I’ve waited and prayed for this day to come to pass for so long…and by the grace of God it has! Mr. Right and have went through so many of life’s trials and tribulations and we are so deserving of joy and a happily-ever-after. Saturday, August 6th 2022 was our special day!

Get Ready With Me: Bridal Edition

I am very glad that I was able to enjoy my bridal day, without being overcome with sadness. Even though I wanted this day to happen, a part of me was afraid to let it, because I knew my Mom would not be there to share in it with me. Overall, I enjoyed my morning getting ready and no tears were shed in sadness 🙂

I took my time styling my Senegalese twists into an elegant up do. This wasn’t my original hair-goals idea for the Big Day, but I felt just as beautiful and was happy with the outcome. I decided to go with a sultry red toned eyeshadow look since red is Mr. Right’s favorite color. Years ago, I would have never imagined doing this eye makeup for my wedding day, but it all came together and looked flawless. (P.S.- I highly recommend these mink lashes from Amazon!) I made sure to take photos as I was getting ready and even a short video, for keepsakes.

That day, I wore my Torrid short length bridal gown. Originally my BFF Erika (and Maid of Honor) helped me pick out this dress for post-wedding ceremony partying. This was in 2019, but I am glad I held on to it. My actual wedding gown no longer fit properly after Quarantine snacking got a hold of me. This dress was perfect. Great for the intimate casual setting but I still felt absolutely gorgeous..and a BRIDE.

The Shopping List

The previous week I had ordered several things from Amazon to make my day special. Who knew such great quality stuff was on Amazon and you could get it in a pinch! Here’s a list of items I purchased:

• Statement Bridal Earrings ($18)- These were so beautiful and sparkly! Perfect match for my other accessories
• Crystal Bridal Hair Comb ($13) – Very lovely and comfortable for braided hairstyles
• 3D 20mm Mink Lashes in Honey ($9/ 3 Pair) – These are now my new favorite lashes! Comes in 3 different styles
• White 70 x 70″ Table Cloth ($12) – Very nice quality and great price for the size needed
• Ball Arrangement Bouquet ($17/ 2pcs) – These looked fantastic! They doubled nicely as a bouquet in photos too
• White Padded Certificate Cover ($10) – Stylish and simple keepsake cover to protect our marriage certificate
• White Satin Robe w/Sash ($17) – This has quickly become my favorite thing to lounge in the house in after the big day! It comes in several color options too

Ultimately, I’m still amazed at how affordably my entire look came together in such a short amount of time. 🙂

Marrying A Man in 10 Days

In hindsight, I realized we planned for this event in about two weeks, max. I knew the biggest (and most important) hurdle, would be to find someone who was available to officiate, or simply sign off on our marriage license to make everything legal and binding. I didn’t really want to shell out $600 for services that would literally last 10 minutes or less. If we were having a full on traditional wedding; sure! But isn’t the perk of an elopement is to save money? I asked my sister-in-law if she knew of anyone who could assist us (she works as an attorney in the local courthouse) and her answer was “Yeah, I know plenty!” I honestly wish I’d asked for her help years ago. Nevertheless, God’s timing is never my own. A kind judge agreed to perform our ceremony right at our home!

Secondly, the task of securing two witnesses. We decided to invite four of our friends (two couples), just to be safe. I’m so happy Zach, Dominique, Ed and Chris could make it. Their energy and excitement about our black love really made the day special. They made a fuss over us for photos and it was so cute. It’s thanks to them that I have pictures from this day and I must say, they came out so lovely! Can you believe they were taken on their cellphones?! (Yea, me either!) Along with the judge and my sister-in-law, these were our only attendees, and that was how Mr. Right and envisioned it.

I did order some finger foods and petite four cakes for our guests; I couldn’t NOT offer any refreshments. I even decorated our kitchen table a bit (thanks again, Amazon!) Sadly, I won’t be sharing my favorite photos that feature our table setup or our family name; for privacy reasons. (People online can be creepy…)

Brunch with The Bride

The celebration continued on Sunday with Chris and Dominique. We had scheduled this brunch date weeks prior to me planning the wedding, so it all worked out perfectly. We met up at a local popular spot, SoLu Restaurant. It was very nice with great menu options and… bottomless mimosas! Needless to say, it was a great time and we’re planning to do a girls meet up like this on a regular basis.

This weekend was the most fun I’ve had since our trip to Boston in May. I loved every moment of it. Good food and good friends is all I really need to be happy. <3

The girl gang: Chris (Christina), myself and Dommie (Dominique)

My first mimosa! This brunch was a lot of firsts for me and I loved it! I am pretty sure I had at least 5 glasses before the afternoon was over.

I decided to order the Waffle Breakfast with fresh strawberries and the Shrimp and grits. It was so yummy! I honestly can’t wait to go back

SoLu treated me to a complimentary cotton candy for my special occasion. How cute! I haven’t had cotton candy since my days as a kid going to the fairgrounds.

Believe it or not, I’ve never had s’mores before! When I saw it on the menu, I had to go for it. The marshmallows and chocolate covered graham crackers were made in-house. We enjoyed it. The presentation was pretty neat too!