Monica and Aaron’s Elegant Mansion Wedding in Maryland

Having a mutual connection on social media, Monica’s interest was peaked when she saw Aaron in the Instagram picture of one of her friends. Deciding to follow Aaron’s profile, over time she began to realize she was developing a crush. Wanting to get to know more about him she reached out through direct messaging, only to find out that he had developed the same feelings for her. Exchanging numbers they began a conversation that continued throughout long evenings, their first dates, and into their everyday lives – remaining inseparable ever since…

Read all about Monica & Aaron’s love story, proposal, and experiences in their elegant mansion wedding in Maryland – with custom tux design by MunaLuchi Coterie member Miguel Wilson, and catering by MunaLuchi Coterie member Too Blessed to be Stressed.

Bride & Groom: Monica & Aaron
Wedding Location: Mitchellville, MD, US
Wedding Date: 3/24/2018
Wedding Venue: Newton White Mansion

Tell us how you met. They initially met through Instagram. Monica attended VSU with Aaron’s cousin (Jason) and noticed him in a photo that Jason posted one day. Curious about Aaron, Monica followed him on Instagram for about two years. She was instantly attracted to him and intrigued by his interest in the arts, music, health, fitness and food! Over time Monica developed an “IG Crush” on Aaron. One day she finally got tired of leaving flirty comments on his posts that he didn’t seem to take seriously, and seeing him literally “like” every picture she posted, but didn’t leave any comments. Monica sent Aaron a message to his DM, sharing how she has had a crush on him the last two years and that seeing his “like” notifications on her photos made her blush. Surprisingly, Aaron also had the same feelings for Monica but kept his flirting back to a minimum because he thought she was in a relationship, which she was two years ago. After that message, they chatted constantly for about two days via social media DM messages until Monica gave Aaron her number. Quickly, text messages turned into phone calls that lasted all night until one of them would fall asleep, until Aaron surprised Monica one day by showing up at her part-time job. After meeting each other in person at Monica’s part-time on May 13th 2015, they spent almost everyday together and have been inseparable since.

Tell us all about the proposal. Aaron proposed to Monica just after 1 AM on February 26, 2017 in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial in Washington, DC. Earlier that month she noticed a change in his behavior and tried to piece it all together. She just knew her dream would come true the night when they went out to dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Aaron told her to “dress up” nice for dinner and he wore slacks and tie, something he rarely does to go out for dinner. He even suggested she keep her nails manicured more often than usual, something the tomboyish Monica never really made a priority. So naturally she thought that he was sure to pop the question that night. But to her disappointment, she went home still just a girlfriend and feeling embarrassed and foolish because she hinted to her close friends and family that he was probably going to propose that night.
Well, after a week of Monica pouting and watching endless episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, Aaron finally decided to take her out of her misery. Initially he planned to propose to her with a surprise photo shoot at the MLK Memorial. He had told her weeks before that he had a photo shoot to do for a couple at the National Mall and wanted her to come along and help him as she has done before with other photo shoots. When actually it was his plan to propose while his photographer buddy took candid photos of it all, but it rained. Later that evening they went to a step show to support some of her students and then to the movies with friends. It was just a normal date night however, on the way home from the movies they made a detour.
Since Aaron still had his camera equipment he convinced Monica to ride into the city to get a couple of shots of the MLK statue, which looks even more amazing at night, despite her not feeling well and it was windy and freezing outside. This wasn’t the first time they have gone out to the National Mall area at night to take photos. In fact, their first date ended there the summer they met. It was also then when Monica realized she was falling in love him, standing right in front of the MLK statue as she watched him take photos of “The King,” thinking she had found her’s finally… So Aaron took Monica over to the statue and began digging in his camera bag. Monica thought he was pulling out his camera when he asked her to shine the light on her phone in his bag so he could see. To her surprise, when she walked over, Aaron already kneeling down, opened a silver box exposing the ring he kept secret all month and asked Monica to marry him! After about two minutes of her being in shock, crying and screaming she said YES!

What was wedding shopping like for you? I wore an Ivory and Champagne beaded Sophia Tolli mermaid gown with a tulle skirt/train. I purchased my gown at House of Jonlei Atelier at the National Harbor in Fort Washington, MD. I began planning and shopping immediately after the proposal. I was so excited. The first round, my mother went with me to David’s Bridal. It was the most frustrating experience ever because the particular location I went to had limited sizes as I was considered a plus size for bridal gowns. I did not want a ball gown and that’s all they had for me to try on that day I thought I may like. I left disappointed and worried that I would not find my dream gown in within my $2500 budget. My sisters were in town the next round of shopping and they met me at House of Jonlei. Having them there meant a lot because just a year prior I had met them for the first time after searching for my biological father for 10 years not even knowing I had any other siblings who lived 30 minutes away from where I grew up. The very first gown I tried on that day was the one. It made me feel sexy, but elegant and had a timeless look. I could not stop smiling in it. I tried on 4 other gowns that day that were all gorgeous, but the first gown I tried on that day was the one.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? We had a traditional ceremony with a sand blending ceremony to signify our “blended family” becoming one and we jumped the broom. Aaron’s father officiated the ceremony.

Bridesmaids/Groomsmen gifts: Black Satin Robes, Personalized Stemless Champagne Flute with a personal mini bottle of champagne, Earrings, Bracelet, make up bag and MAC Lip Gloss/Fashion dress socks, cigars, pocket knife, Versace cologne
Favorite item on the menu: The Mashed Potatoes
First dance song: Avant and Ke Ke Wyatt “You and I”

What is your best memory from your wedding? Monica’s Best Memory: My favorite moments of the day were walking down the aisle with my son and watching my husband drop his head to hide his tears as I walked down the aisle….They both looked so handsome….and the moment we looked into each other’s eye when we met at the alter is the moment I will never forget…My heart was pounding….not because I was nervous, but because I was happy to be standing in front of him and become his wife. I had prayed for that moment for years before I met Aaron and it had finally happened. Having my son give me away was also very special because for 8 years before meeting Aaron, it was always just him and I. Through the good and bad, my son has been my biggest motivator and I could not have married Aaron if he didn’t love him also.
Aaron’s Best Memory: The moment Monica walked through the door to begin walking down aisle was my best memory. I was extremely happy and excited. She looked so beautiful and all I could I think about was how blessed I was to marry the gorgeous woman who has been my rock since we met. Not everyone can marry their best friend, but on that day I did.

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Planning can be stressful, start early if you can. Delegate as much as you can. If planning your own wedding, hire a Day of Coordinator. I (Monica) planned my entire wedding with minimal input from my day of planners. Was the most exciting and most stressful experience ever. Brides, include your husbands in the planning process as much as they are open to. The most important thing is to plan your wedding the way you want it. It’s your special day and the one day you want to remember for the rest of your life. Be mindful of your budget and be open to alternatives, but don’t let anyone, especially those who aren’t financially contributing, tell you how to plan your wedding day. Take deep breaths on your wedding day, take moments to take it all in. The ceremony will be quick but you will remember it for the rest of your life. My wedding dreams and visions became a reality better than I expected to be. Don’t sweat the small stuff on the day of your wedding. It’s not worth it. And it’s okay to cry happy tears! Let’s them flow, otherwise you will have the ugly crying face trying to fight the tears and look cool/pretty. Just be sure to wear waterproof mascara.

Vendors:
Videographer: Pierre Edwards of District Dodger
Venue: Newton White Mansion in Bowie, MD
Day of Coordinators: B Astonished Events, LLC
Floral and Decor: Pretty Petals Florals
Photographers: Lola Snaps, LLC
Catering: Too Blessed to Be Stressed
Hair: Hair By Wummy
Make Up: Make Up By Toshia
Flower Wall: D Nicole Settings
Bar Tender: Chanelle Reddrick
Cake: Kake Korner Bakery of Laurel, MD
Uplighting: 27 Studios AV
Brides Gown: Sophia Tolli Gown, purchased at House of Jonlei Atelier
Groom’s Tux: Custom made by Miguel Wilson from Miguel Wilson Collection
Rentals: Davinci Florist –  estate table linen, chargers, sweetheart table chairs