Friends and families gathering from near and far, the fragrant smell of foods that spark nostalgia, romantic snowy weather and festive and ornate decorations, there are many reasons why people propose over the holidays. When Xavier proposed to Anais on Christmas 2011, everything was perfect. His parents cooked Christmas breakfast, and then everyone proceeded to exchange gifts. Xavier presented Anais with a box. She did not think anything of it, until she opened the box and found that there were multiple boxes within it. She recalls, “Each box had messages ranging from funnies to love stories about us. I didn’t realize until the final box that everyone was standing around watching me open the gift. When I pulled out the last box [the ring was inside], and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked!”
Two years later, they had a holiday wedding right before Thanksgiving. Their wedding planner, B. Moore Events and their designer, Akeem Clayton Design , made sure their big day was planned to perfection. Akeem Clayton Design shares, “Anais’ only request for her wedding decor was that it be reflective of her personality (sweet, simple, and elegant), with some unique elements that would make her day even more memorable. The candlelit ‘ceremony in the round’ was perfect. With not one bad seat in the house, guests were up-close and made to feel like they were truly apart of the wedding with this intimate setting. Also, the round circle symbolizes unity and eternity, which made this perfect for Anais and Xavier. This was something their guest would not expect and was also meaningful. ” Indeed, every aspect of the couple’s nuptials was incredibly chic, from the modern wedding venue, to the purple, black and silver color scheme, to the luxurious purple linens and towering flower arrangements featuring a lush pave of roses and lilies with cascading orchid blooms, to the gorgeous clear acrylic table numbers.
Milanes Photography beautifully captured all of the opulent details.
Quick Facts
- Wedding Date: 11/23/2013
- Wedding Location: Twelve Atlantic Station Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia
- Wedding Theme: Purple/Black/Silver
- First Dance Song: “All My Life” by K-Ci and JoJo
- Wedding Cake Flavors: Vanilla- The BEST cake EVER!
- Wedding Menu Favorite: Baked Cod
- Bridesmaids Gifts: Bridesmaids gifts were jewelry, customized totes and various knickknacks in the tote.
How They Met/The Proposal
I met my husband in middle school. We continued our friendship on and off up until about my freshman year of undergraduate college. We remained good friends until I lost a bet against him and because I lost I had to fly to Baltimore, Maryland to see him. It was all history from there!
Xavier proposed to me Christmas 2011. I just recently received my Bachelors degree and it was our 2nd Christmas together. His father and step mother cooked Christmas breakfast for both our families. The ring was wrapped in multiple boxes and initially I was going to wait until everyone left to open it (because I thought it was a regular gift). It wasn’t until his dad began nudging him and whispering to him asking when I was going to open the box that I decided to go ahead and open it. Each box had messages ranging from funnies to love stories about us. I didn’t realize until the final box that everyone was standing around watching me open the gift. When I pulled out the last box he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked! My parents and I are close, and my mom typically can’t keep a secret. I was shocked that she knew the entire time!
Wedding Style
Ivory with a sweetheart neckline. It is beaded with a pretty decent length train. My favorite wedding accessory was the matching bracelets I got us. It has our initials and our wedding date engraved on it. I haven’t taken it off yet!
Incorporation of Culture
Definitely by dancing the night away! The Cha Cha slide, The Wobble, all of the dance songs.
Most Memorable Moment
My best memory at the wedding was kissing my husband and our wedding cake! Haha just kidding kissing my husband was my best memory.
Wedding Advice
Make sure you satisfy each other before you satisfy others. It’s so hard not to be able to please everyone, but make sure it’s what you want. Also, get a videographer! We made the biggest mistake thinking that we didn’t need one because we would only watch it once and eventually lose it over time. Now, we wish we could watch it just once.
Vendors
Coterie Members:
- Stationery: Sandi Spells Design see Coterie Profile here.
- Cake: Cakes by La’Meeka
Additional Vendors
- Photography: Milanes Photography
- Wedding Planner: B. Moore Events
- Wedding dress: Winnie Couture
- Bridesmaids and Groomsmen: David’s Bridal
- Makeup: Mimi J
- Ceremony Location and Reception: Twelve Atlantic Station Hotel
- Floral design and decor: Akeem Clayton Design
Beautiful wedding! Very elegant and classy.
Lovely Wedding. Classy and Timeless!
Stunning rings- so elegant!