Allison and Rhys' Charming Cherry Blossom Wedding in New York -Munaluchi Bride

Just when Allison was about to delete her online dating profile she received a message from Rhys. There was an instant connection which lead to a relationship filled with love, laughter, and happiness. Eventually, Rhys proposed. Even though Allison knew Rhys was “the one” early on in their relationship, she was still very surprised and through tears said “YES!”

Read all about Allison and Rhys’ relationship, surprise proposal, and charming cherry blossom wedding in New York. The day was beautifully planned and executed by MunaLuchi coterie member Oh Niki Occasions.

Bride & Groom: Allison & Rhys
Occupations: Attorney/Counsel & Director of Ad Sales
Wedding date: April 29, 2017
Wedding location: The Mansion on Broadway, White Plains, New York

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. We met online. I was about to end my subscription on the day Rhys reached out to me. I felt like I needed a break from online dating and wasn’t sure I wanted to respond to him, but I remembered my mom always told me “What doesn’t happen in a year can happen in a day.” I thought, “What’s the worst that could happen? and decided to reply. We’ve been together ever since.

Rhys proposed in our hotel room when we were in Chicago for a weekend visiting family. It was early morning and I awoke to him kissing me all over my face! I was trying to ignore him but I finally opened my eyes (quite annoyed) and that’s when I saw him down on one knee. He said the sweetest, most romantic things to me and then he popped the question. The proposal was simple, yet so romantic. After I was done balling, I said YES!!!

How did you know they were “the one?” I knew Rhys was the one very early on. Whether something made me laugh or cry, whether I was frustrated or happy, he was the first one I wanted to share it with. There was a certain level of comfort with him that I had never felt with anyone before. Our individual successes felt like team wins and our individual setbacks felt like a time for the team to rally. Knowing that I can share everything with him and he has my back no matter what is such a special feeling.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? Rhys was born in Jamaica and my family is from Guyana, so it was very important to the both of us to find ways to tie in our culture. Our welcome bags for our hotel guests contained banana chips from St. Mary Jamaica, which is the parish Rhys and his family are from. We had signature cocktails and mocktails infused with the Caribbean beverage Ting and all of our table names were parishes in Jamaica. The night before the wedding, we had a modified version of a kwekwe which is a Guyanese tradition that takes place the night before the wedding. It’s an evening of singing, dancing, eating and drinking that celebrates the bride and groom and their two families coming together.

Wedding party gifts: The bridesmaids received wedding day hair and makeup, jewelry, nail polish, personalized stemless champagne glasses, and a Voluspa candle. The groomsmen received Allen Edmonds slippers and travel kits.

Favorite item on the menu: The fried Oreos that were served at our sundae bar!

First dance song: “Here and Now” by Luther Vandross

What is your best memory from your wedding? My best memory is the moment right before I walked down the aisle. Seeing Rhys waiting for me and seeing all of our family and friends there to support our love and our union was the most amazing feeling. Also, our massive balloon wall for our photo booth backdrop was beyond incredible!

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Stick to your budget, but also give yourself enough time to research and get quotes from numerous vendors. You can find some great ways to have exactly what you want within your budget if you give yourself the time.