During a client event in San Francisco, Thomas knew he had found the one when love took hold of him at first sight of Omobola. Over the next six months their friendship grew and with it so did Omobola’s feelings for Thomas as she too began to fall for him. knowing that they are meant to be, the loving couple moved in together. One evening after a particularly stressful and emotional day of work, Omobola returned home to the enticing aroma of dinner being prepared. Inside awaited Thomas with love in his heart and an engagement ring in hand…
Read all about Omobola & Thomas’ love story, sweet surprise proposal, and wedding experiences. View the entire vendor list below.
Bride & Groom: Omobola & Thomas
Occupations: Global operations at Airbnb & Financial Advisor
Wedding date: 10.8.2016
Wedding location: Atlanta, GA
Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. We met in San Francisco at a client event. He wasn’t that intriguing to me, but to Tom, he met the one that night. I fell in love with him over the course of 6 months of friendship and client events. We moved in together June of 2014 to our lovely home called the “Jungalow.” I am Nigerian and turned 30, June of 2016. By Christmas of 2015, my mom and dad were upset I was bridging 30 and “living in sin” with a man. Tom asked my father for my hand during a family vacation in 2015 (I had no idea). It took him a bit to secure the oval shaped diamond from a family friend who is in the diamond business. My mom could not stand the anticipation and let it slip that he’d asked my father after 3 months had flown by with no announcement.
Once it was out of the bag, it became impossible for him to surprise me. In the end, he surprised me by proposing at home after a stressful day at work. I came home to the sweet smell of dinner simmering. I sat on the stairs and cried because I felt so grateful to have such a caring partner (normal occurrence). Little did I know he would pop the question just 10 minutes later after I had changed into my pajamas and plopped down on the couch.
What was wedding dress shopping like for you? I hated my dress and I hated shopping for dresses. I wanted something modern and sleek, but my mother said I looked like a cockroach in anything not traditional. I gave in to her whims with a simple, yet elegant jacquard silk dress from Amsale. It fit my shape well and was a good fit with our “garden party” relaxed theme. I would encourage brides to spend less on the dress. Controversial, but… honestly I would have gone with the $600 Lurelly dress I loved and reallocated budget for uplighting for day 2. Overall, my advice is to do what feels right. No regrets, but there are weird pangs that linger…
Describe your wedding style. We held a relaxed garden party wedding in Atlanta for 350 guests. After having a traditional Yoruba engagement ceremony the night before, our goal was to focus on folks just having fun. My husband and I joke that we started the rosé wine trend. He has been drinking it as “his drink” for over a decade and he kind of got me into it when we met. While rosé peaked in 2015-2016, our relationship with good wine is not a fad and neither is our love for each other. We had a rosé cocktail hour where that was the only alcoholic beverage served with a massive cheese plate (also a staple in our household) and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Our band was also outstanding. I told Charles (lead singer) that all I wanted was a party all night and they truly delivered. People still cannot stop talking about how much fun the entire weekend was!
Favorite item on the menu: Shrimp Alfredo pasta bar.
First dance song: Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us.”
What is your best memory from your wedding? Chugging white wine with my husband on a couch by the terrarium altar my best friend put together. The day had been stressful. The buses were late and I was upset at my father at the vast number of people present and worrying we would not have enough seating for people to be comfortable. I burst into tears right before I walked down the aisle because I thought we were not prepared to accommodate everyone and my relaxed wedding would turn into chaos. It felt like the entire ceremony flew by with the snap of my fingers. Photos and family and so many excited friends coming up to us… We finally asked the coordinator to usher folks in and told the band to get the party started right away.
Tom and I took 30 minutes to relax after folks had been ushered into the hall. It was so special to sit and talk about how much the day meant to us and how important it was to be overwhelmed by love. It transformed my evening and I enjoyed every second of our reception.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Put family first. Don’t sweat the little things. Pay for professionals where it makes sense. I went through a phase where I thought, if only we had fewer people I could be getting married just once at the Ritz Carlton. Or maybe we can do all the flowers ourselves… I finally had to come to terms with my culture and what was most important. In the end, make decisions that allow people to have as much fun as possible. Say yes to a live band, liquor, and late night food. That is all people remember!
Vendors:
Bride Dress: Amsale Aida
Wedding Planner and Designer: Bride
Bride Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Groom’s Suit: Trumaker
Flowers: Tulip Atlanta
Furniture: Classic Party Rentals
Chiavari Chairs: REA Kitchen
Band: Z and the Party Faktory
Altar and Bouquet: Flora Pop South
Photographer: Bri McDaniel Photography
Videographer: Quincy Houston
Wedding Coordinator: B. Moore Events
GIF BOOTH: Smile Booth Atlanta
Venue: Agnes Scott College
Wedding Registry: Zola
Wedding Planning: Social Tables
Sign and Logo Design: Canva
Wedding Website: Riley and Grey
Thank you to the bride for the heartfelt advice and sharing the real emotions she felt leading up to the day and on the day. I’ve seen many experiences where the day is not perfect from start to finish but when the couple is as strong the ones above, they claim it and make it their own. Wishing you both all the best.