Real {Atlanta} Wedding: Elaunda + Christopher -Munaluchi Bride

It’s always so amazing to see how technology has enhanced every experience: from everyday communication to performing the most perfunctory tasks. The most amazing thing about technology, though, is that it has brought love closer to all of us – allowing two people across continents even to meet each other before actually “meeting”, allowing them to fall in love. Today’s beautiful couple remind me of the sweetness of technology :)

Enjoy every image from the fabulously talented photographer, N’neka Scruggs of Images by N’neka. Here’s more on this gorge couple…..

Bride: Elaunda Boyd
Groom’s Name: Christopher Morrison
Occupations: Elaunda – Employee Relations Consultant with Kaiser Permamente; Chris – HVAC Technician with Central Heating and Air
Date and location of wedding: May 22, 2010, Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta, GA

The Meeting…. “Chris and I met on an internet dating website. We initially started corresponding in December 2007, but did not meet in person until September 2008. But once we met we were inseparable.”The Proposal ….. “Chris proposed on Christmas Eve at my sister’s home. I knew he had purchased the ring and I thought he was going to propose on Christmas day. He surprised me by proposing at a family gathering on Christmas Eve.”

{Beauty Is In the Details}

The Planning Process ….. “Chris and I got engaged in December and we wanted to get married fairly quickly. I got my team of friends together and we started the planning process in January. Getting married quickly can have its perks, but can also be a challenge….you have to devote a lot of time to the planning because of the short turn around time. You also have to work on several aspects of the wedding (venue, food, cake, décor, dress) all at one time. You don’t have the luxury of working on one part of the wedding at a time before moving on to the next which can be very stressful. The good part of working with a short time line is that many vendors will cut you a break on a price. I was contacting vendors in February about a wedding that was occurring in May. Usually most brides with May weddings have already booked their vendors so if vendors had open dates they were more willing to give me a break on the price.”

Selecting the Venue …. “I saw a wedding show that featured The Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta. The venue was beautiful, with very high ceilings and historical charm. I knew it was out of my price range, but thought I would give them a call just to inquire about the pricing. The person I spoke to actually said that had several dates open and they would work within my budget. They actually reduced their price by a third in order to work within my budget.”

Themes and Inspiration ….. “I watched lots of wedding shows and looked at various wedding websites to get ideas for our wedding. I also talked to friends who had recently gotten married to see if they had any recommendations for vendors and ideas. In order to cut down on costs we kept the wedding party small – 3 attendants each. For the décor I kept it simple, but romantic and elegant. Because the venue was so beautiful we did not have to put a lot of effort into transforming the space. My colors were purple (my favorite color) and hot pink. The ceremony and the reception were in the same space so the florist was able to transform the flowers from the ceremony to the reception which saved us a lot of money. I actually made our invitations and if I had more time I would have made a lot of the other things we used in the wedding. Our guests really loved the candy buffet which consisted of “old school” candies that Chris and I had grown up with during our childhoods. Chris is from Jamaica so we wanted to put a little Caribbean flare into the event. The food served at our rehearsal dinner consisted of traditional Jamaican dishes such as stew peas and rice and peas and we made sure our DJ played lots of Reggae music at the reception. My bridesmaids and I absolutely loved the makeup artist, Natalie Fenton. My original makeup artist cancelled a few weeks before the wedding so I had to scramble to find someone. I actually found Natalie by browsing on the web. She was able to capture the purples and pinks from our wedding colors into our makeup without making us look overdone.”

The Perfect Photographer….. “Selecting a photographer was actually a very tedious process. I knew that after all was said and done what we would have left after the wedding were our memories and the photos. I looked at several photographers’ websites and Chris and I met with several photographers before deciding to go with N`neka Scruggs from Images from N`neka. What I liked about N’neka was that her photos didn’t just look like pictures, but they looked like art. You could tell that she really took the time to capture special moments and take them at various angles to give the photos an artistic look. But what really sold us on N’neka was what she did with the photos once they were complete. The photo book she produced for us is awesome! We have gotten so many compliments of the look and the quality of the book. Most people have said they have never seen anything like it. And to top it off N’neka got our photos back to us in just a few weeks which is practically unheard of the wedding photography industry.If I could say anything to brides it is “do your research on your vendors”. Don’t just rely on the reference they give you, but do your own independent research. Do a search on the internet for the vendors business and for their individual names. If customers really like their vendor they are going to post it on the internet somewhere. On the other end of that spectrum if they were really unhappy with the service they received they are going to voice their opinion.”

Most Memorable Moment ….. “One of the most unforgettable moments from my wedding day was that I forgot my wedding dress at my house. Like a good little bride I had a whole to-do list for the day. After getting my hair done that morning one of my bridesmaids asked me where was my wedding gown. Shock set in as I remembered that I had left my dress at my home which was 40 minutes away from the wedding venue. Luckily one of my good friends had stayed the night at my house and was able to get the dress to me. If it had not been for her I would have had to make the trip back home which would have delayed the start of our wedding by at least and hour.”

{Loving You Is Easy}

Elaunda loves that Christopher …. “is always concerned about my well-being. From the very beginning of our relationship he has shown that he sincerely cares about me and makes sure that all my needs are met. When we first met I had just gotten laid off. He was very supportive of me during that time, both spiritually and financially. I will never forget that he told me that he had actually gotten on his knees the night before and asked God to bless me with a job. No man had every told me that he had prayed for me. That is when I knew he was the one for me.”

Christopher loves that Elaunda …. ” is a very loving person and she is considerate of my wants and needs. She is also kind to everyone she comes in contact with. But best of all she is very honest and trustworthy and that is why I trust her with my heart.”

The Morrisons are expecting their first child in February 2012!!! We wish them continual blessings. Elaunda and Christopher, may your home never be lacking in love and laughter and may your soon-to-arrive baby be an added glue in your relationship that cements your love for eons and ages to come. Congratulations!!!

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Venue- Biltmore Ballrooms

Florist- Your Floral Matters

Wedding Planner- Violaine Diogene of Andre Winfrye Events

Cake- Sugarplum Visions

Linens- Ciao Bella Weddings

Make Up- Natalie Fenton of FreeStyle Artistry