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They say love can be found under the most unlikely of circumstances; for Liza Ting Ting Lee, this age old proverb held true when hitting the club scene with friends in downtown Toronto. While she and her girlfriends mingled and danced the night away to the high energy music that filled the atmosphere, the last person she expected to encounter was the man she would soon call her husband. “Out of nowhere this charming guy appears in front of me and introduces himself,” explains Liza. “What caught my attention were his dance moves, and then his smile!” The two exchanged numbers and went their separate ways, yet it was not prolonged, for the following day, Gbenga called to schedule their first date: A romantic evening in the city filled with good laughs and good wine. “This was the best date that I’ve ever been on,” says Liza. “For our one year anniversary, he took me to the same places that we went to on our first date”. Just two years later, Gbenga was more than ready to settle down and take their relationship to the next level. Once receiving the go ahead from both of his parents, Gbenga purchased the ring and moved onto a more daunting challenge of asking Liza’s parents for their blessing. “I had practiced a couple nights going over what I was going to say,” said Gbenga. “I had an answer for every scenario that might be thrown my way. This was their little girl after all. I also knew that as much as her parents liked me as a person, there were cultural differences that would need to be overcome.” Luckily for Gbenga, his words of love and devotion toward their daughter were more than enough to win over their blessings. “I was so nervous as I didn’t know how they would react,” said Gbenga. “But, what kept me going throughout it all was that Liza’s dad was standing behind her mother, giving me the thumbs up the whole time so I knew I had his blessings. That really made me feel more at ease.” For his final task, Gbenga took it upon himself to reserve a table for two at the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada where Liza received the surprise of her life when he proposed to her while celebrating their two-year anniversary. “When our server brought my dessert out and lifted off the cover, the words, ‘Will you marry me Liza?’ was written in chocolate along the edge of my plate!,” said Liza. “My heart was pounding a mile a minute, I was in shock and tears were just flowing out of my eyes. Gbenga came over to my side and went on one knee, and proposed! I was so surprised and chocked up that I could not answer clearly. The whole night, the proposal and the ring were perfect!” Once the day of the wedding had been decided upon, the two choose to hold their nuptials at The Riu Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. “April was good in terms of weather in the Caribbean, “said Liza. “Also there was not much going on in this month so friends and family attendance would not be hampered.” With the assistance of close friends and family members, the couple designed a grand-scale multicultural celebration that honored both of their martial customs. Before the ceremony, in respect to Liza’s Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, Gbenga’s family were to present the Chinese wedding dowry, a various of proposal gifts that represent fertility and prosperity, known as ‘Guo Da Li’. After completing the Chinese wedding dowry, guests assembled into their chairs as Liza prepared to walk down the aisle. An ivory and peach color palette influenced almost every element of the ceremony décor, perfectly integrating their wedding look into the natural beauty of Jamaica. “My bouquet was ivory roses with a few peach orchids, and the groomsmen each had a peach orchid boutonniere” said Liza. “I made each of my bridesmaid’s bouquet with silk hydrangea flowers to save money! They looked really real and very pretty.” Once Liza reached her groom, they exchanged vows and from there, the two were pronounced husband and wife. Soon after guests were treated to a buffet style meal at a private dinner, Liza and Gbenga were ready to move onto their next destination: The Mississauga Grand Banquet Hall in Ontario, Canada where they put together yet another reception welcoming their entire friends and family to celebrate their special day. Before the reception, the couple changed into their traditional Chinese attire and participated in a Chinese Tea Ceremony, a ritual similar to exchanging vows where newlyweds kneel down and show respect to their parents while serving tea. “Tea is used in Chinese wedding ceremonies mainly because tea is China’s national drink and it symbolizes respect,” said Liza. Once guests entered the banquet hall, the vibrant colors of the beach décor were even more in evidence at their second reception. Graced on top of the ivory tablecloths, teal colored LED lights flickered inside each tall glass cylinder vase, finalized with two stems of ivory orchids. “I had fake diamonds scattered on each table around the centerpiece to add some bling!” said Liza. After dinner, in honor of Gbenga’s culture, Liza and Gbenga stepped onto the dance floor wearing authentic Nigerian attire. “I wore the 4 piece ‘Buba’, and Gbenga wore the 4 piece ‘Agbada’,” said Liza. “Our attire was custom made for us in Nigeria, and was brought over for us by my father –in-law.” Guests soon joined the couple on the dance floor and showered them with money as they danced to traditional Nigerian music. “My father and all Nigerian guests at the reception walked across the dance floor and showed their respect to Liza’s family by bowing to them, “said Gbenga. “It was a sight to see and something I will never ever forget. It meant so much to me.”