Couple’s Colorful + Lively Nashville Wedding Perfectly Blends Rich West African + American Cultures
Friday, November 6, 2015
We absolutely adore couples unafraid of color, and Madia and Kwabena's wedding did not disappoint. With a color palette of bold pinks, muted pastels, deep purples, bright oranges, shiny golds, and sunny yellows, there was color and culture everywhere! They were also unashamed to share their playful yet seriously spiritual sides, keeping their day an authentic expression of whom they truly are.
Every photo speaks to their connection to their West African home, family, community, and faith, and their appreciation for new friends and new traditions. For their Nashville wedding, our words are simply not enough. We'll let Madia's words and their colorful and moving photos tell the story of their day.
Madia + Kwabena
Wedding Date: August 2, 2014
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Noah Liff Opera Center
Guests : 150
Budget: $10,000 - $20,000
Wedding Team
Planner | Bride + Sarah Willard of Music City Events
Wedding Day Coordinator | Bri Sanford
Photographer | Andrew Kenworthy Photography
Videographer | Leo Nnamdi of Onodigitals Studios
Gown | The White Room in Lebanon, TN
Men’s Attire | Macy’s
Bridesmaids’ Attire | Macy’s
Hair | Nisea Thomas
Makeup | Patricia Kpabar
Stationery | Designed, created by bride
Caterer | Family, friends
Cake Artist | Dulce Desserts
Floral Designer | MaryBlossom Nmoh of MaryBlossom Weddings
Ceremony + Reception Musicians | Michel Amarh
Rentals | Music City Events and Maryblossom Nmoh of MaryBlossom Weddings
Lighting | Music City Events
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
We are both from West Africa, so it was important for us to have a colorful wedding since color is infused within much of the clothing in our culture. We are also quite a contemporary couple with an appreciation of tradition, so we wanted to make sure that our style as a couple was apparent in our wedding by connecting old to the new.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
We love bold and bright colors, so we decided on the colors gold, yellow, orange, fuchsia, and pink to add to our theme, which was entitled “Afro-chic.” From the invitations to the place cards, to programs, to the cake, to the dresses, to the flowers, and to the lighting, all of our colors were embedded. I utilized the hibiscus flower to assist with the theme of tropical, cool, and everything West African. The hibiscus flower is a bright and bold flower and I was inspired from it to expand my theme.
The images of Noah Liff Opera Center that I saw online were inspiring because it was a space that could be manipulated in any design. Also, the center was equipped with stunning architecture and lighting setups that I really loved.
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
All the guests loved the colors, the décor, and the food at the wedding. One part of the wedding guests enjoyed was the traditional Liberian Lappa Dance. This dance is done with fabric lappas (female wrap skirts) that are placed down in front of the bride/groom to walk across while dancing. This symbolizes blessings to a long and blessed marriage. Guests enjoyed the live West African drumming of master drummer of Ghana, Kofi Mawuko, and a performance of the bride and the company members of Mawre and Company performing “Kpanlango.”
Also, I got many compliments on the food because we had authentic West African cuisine for our appetizers and main course. Also, my cousin made two great alcohol-infused punches that we named after of countries' flags' names (Black Star from Ghana, and Lone Star from Liberia) that were a big hit for the legally aged guests.
For our gifts to the guests, my aunt made Liberian Rice Bread that was placed in individualized mini cake boxes. The cake supplied by Dulce Desserts, which was three-tiered with each tier being a different flavor (lemon, strawberry, and mango) with strawberry filled icing, was a big hit.
Where did you splurge?
Since we cut corners on some things, my husband and I splurged on our attire, gifts for bridesmaids/groomsmen, photography and videography, and décor.
Where did you save/DIY?
I DIY’d my invitations, programs, card boxes, place and food card settings. We saved on liquor because we bought boxes of liquor, wine, and beer over the course of six months from Frugal MacDoogal with a 10% discount on all cases. Also, my students were licensed bartenders so they assisted me with servicing my guests.
I mixed my plates/silverware with real china and faux china. The faux china saved us because our guest list increased and we did want to spend more money on china. Many guests were pleasantly fooled by the faux china and silverware because of the close resemblance.
Many of my friends and family of the Liberian and Ghanaian communities cooked various foods that we used for appetizers and the main course. Supplying our own food saved us $3500 compared to what we would have gotten with a caterer, and we had a lot more food left over for the next day to share with family and friends at our post-wedding cookout.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
When planning any event you, have to expect the unexpected, so there is always going to be some things about the process you could have done differently. However there are minor things I wish could have happened differently, but I did not let that affect how I felt overall. Everything happened the way it was supposed to happen and it was a perfect day!!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
Be open to all options when planning, listen to one another when exchanging ideas, and make planning fun!
About the Author:
Ashley King
Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Until then, Find me on Google+.
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Posted on November 6, 2015 |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Multicultural, African-American weddings, Real Nashville Weddings,
