Andisha and Evan’s Elegant Wedding at the Merion

“I can’t stay away from you too long…”

Andisha and Evan first met as students at Temple University. “We were young,” Andisha remembers, “not mature enough to maintain a positive relationship…” Throughout the years they have navigated life’s turbulent waters, but despite it all they’ve “always been attached like magnets” and have always found their “way back to love,” and in 2016, on vacation in the Dominican Republic, Evan made their love permanent with an intimate dinner proposal. Their best wedding memories include witnessing the joy of their four year old son on that unforgettable day.

Read all about Andisha & Evan’s love story, surprise proposal, and wedding experiences in their elegant wedding at the Merion – featuring the floral designs of MunaLuchi Coterie member Event Loft. View the complete vendor list below.

Bride & Groom: Andisha & Evan
Occupations: Technology Systems Manager & Director of Player Personnel for the Baylor University Football team
Wedding date: May 27, 2017
Wedding location: The Merion, New jersey

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. Evan and I met in college at Temple University in 2007. He proposed in June 2016 while on a family vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I had a feeling it was happening on the trip, but I wasn’t sure when. A little back story On me, I do not know how to sit down. I am always sticking my nose in things and ruining surprises or disappointing myself. I tried not to put too much thought into the idea of a proposal because I had already mistaken my birthday festivities a few months prior for one! Anyway, on the day it happened, Evan planned a bunch of activities for us. We went swimming in an under ground mineral water cave with all types of soothing properties. The water was so clear you could see straight to the bottom and they had pretty lights set up because otherwise it would have been pitch black in the cave. Then after we took a boat ride out and went snorkeling and then had some drinks on the ride back inland. We were supposed to be going to an event my cousin was having on a beach. So we had to rush back to the room and get ready. My mom came to my room and she had makeup on and was kinda rushing me out the door. Now this is when I started to get suspicious but not really, because we did need to be at the beach at a certain time. So we’re on the beach at the event. Evan mentioned that he was going to take our son down to the shore and I had no objections. The plan was to let him put his feet in the water as the tide came in. But the first rule of parenting, is things will not always go according to plan. My child runs in the ocean fully clothed. I noticed the sun was setting, so I pulled him out and proceeded to the room to get dry clothes. This is when I could tell something was up because everyone was trying to convince me to hang around for a bit.
My mom was trying to get me to go out to this pier on the ocean to show me the view, but insisted I ended up going back to the room because I was a mother before all things (at that time) and anything, even my proposal could wait. So now, I knew it was going down. I was so excited. I ran to the room and came back and walked to the pier. The sun had just set, everyone looked so defeated, but I could hardly contain my emotion. I heard someone say we should come back tomorrow when the lighting is better. I knew they were trying to get the perfect shot which is what they thought I wanted. I was elated. I waited this long for the engagement and one day wasn’t going to kill me. We had a private dinner set up for the family and were about to be late and were about to miss our reservation. I encouraged everyone to move along, but I could not look at Evan or I would loose it. We headed to the intimate dinner and before I even had the chance to settle down, I turned around and Evan was down on his knee. I was not expecting it in that moment and that made it perfect in every way.

What was wedding shopping like for you? I wore an allure bridal gown. It was an ivory sweetheart neckline, fit and flare style dress with clear and pearl beading at the top and organza at the bottom. I was going for a spring feel and I felt just like a flower in my gown. My dress shopping experience started out great. I found my dress at the first shop (Betsy Bridal in Randallstown MD), but continued to view other options that day. The next day I went back and ordered my gown. When my gown arrived months later, it came in a size too small. Bryan stepped in, corrected the gown and covered the expense of the alterations as compensation. He was by me every step of the way, at every fitting, helping to keep nerves low.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? My family is Jamaican. We served small boxes of Jamaican black cake (or rum cake). Typically this is used as the wedding cake as opposed to the standard pound cake in American culture. We also played Reggae and Soca hits as we danced the night away under the stars.

Bridesmaids/Groomsmen gifts: the bridesmaids received a Pamper Me gift package which consisted of an engraved towel robe, spa at home package (elegant soap, bath salts, loofah, facial masks), and an engraved glass jewelry box. The groomsmen received engraved flasks.
Favorite item on the menu: Oh there was food at my wedding?! Didn’t eat much despite my father’s constant reminders to eat. The open bar was visited frequently though!
First dance song: “The Point of It All” by Anthony Hamilton. The lyrics perfectly tell our love story. Evan and I started dating at 18 and 20 years old. We were young and not mature enough to maintain a positive relationship, so we broke up a lot and over silly things (once over fried chicken!). Despite anything, we’ve always been attached like magnets and always found our way back to love. The first lines of the song are, “I can’t stay away from you too long.” If we could write one sentence to sum up our love story, that would be it.

What is your best memory from your wedding? Watching all the fun our four year old son had on the day. Evan and I both come from broken homes and it was important for us to choose to be different and intentional about having our son grow up with both parents under one roof. We chose love in each other despite anything because although we were taught that black marriages do not exist, our son will know that it does!

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Premarital counseling. This creates a dialogue for issues that could be problematic in the marriage as well as encouraging couples to focus on areas where they can strengthen their bond.

Vendors:
Photographer: Kerry McIntyre
Venue and Catering: The Merion
Florist: Eilena Mercier-Ehmann of Event Loft PA
Cake: Isgro Pastries
Hair: Dominique Atkins – La Fleur Studio
Make Up: Erica Nikole
Dress purchased & altered: Betsy Robinson Bridal
Dress designer: Allure Bridal
DJ: DJ KO
Engagement & wedding rings: Aj’s Jewelry
Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal
Videography: Ali Berkey
Stationery: Geraldy Sergile