Both lovers of the arts and both having the desire to pay homage to where they met, Iman and Brandon decided to let art play a major role in their wedding. Scouting the Rubell Family Collection, a beautiful gallery in the heart of the Wynwood Art District, the two came upon the stunning exhibit on display, “To Have and To Hold.” This was curated in celebration of the owners of the gallery, Don and Mera Rubell’s 50th wedding anniversary. It was then that Iman and Brandon knew they had found the perfect place to say, “I do.”
Wedding Date: June 6, 2015
Wedding Location: Rubell Family Collection in Miami, Fl
First Dance Song: “Really Love” by D’Angelo and The Vanguard
Favorite Item on the Menu: Top Sirloin Beef Picanha with Chimichurri Sauce
Tell us about how you met and all about the proposal!
Brandon and I both lived in Brooklyn but we actually met in Washington D.C. through family in the summer of 2011, while we were both there for the weekend. We connected once we got back to New York but it wasn’t until we spent time together at Art Basel Miami 2012 that we really hit it off.
Brandon proposed on December 13, 2014 (12.13.14). My birthday was the week prior to that so at the last minute, I decided to throw myself a party. Little did I know that I was throwing a wrench into Brandon’s proposal plan. He had secretly been planning the proposal for a quite a while, so my last minute birthday celebration plans made for pretty tricky logistics. But being the kind of guy he is, he just rolled with it. And the final execution was absolutely perfect. While I was getting ready for the party, Brandon filled the living room with candles and flowers. He then brought me in and presented me with a photo book filled with photos of our adventures together. I initially thought it was a birthday gift, but once I got to the last page, I knew it was something more. The last page of the book had several photos of me jumping off a cliff at Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica. The caption at the bottom of the page read, “Babe, will you take another jump with me?” As I read the page, he dropped down to one knee and proposed. We then headed to my birthday party which turned into a great impromptu engagement party!
Because our wedding was going to be in Miami, I wanted to find a dress that was light and airy, yet chic and modern. I took a ton of inspiration photos to my first appointment and tried on several dresses that were in line with my vision. However, once I tried them on, they just didn’t work. As the store was closing and my appointment was wrapping up, I explained to my consultant that I didn’t feel like a bride in any of the dresses I had tried. She brought in one final dress, a Pnina Tornai mermaid style, organza gown. I knew right away that it was the dress for me.
Memories
Walking down the aisle to my husband-to-be and seeing the look of pure happiness on his face was an amazing memory. We were both overcome with so much emotion. It’s a moment that I’ll never forget and will always cherish. The father-daughter dance had to be my favorite part of the reception. My dad and I danced to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and he broke out moves I’d never seen before!
One of the best pieces of advice I received during my wedding weekend was to pick a specific time to stop all planning and start enjoying myself. There’s always going to be last minute things that you feel must get done. But the most important thing you must do is to step away from the to-do-list and enjoy the rare occasion when you have everyone that you love in one space celebrating such a special moment of your life. If you don’t force yourself to let go and enjoy, the weekend will come and go right before your eyes.
The most important thing…stay true to who you are as a couple during the planning process. Keeping your identity as a couple front and center will help you create a truly authentic and memorable event that both you and your guests will love. You’ll walk away from the day feeling like you had a true celebration of who the two of you are as a couple.
Vendors:
Design and Planning: Roxanne Bellamy Events
Coordination: Poetic and Illumined Events
Photography: To Love Photographie
Second Photography: Denice LaChapelle
Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld Bridal
Hair: Sharon Young
Make-Up: Make-Up Artistry by Hiara
Venue: Rubell Family Collection
Floral Design: Ever After Floral Design
Rentals: Lavish Event Rentals
Lighting: Illumene
Stationery: Mintwitch Creative
Catering: Bill Hansen
Pig Roast: La Caja China
Desserts: Earth and Sugar
Entertainment: DJ MOMA
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