“Just a simple ‘hello’ away” – Sha’Pella and John’s Staten Island Wedding

Sha’Pella and John’s love story began on a Tuesday evening during a prayer meeting in church. “A simple conversation began that night blossoming into a love and friendship that neither of them were expecting…” For Sha’Pella and John it was divine guidance that brought them together. Love truly was “just a simple ‘hello’ away…”
Sha’Pella’s best memory from the wedding is seeing her “husband and watching him cry the entire time I walked down the aisle.” For future brides & grooms-to-be she advises to not let anything ruin your special day, and to never forget what’s truly important.

Read all about Sha’Pella & John’s love story, romantic proposal and wedding experiences.
View the vendor list below.

Bride & Groom: Sha’Pella & John
Occupations: Customer Service Coordinator & Director of Constituent Services of New York State Assembly
Wedding date: April 28th, 2017
Wedding location: Angelina’s Ristorante. Staten Island, NY

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. John and Sha’Pella met only because god intervened in their lives and he orchestrated it. While in church for a Tuesday evening prayer meeting, John randomly sat behind Sha’Pella and neither of them knew that love was just a simple “hello” away. A simple conversation began that night blossoming into a love and friendship that neither of them were expecting, but what god knew both of them needed.
On the night when John proposed, he took Sha’Pella into a park by the water and sat her down on a stone bench to talk. After an intense discussion of the future and a heartfelt and tearful prayer together, John pulled out a ring and asked Sha’Pella to be his wife. Sha’Pella cried and then laughed so hard she actually forgot to say “yes,” but the kiss and hug she gave John was an obvious answer.
John and Sha’Pella have come to understand that their union isn’t just about them finding “the one.” Rather this union is about God sending them “his one.” His one that was uniquely created to love, support and complement the other, and right at the perfect time. They know that this union is meant to reflect the all encompassing love and grace of Jesus Christ. And their prayer is that their love will be an example to the world of the beautiful blessings that come when you allow God to send you his best for your life.

Describe your wedding style. My wedding style was a romantic glam feel. I love sequins and lace so my wedding had a great mix of both. My dress was an ivory fit and flare, with a ruched bodice, illusion back and lace appliqué from David’s Bridal. It had a romantic garden feel to it. For a little glam factor, I added a rhinestone trim as a belt all around the bodice.

What was wedding shopping like for you? Most of my wedding shopping was a breeze. Websites like Wedding Factory Direct, Michaels and Amazon really saved the day. My wedding-dress shopping was a bit more difficult because I had to find a dress that was available in extra length (I’m 6ft tall) on a budget. After visiting two other salons, I hit the jackpot when I stopped by David’s Bridal. My decision was final after finding out that this dress was not only in my budget, but was also only available in extra length and the only size was my exact size!

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? My husband is Haitian and I am American. We did incorporate traditional dances like Palance and Kompa music in our celebration for his family.

Bridesmaids/Groomsmen gifts: Bridesmaids gifts were monogramed cosmetic cases and jewlery. Groomsmen gifts were personalized lapel pins.
Favorite item on the menu: My menu was Italian with my favorite meal being the seared salmon.
First dance song: “She’s Royal” (Acoustic version) by Tarrus Riley.

What is your best memory from your wedding? My best memory for sure was first seeing my husband and watching him cry the entire time I walked down the aisle. I loved every minute of it. His eyes held so much love and I never broke his gaze.

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? The best advice I can give is to not let anything ruin this special day. The event decor company I hired never made it to the wedding and I had NO DECOR. Everything was missing from the centerpieces, to a lit backdrop and more. At first, I was devastated because my “dream” wedding was falling apart, but I quickly realized what was important. My husband and I declaring our love and life together is what mattered. So I shrugged it off and had a blast anyway (Plus all my guests said it was still a beautiful venue, so that helped!). So be flexible, something may go wrong. But be sure that you just keep your mind on what this day is really about and don’t let anything ruin it!

Vendors:
Wedding dress: Davids Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses: Badgley Mischka from Rent the Runway
Bridal hair: David Allen James Hair Salon
Bridal Makeup: Tanaya J Makeup
Shoes: Badgley Mischka Gigi Flat
Veil: Wedding Factory Direct
Jewelry: Earring Plaza of New York
Ceremony location: Angelina’s Ristorante of Staten Island NY
Reception location: Angelina’s Ristorante of Staten Island NY,
Photography: Rando Lawrence Weddings
Wedding planner: Bride
Florist: Flowers by Emil in Brooklyn
Cake: Pasticceria Bruno Bakery of Greenwich Village
Stationery: Walmart Stationary