When Chris and Jasmine became friends in middle school, Chris prophesied that he would marry her one day! Who knew the adolescent dreams of a young boy would materialize into the most breathtaking wedding and an inspiring love! Chris’ young declarations of love became a self-fulfilling prophecy, when he proposed to Jasmine on his 30th birthday. Soon they began planning their nuptials.
After some debate over whether to have a small courthouse wedding or a big family affair, the couple decided to rent out a mansion. Jasmine recalls, “we decided to make it feel like a party or what I like to call a love fest. We didn’t really have a theme but I know I wanted it to feel classic and vintage.” Their shabby chic wedding came together beautifully thanks to their planners Fletcher & Ellmore. Both the ceremony and reception were held outdoors. The vintage architecture and gold and yellow hues of the Spanish villa provided a perfect backdrop for the couple’s ceremony. Rustic candelabras adorned with flowers, and vintage items such as lanterns, sofas, clocks and books, gave the space an antique feel! All of amazing details were beautifully captured by Kurt Boomer Photography. This wedding is featured in our FW14 issue on newstands now!)
Wedding Story
written by Angela Conner
Featured in the FW14 issue
For Chris and Jasmine, it all started with a middle school marriage proposal! After meeting in middle school, they became good friends, and Chris knew even in adolescence that he would marry Jasmine one day.
His young declarations of love became a self-fulfilling prophecy, when he proposed to Jasmine on his 30th birthday. Jasmine reminisces, “The proposal came as a total shock to me because I was planning to cater to him on his 30th birthday. I booked us a bungalow at Pelican Hill and had a romantic weekend planned for him. […] We put in one of our favorite songs and danced to it. I remember he spun me around and when I came back around he was on one knee.”
After some debate over whether to have a small courthouse wedding or a big family affair, the couple decided to rent out a mansion. Jasmine recalls, “we decided to make it feel like a party or what I like to call a love fest. We didn’t really have a theme but I know I wanted it to feel classic and vintage.”
Their vintage/shabby chic wedding came together beautifully. Jasmine looked like an old Hollywood songstress in a custom gown designed by her cousin Kidan Brooks. “I wanted my dress to feel vintage, with some bead/lace work and reminiscent of Billie Holiday,” Jasmine shares. Chris donned a custom blue velvet tuxedo jacket for a classically dapper look with a little bit of edge.
Both the ceremony and reception were held outdoors. The vintage architecture and gold and yellow hues of the Spanish villa provided a perfect backdrop for the couple’s ceremony. Rustic candelabras adorned with flowers served as a focal point at the end of the aisle that was flanked by vintage lanterns and floral arrangements in soft ivory, blush, yellow and orange hues.
After the ceremony guests lounged at the outdoor fireplace, where they sat on antique ivory sofas and ottomans as they sipped cocktails and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery. Vintage items such as clocks, books, silver serving trays, tea pots and perfume bottles were placed upon coffee tables and end tables making the cocktail space feel like a vintage living room. Guests found their seating assignments on hand written escort cards and proceeded to their seats at tables covered in ivory linens overlooking the mansion’s stunning pool.
After dinner, guests headed inside for the cake cutting and then danced the night away. Chris is Nigerian and Jasmine is Jamaican, so they made sure to find ways to infuse aspects of their culture into their nuptials. Jasmine shares, “To welcome me into the family Chris’ family did a Nigerian traditional dance where my bridesmaids and I danced in the middle of a circle and his family showered me with money. My grandma made a wedding rum cake to incorporate the Jamaican side.”
Tell us one thing he loves most about you?
What I love most about Jasmine is her loyalty and belief in me. I never met anyone that loved me so hard and accepted me for exactly who I am. Her beautiful smile doesn’t hurt either, but her passion and unconditional commitment to me is what I love the most about her.
Tell us one thing you love most about him?
The thing I love most about Chris is the freedom in his love. Often times people are afraid to show how but not Chris. He never holds back and loves wholeheartedly. He’s the type of man who would shout our love from the mountaintops if he could. When I look at him I see love, pure and unconditional. He is the most consistent and persistent person I know and since we were kids he never gave up on our love. He is my mirror and we continue to grow in love everyday.
Vendors
- Wedding Planner: Fletcher & Ellmore Events
- Wedding Dress: Kidan Brooks Bridal (custom made gown)
- Photography: Kurt Boomer Photography
- Catering: Command Performance Catering
- Hair: Angela Styles Hair
- Rentals: Pretty Little Vintage Table
- Musician: Brandt Jacobus Event Guitarist
- Makeup: Brandy Allen Makeup
- Florals: Twig & Twine
- DJ: DJ John Lock
- Cigar Station: The Cigar Guys
- Stationery: Bride Eyed Birde
- Headpiece: Kathy Johnson
Everything about this is SO BEAUTIFUL! And such a gorgeous love story to go with it (I share my birthday with Chris!) Much love. x
CONGRATULATIONS! You two make an incredibly beautiful couple.
Genesis 2:22, 23
22. And Jehovah God built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man. 23. Then the man said: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, because from man she was taken.”
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/happy-family/god-happy-marriage/