Real {Florida} Fusion Wedding with Black, White & Hot Pink Color Scheme: Retesha + Kene

Kene and Retesha met through a mutual friend at the HBCU they attended. That friend insisted that they meet. Instead of a face-to-face meeting, they settled for a phone conversation that didn’t exactly get the “love” sparks flying. However, when they finally met on campus, they hit it off instantly! The journey to love was born, and it’s only just beginning. :)

The couple’s classic Coming to America-themed wedding with Nigerian and American elements was beautifully photographed by Jesse Giles Photography. Enjoy these wonderful wedding moments, and keep an eye out for Retesha’s very unique wedding shoes – a nod to her husband’s upbringing in the UK!

How He Proposed ….. “After dating for a while, Kene, who played basketball for our college, was away for a few basketball games. Sadly, this was during the same time as Valentine’s Day. He sent me a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries, roses and a teddy bear in the mail. Inside, one of the cards read, “Will you marry me?” I thought it was a joke, until he returned a few days later, got on his knee and asked me. I cried uncontrollably.”  We featured their engagement session in this post here.

Wedding Details ….. “The wedding took place at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, FL. We decided on the theme, Coming to America, because that’s the story of our marriage. Kene came to America from London to play basketball and he met me. It’s our favorite movie, and we thought it would be a fun theme. We had about 110 friends and family from all around the world, including England, Nigeria and America. Our colors were classic black and white with touches of hot pink.”

Incorporating Culture ….. “Kene is Nigerian from London; so, we wanted to incorporate the Igbo culture into our wedding. We got our traditional attire from Nigeria. His grandmother who resides in Ife brought them with her, and we were very grateful. We changed into our traditional attire at the reception, and we danced the night away to Nigerian and American music.”

Unforgettable Moments ….. “The most memorable part was incorporating our fun side into it. We’re young college students who have a lot of twenty-something friends and we didn’t want a boring wedding. When we came down the aisle, after we were announced as husband and wife, we played DJ Unk “Walk It Out” and we danced out. Even our moms and grandma danced out and it was funny!”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

He loves ….. “I guess I can say he loves my strength. I was a single mother, divorcee’, attending undergrad and trying to make a way for my little ones. I wasn’t even looking for anything serious, until I met him. He thinks that I have a lot of strength and he admires me for that.”

She loves ….. “I love Kene’s perseverance. He is so determined, and dedicated to succeeding. He is an amazing law student who studies his butt off every night. His discipline is something almost annoying, but he is doing it for the bigger picture and I admire him so much for what he does.”

View more images in the full gallery here.

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VENDORS

• Photographer-Jesse Giles Photography
• Videography- Creative Cinema
• Ceremony and Reception Location and Catering- The Rosen Centre, Orlando, FL
• Wedding Dress- White by Vera Wang
• Wedding Shoes- Just Fab
• Hair- Stacie Holmes of Fashionz Daughter
• Make up- Dustin Ellis of MAC, New York, NY
• Cake- Cake in the City
• Bridesmaids Dresses- The Jersey Maid
• Linens- Unique Linens
• DJ/Lighting- Orlando’s Got Talent
• Day of Coordinator- Bettye Stephens Brown
• Groom and Groomsmen Attire- Men’s Wearhouse
• Invitations- Basic Invite
• Officiant- Minster Johnny White