From the designer… “This exclusive stationery line takes its inspirations directly from the designer’s colorful worldview and consummate entertaining style. The debut wedding collection showcases the designer’s delicate Chantilly, Alençon, and guipure laces.  Other sources of inspiration include Oscar’s home in Punta Cana and the Fall 2013 bridal and ready-to-wear collections.  The collaboration is launching with over 30 original wedding designs and will expand into children’s invitations, general entertaining, and personal stationery throughout 2013.”

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The post Oscar de la Renta and Paperless Post Debut Stationery Collection appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

Kenya and Kareem met in college through a mutual friend and they have been inseparable ever since. During their eight year courtship, the couple carried on a long distance relationship for four years! However, their love and dedication to each other paid off. Kareem pulled off a clever engagement. Instead of giving Kenya an engagement ring, he initially gave her an engagement watch. She accepted, and Kareem followed with another gift- a new pair of shoes. As Kareem was placing the shoes on her feet, she noticed something shiny roll out the shoe box—a ring!

The couple wanted a wedding that was colorful and simple, to match their personalities. You are going to love Kenya’s sangria shoes and Kareem’s matching sangria and cobalt bow tie! Their wedding was captured by the fantastic Sophia Barrett Studios and also shared with our friends over at Ebony. Read on as Kenya describes her perfect day!

• Bride: Kenya Engram- Activity Therapist for Budd Terrace Wesley Woods, a long term care and rehabilitation facility for the geriatric population
• Groom: Kareem Engram- IT technician for Fidelity Bank
• Wedding Date: July 15, 2012
• Location: Little Gardens Lilburn, GA

How They Met

From the Bride: We actually meet in college at Oakwood University in 2005, almost 8 years ago! It was in the cafeteria of the school, which Kareem never went into, but for some reason that day he did. That day he decided to eat lunch with a mutual friend of ours, and ended up at my table right next to me. I was in a heated conversation with our mutual friend and needed someone to agree with me. Putting my hand on his arm, I turned to him, looked straight into his eyes, smiled, and asked him did he agree. He says when he looked into my eyes and I touched him, he felt something and from that moment he knew I was the one. From that day, we were inseparable and the rest is history:-)

The Proposal 

I had gone to visit him for the 4th of July in 2011 after not seeing him for a while (we had been long distance for about 4 years by this point.) It was the day before the 4th of July and we had gotten back to his dad’s house after a day of hanging out. We were just sitting in the living room watching TV with his dad and I noticed Kareem was sweating but just figured he was just hot. All of a sudden his dad went and got his camera, which I didn’t think anything of it until Kareem started talking to me. Kareem started his speech about how much we’ve been through and how much he loved me and also started to apologize for not having money to do “this” the right way with a ring. Before I knew it, he was on one knee holding up this kind of old ladies target watch, asking me to marry him! I think I asked him if he was serious about five times before I said YES, lol! After putting the watch on my wrist, he told me he got something else for me since he couldn’t afford my ring and brought out these gorgeous BCBG shoes we had just seen earlier that day! I literally screamed at seeing them, and I was definitely more excited about the shoes than the watch. He sat down beside me and put on one shoe and I immediately pranced around until he made me sit down to put the other one on. When he took the second shoe out of the box, something shiny rolled out onto the floor, and it happened to be my ring. He then took off the watch, laughing at my shock and finally put the ring on my finger!

 Wedding Inspiration

For our wedding, we knew we wanted it to be full of life, color, and fun, but also simple. I guess you can say a lot like us. The most important to us for our wedding day was to be surrounded with our loved ones that knew us and supported us and for our love ones to thoroughly enjoy themselves celebrating with us. We were adamant about great food and great music!

Wedding Challenges

Probably the most challenging at least for me was trying to plan a wedding being the only one in town and on an extremely tight budget! It wasn’t until Kareem moved to Atlanta that the process seemed much easier to handle. And thankfully we have the most amazing family and friends that pitched right in the nick of time to make our day wonderful! To save money, we, including friends and family did a lot of things on our own like our invitations, table numbers and our bridal party flowers. Keeping it simple, we didn’t do too much for wedding decor because we purposely chose Little Gardens for its natural beauty. It is a small manor that is nestled in the most amazing greenery and gardens. Our ceremony was behind the manor in their garden right in front of a gorgeous small waterfall that puddled into a pond and the reception inside in their intimate banquet hall. Our cobalt and sangria colors with various peacock accents just blended so well with the already vibrant scenery!

 Most Memorable Part of the Wedding

The most memorable part of the wedding was holding Kareem’s hands while facing each other during our ceremony. It seemed as if time stood still and the only thing that mattered at that moment was me and him, and our sacred commitment to each other.

 You Make Loving You so Easy

From the Bride:

Kareem says he loves my eyes the most, because that is what drew him to me. He says whenever he looks into my eyes he get the most peaceful feeling.

I absolutely love how on the worst possible days, he can make me laugh and brighten my day. It’s his way of letting me know that everything will always be okay because things won’t be bad always.

• Wedding Dress: Bride Beautiful, Sandy Springs, GA (www.bridebeautifulinc.com)
• Wedding Shoes: Macy’s (www.macys.com)
• Bridal Alterations: Lace Alterations Atlanta, GA (http://www.bridalalterationsatlanta.com
• Hair: Danielle Carrington, Hair Stylist Like the River Salon (www.liketheriver.com)
• Makeup: Ingra Knight
• Photographer: Sophia Barrett Studios (sophia-barrett.com)
• Ceremony and Reception Location: Little Gardens Lilburn, GA (littlegardens.com)
• Ceremony and Reception Decor: A Divine Event (adivineevent.com)
• Reception Music: Sim Stevens and Friends (http://www.reverbnation.com/simstevenson)
• Photo Booth: Red Eye Photo Booths (www.redeyephotobooths.com
• Wedding cake and cupcakes: Bliss- McDonough, GA (www.blissmcdonough.com
• Wedding Programs: Creating Paper A Memory (http://www.etsy.com/shop/creatingapapermemory)

The post Atlanta Sangria and Cobalt Garden Wedding by Sophia Barrett Studios: Kenya + Kareem appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

Hot mocha couple coming right up! That’s right… Nailah and Olaoluwa’s lives changed forever over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. What started off as two strangers forming a friendship blossomed into a whirlwind romance and loving relationship. These two love birds will be tying the knot on November 30, 2013 in Lafayette, Louisiana. We love their e-session for its aesthetic ,but even more because it showcases such a fun,loving, and stylish couple.

Thanks to Suzy G Photography for sharing their photos!

The post Houston Engagement Session by Suzy G Photography: Nailah + Olaoluwa appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

From Rebecca…

I’ve always had an obsession with lace, in particular how it used within bridal designs. A age-old piece of lave makes my heart sing! This shoot was put together to showcase the best of lace whether that be an antique shrug or veil or the intricate use of lace in a modern dress. I scoured London’s vintage shops to find pieces and uncovered two silk dresses that had subtle but exquisite lace trimming for a more relaxed, chic look. They were both under $300. Of course the spectacular modern day dresses were from Ian Stuart Bride who do such dramatic things with lace. The setting was a former traditional English pub that provided fantastic textures and backdrops for this shoot – the wall paper was out of this world (and apparently worth a fortune). The flowers were bought from a local supermarket after our florist didn’t work out and the make-up artist worked her magic on those.

The post Bridal Editorial – Vintage Lace Wedding Dresses Photographed by Rebecca Lindon appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

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What makes Barack and Michelle Obama’s marriage so endearing and inspiring to millions of people around the world?  Their captivating relationship epitomizes character, class, intelligence, passion, respect, realness, and endurance. They show that marriages can indeed thrive in the difficult terrain of politics. They seem prefect, yet they are humble and relatable, and they’re devoted to encouraging other couples to build strong marriages and families. We love how President Obama is equally dedicated to strengthening the middle class, and providing affordable education and health care, as he is to being a doting husband and father.  Michelle Obama is widely lauded for her impeccable style and class.  However, she is as intelligent and dynamic as she is beautiful.  The First Lady along with Second Lady Jill Biden created Joining Forces, a national initiative to give military service members and their families support, and she launched Let’s Move! an initiative to tackle childhood obesity by encouraging youth to eat healthier foods and to get active. We could go on and on about the Obama’s accomplishments, but for this Throwback Thursday we would like to focus on their awe inspiring love story, which has spanned 20 years, and share their advice on having a fruitful relationship and family.

How they Met 

Mr. and Mrs. Obama met during the summer of 1989, when President Obama was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm Sidley and Austin.  Mrs. Obama, then Michelle Robinson, was Mr. Obama’s advisor.  In a 2007 interview with Ebony Magazine, Michelle relates, “He made the first move. I was skeptical at first; everyone was raving about this smart, attractive, young first-year associate they recruited from Harvard.  Everyone was like, ‘Oh, he’s brilliant, he’s amazing and he’s attractive.’  I said, ‘Okay this is probably just a Brother that can talk straight.’  [...] I already had in my mind that this guy was going to be lame.  Then we went out to lunch and that first day I was really impressed.  First, he was more attractive than his picture.  He came in confident, at ease with himself.  He was easy to talk to and had a good sense of humor.” Even though Mrs. Obama was impressed, she refused to go out with him for an entire month.  Finally, she gave in, and on their first date they spent the whole day together.  They started off their date at the Art Institute, then had lunch at an outdoor cafe, followed by a movie, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and finally a drink on the 99th floor of the John Hancock building. President Obama shared with Oprah Winfrey in 2007, “On our first date, I treated [Michelle] to the finest ice cream Baskin-Robbins had to offer, our dinner table doubling as the curb. I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate.” After their first date Mrs. Obama admits, “We clicked right away…by the end of the date it was over…I was sold.”

Their Wedding and Marriage

About two years after their first date, President Obama popped the question at Gordon’s Restaurant (now known as Naha) on Clark Street in Chicago.  He surprised Michelle.  When dessert was served, the engagement ring box was sitting on the plate! One year later, the couple tied the knot on October 3, 1992 at the Trinity United Church in Chicago. Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. officiated their traditional Christian ceremony, and their wedding was attended by 200 people.   Michelle’s father died suddenly the year before the wedding, so Craig Robinson, Michelle’s brother, took his father’s place in walking her down the aisle. Of their vows, Michelle has said, “Barack didn’t pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he delivered.”  Michelle’s wedding band was traditional, but Barack’s was an intricate gold design from Indonesia, where he had lived as a boy. Michelle wore a beautiful off the shoulder, floor length, A line gown.  Barack wore a black suit with a white rose boutonniere.  His best man was his half-brother, Malik Obama.  In honor of the Obama’s Kenyan roots, some of the guests, including Malik, wore traditional Kenyan attire.  Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the South Shore Cultural Center, and the couple’s wedding song was Stevie Wonder’s “You and I.”  In the days following the wedding, the newlyweds spent their honeymoon on the California coast.

On July 4, 1998, the couple had their first child Malia Ann. Their second child Natasha, known to us as Sasha, was born on June 10, 2001. In a May 2012 interview with Ebony Magazine, the Obama’s emphasized the importance of balancing parenting despite their hectic schedules. Mrs. Obama revealed, “Basically, Barack and I feel that our greatest responsibility is to raise two productive, respectful, kind, empathetic young women….My husband talks to our girls about how he expects men in their lives to treat them, and he offers examples by how he treats me and how he treats them.”

Timeless Words of Love

No marriage is perfect, but we love how the Obama’s accept each other’s imperfections, while always striving to be better.  In a 2007 interview with Ebony President Obama shared, “It is important that when I’m home to make sure that I’m present, and I still forget stuff. As Michelle likes to say, ‘You are a good man, but you are still a man.’ I leave my socks around.  I hang my pants on the door. I leave newspapers lying around.  But she lets me know when I’m not acting right. […] she’s trained me reasonably well. […] She’s smart.  She’s funny.  She’s honest.  She’s tough.  I think of her as my best friend.”   In an interview with Essence Magazine the First Lady shared this about her husband, “One of the things that attracted me to Barack was his emotional honesty.  Right off the bat he said what he felt. There are no games with him—he is who he appears to be. I feel fortunate as a woman to have a husband who loves me and shows me in every way.” And in every way President Obama and the First Lady are an inspiration to us all.

Michelle Obama’s Wedding Dress

Mrs. Obama has always been fashionable, so it is no surprise that she wore a stunning, fashion forward off-the-shoulder duchess satin wedding gown, which featured a sweetheart neckline and floral appliques.  To complete her bridal look she wore a princess-length veil and opera gloves.   Michelle’s off the shoulder dress was very indicative of the 1990′s.  According to Henryroth.com, “many of the silhouettes we look to today are inspired, in part, by the 1990′s.  From the debut of off-the-shoulder designs to the highly sculpted corset bodice.  However, free-flowing voluminous gowns had been replaced by narrow and A-line gowns silhouettes.” According Keija Minor, editor in chief of Brides Magazine, “It feels like strapless has been the go-to in wedding dresses forever, but, historically speaking, it’s still a very recent trend. With some notable exceptions, gowns had high necks and long sleeves up through the 1990s.” Popular wedding designers that debuted in the 1990s, such as Vera Wang, stepped away from the poufy sleeves and over the top embellishments of the 1980s wedding dresses, and started to create dresses with more structure and a streamlined shape. We love that the off the shoulder gown is making a comeback.  It is classic, and brings drama without being too sexy. Here are some modern takes on the off the shoulder dress:

Recently we featured the wedding of Maeling (the Natural Chica) and Anthony. For her wedding Maeling wore a stunning off the shoulder gown.

We love these gowns by Reflections by Jordan, the Jasmine Collection, Brides by Demetrios, and Pronovias.

Photo Credits: The Obama Family,Official White House Photos- Pete Souza, Maeling (The Natural Chica)- Sophia Barrett Studios

Check out this recent interview in which President Obama talks about the First Lady with the lovely ladies of the View. 

The post Throwback Thursday: The Marriage of Barack and Michelle Obama + 90s Wedding Fashion appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

Their special day was captured by Dajuan Jones of In His Image Photography.

Bride- Christine Debnam
Groom- Darrell Debnam
Date of Event- July 22, 2012
Wedding Location- Umstead Hotel and Spa

Wedding Planning …   “ Our goals were to have a beautiful outdoor wedding with a touch of elegance. So we found a beautiful wedding venue that made our wedding planning easy and allowed us to keep the decorations and flowers simple. The planning process was smooth with the help of our family and the great service provided by our venue. I had to incorporate water because, it has always reflected inner peace,balance and harmony for me. ”

Best Memories … “My most memorable moment was when we were announced as Mr. & Mrs. Debnam. Even though we have been together for a long time we were still on cloud nine. It was beautiful to here that title and see the happiness our children faces.”

Vendors: 

• Photography – In his image photography http://inhisimagephotography.com
• Sharon Davis. (S. Davis Makeup Artistry) http://www.sdotdavis.com
• Chabella (The people’s choice)
• Umstead hotel and Spa http://www.theumstead.com
• Victorian Season http://www.victorianseasons.com
• Cinda’s Creative Cakes http://www.cindascreativecakes.com
• CE Rental http://www.cerental.com/designer-linens.html
• David’s Bridal www.davidsbridal.com/
• Jos A Bank www.josbank.com/

The post North Carolina Wedding with Cream Details by In His Image Photography: Christine + Darrell appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.

About the Author

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Wedding Hair Inspiration

Source: thebrowntruth.wordpress.com via Munaluchi Bride on Pinterest

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This week’s crush is on this super fab UAE based designer – Hamda Al Fahim.  I stumbled on her designs on instagram of course, the ultimate destination for pretty images right in the comfort of your palm…If you haven’t connected with us there …here’s your chance–> http://instagram.com/munaluchiBride

Anyway, I was mesmerized by this dress…an almost canary yellow lace dress that screams – wear me…now!.  The designer, Hamda grew up in Abu Dhabi and originally started out as an interior designer.   She’s been sketching gowns since the tender age of 12 and ultimately, her hobby became her career.

Her designs are inspired by a fusion of eastern and western influences and often incorporate contrasts of feathers and sequins.  Basically, her gowns scream dramatic elegance.  Indulge.

The post Designer Crush – Hamda Al Fahim Couture Dresses appeared first on Munaluchi Bridal Magazine.