will always put someone else’s needs before hers and I love her for that, but I also want her to spoil herself sometimes. It isn’t often that she gets to dress up and pampered so this was something I absolutely wanted to give to her. I wanted her to be able to relax and enjoy herself. I wanted to make sure she didn’t have to worry about anything. My older brother, Prince (groomsman) made sure everything was in order for her and my father to get around and that made everything so much easier. It was definitely a group effort and she had a ball. Definitely one of the special moments for me.

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: For any couple planning a wedding, do your research!! If you know what you’re looking for, do your research until you can get the best bang for your buck. I’m not saying be cheap, but be smart. A wedding can get really expensive, really fast. Know what you can do without, or if you’re creative like I was, make it yourself! If you don’t need a wedding planner, don’t pay for one. Purchase a wedding planning guide, or planner and follow that. If you have a strong team (family and friends) behind you and they’re willing to help you through the process, you don’t have to pay for a planner, but you must stay diligent and ORGANIZED, or you will go crazy. Last but NOT least, remember why you’re doing this. Justin had to remind of this a few times when I felt like people were trying to take over our wedding. You’re marrying each other because you love each other. This isn’t for anyone else, but the two of you. Don’t engage in the negativity and don’t allow anyone to steal your joy. This is your day and it’s to celebrate your love…remember that!

Get inspired and check out this multicultural wedding below, as beautifully captured by Catherine Rae Photography. 

Location: Berlin, NJ
Event Date: May 20, 2017
Venue: Lucien’s Manor
Dress Store: The Cove Bridal Dress Salon
Floral Designer: Sam Flowers
Reception Venue: Lucien’s Manor
Photographer: Catherine Rae Photography