Amber & Leo's City-Chic Wedding in Brooklyn -Munaluchi Bride

Amber & Leo were initially introduced by Amber’s sister while they were still attending high school. Only casually interacting at the time, they lost contact until when at college Amber’s sister once again reconnected them – noting that Leo was single at the time. Chatting over Facebook, Amber & Leo picked up where they had left off and more. Both feeling the positive connection between them, they decided to go on that first date. They tried out a Jamaican dance class to break the ice, followed by a lovely evening at a Japanese restaurant. In amber’s words, “It was the perfect mix of spontaneity and romance and we’ve been together ever since.”

Read all about Amber & Leo’s love story, proposal, and experiences in their city-chic wedding in Brooklyn.

Bride & Groom: Amber & Leo
Occupations: Book editor & Actor/Nutrition Sales Rep
Wedding date: 9/28/2018
Wedding location: Brooklyn, NY

How did you meet? Leo and I met over twelve years ago through my sister, Naomi. He and I didn’t have much interaction then, as Leo was older, and I was a freshman in high school and he was a senior. Fast forward to my sophomore year of college, and Naomi mentioned that Leo was single. As luck would have it, I was single too. Naomi connected us via Facebook and we took it from there. Our first date was at a Jamaican dance class in 2010. Leo was quite good, and I was terrible, but it certainly broke the ice. We went for Japanese food after. It was the perfect mix of spontaneity and romance and we’ve been together ever since.

Tell us about the proposal. In October 2017, Leo planned to surprise me with a proposal during a Halloween party we were throwing at our apartment. When the party was in full swing, Leo gave my sister Naomi the signal to keep me distracted while he gathered everyone on our rooftop. Naomi helped me get to the rooftop shortly after, where friends and family holding candles were gathered. Leo was standing in the middle, ready to pop the question. And, of course, I said yes!

What was the wedding shopping experience like for you? I wore a beaded sheath Maggie Sottero dress with an illusion neckline from Kleinfeld! I loved my experience. Before going to Kleinfeld I went on their site and printed out images/style numbers of the twenty dresses I liked in the style I wanted. While on the site, I came across a dress I was sure was the one, but I made sure to keep an open mind just in case. Then, before my appointment, I had my friend help me narrow it down to a top ten. When I went to Kleinfeld with my friend, older sister, younger sisters and my mother, they helped me find the one! It was the same dress I had thought it would be. I didn’t need to look any further–I had found my dream dress!
My husband wanted a burgundy suit since his favorite color is red, and burgundy was our wedding color. We had a hard time finding them in New York suit shops. Then one day, in our neighborhood, we saw a man walking with a maroon suit. Leo ran up to him, found out who made the suit, and contacted the designer. The designer ended up coming to our apartment, fitting Leo with the suit and of all his ideal details, and the end result was a fully customized suit that fit him perfectly!

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? Sort of. I am black, so there was a lot of hip hop and r&b played at the reception. And, Leo’s family is Japanese and Mexican so we tried to incorporate that in the food with a Japanese fried chicken hors d’oeuvre and shrimp ceci viche hors d’oeuvre.

Wedding party gifts: I gave my bridesmaids bracelets with a knot in it (because they helped me tie the knot!) as well as gold robes to wear on the day and a mini bottle of champagne. Groom gave his groomsmen ties and cigars.
Ceremony entrance song: My bridal party came into “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and HER, and bride came into “Nothing Even Matters” by Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo.
First dance song: “Everlong” by Foo Fighters (Acoustic version)

What is your best memory from your wedding? The ceremony was of course, amazing! I cried as soon as I saw him. I also loved the processional, where we left to a rock song and we danced down the aisle. It made for great pictures!

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Try to really enjoy the day and spend as much time with your partner as you can! It is SO easy to get caught up taking pictures with loved ones so much that you lose your partner in the crowd. Try to stay by each others side as much as possible so that you can make the same memories!