Real {NY} Wedding: Natifia Gaines + Donald Mullings

We have a sweet wedding feature from one of our favorite photographers, Joshua Dwain of Joshua Dwain Photography.  His work is always bright and fresh and from these pics, we can tell the couple had a blast and was very comfortable with Josh.  Brides, get to know your photographer well before your wedding date.  Having an engagement session or bridal session is a great way to do that. The better the relationship between you and your photographer, the better your wedding pics will turn out. Take a look at the pics.

“Planning a wedding is time consuming and can become very stressful. It’s important to take time away from it all and reflect on the reason for the celebration— and that’s the love you and your spouse have.” -Natifia

MBM: Tell us briefly about the proposal.

Natifia: Don and I celebrated Valentine’s Day on February 13, 2010. We had a fun filled day planned— a couple’s massage at a local spa, followed by dinner and a movie. When we first arrived to the spa, Don gave me a dozen beautiful red roses that I ultimately carried with me around the spa. Whether in the whirlpool or snacking in the food court, Don made sure I never let the roses out of my sight. After much needed relaxation, we went to an Italian restaurant, where I continued to showcase my bouquet. We had an awesome time at dinner and with time to spare before the movies; we went to one of our special places–World Fair’s Marina. We sat, looking out into bay and talking about life. After a few minutes, he handed me a ring box, picked up my roses and walked around to my side of the car. I opened the door and he was down on one knee. He told me to open the box. I did, but it was empty. I asked him to tell me where the ring was but he just kept positioning the roses in my face.  Once I looked up, I realized that the ring was inside one of the roses I had been carrying around all day. Tears immediately fell and I of course, said yes.

Don’t you just LOVE Natifia’s San Patrick Eremsa gown! It was purchased from Monica’a Bridal in Brooklyn,NY.

MBM: What aspect of the wedding mattered most to each of you individually and then your family?

Natifia:  Individually- As a couple, it was important that every aspect of our wedding reflected who we were and wasn’t decided on because of pressure from family or friends. There were two aspects of the wedding that mattered to us the most—venue and photography.  We wanted a venue that complemented our color scheme, that was spacious, and overall breathtaking. When we first walked into Greentree Country Club, we immediately knew that we found our venue.  Photography was also important. I’ve always been the type of person to document my life with photographs. I wanted a wedding photographer who could creatively capture our day, and do such a good job that when I looked through the photographs, I could automatically relive every aspect of the wedding and feel the very same emotions I had that day.  The ceremony was an important aspect for my family, while the guest list was an important aspect for Don’s family.

MBM: Did you have a specific theme for the ceremony and reception?

Natifia:  Don and I knew we wanted a tasteful wedding and thought black, white, and red would help us achieve this. We then based all of our other details around our color scheme.

MBM:  What aspect of the wedding planning did the two of you disagree on most? How did you eventually make it work?

Natifia: There weren’t many disagreements about specific details of the wedding, however, Don had to constantly remind me to keep things simple and not overdue some of the smaller details. He definitely shot down a few unique ideas I had but in the end, I think we did do just enough.

We had to compromise on alcohol. I didn’t want alcohol at the wedding and we ultimately decided that we would have a nonalcoholic bar and guests would have the option to have champagne or cider for the toasts.

For their guestbook, the couple had guests fill out well wishes on these cute cards.  The vases were purchased from Michaels and the cards from Lion in the sun. How cute!

There’s Joshua looking sharp while posing with the bride.

Bride’s Corner: “Planning a wedding is time consuming and can become very stressful. It’s important to take time away from it all and reflect on the reason for the celebration— and that’s the love you and your spouse.  Engaged couples should also consider a day-of-coordinator, even if they’re planning the wedding themselves. I cannot stress how much more I was able to enjoy my day, knowing I had someone competent to ensure that our vision was fulfilled and all of our details were in place. I didn’t have to worry about anything except seeing my husband for the first time that day and not tripping down the aisle.” – Natifia

Congrats to Natifia and Donald! We wish you many blessings in your new union and thanks so much for sharing your special day with us:)  Be sure to head over to Joshua’s blog for more wedding inspiration!

xoxo

THE DETAILS

Bridal Gown: San Patrick Eremsa purchased from Monica’s Bridal :::  Bridal Jewelry:  Adorn :::  Shoes:  Nina Evelixa :::  Formalwear:  San Marko Formal Tuxedo :::  Venue: Greentree Country Club :::  Florist:  Arcadia Floral :::  Cake:  Greentree Country Club/ groom’s cake from Heavenly Crumbs :::  Favors:  Personalized stemless wine glasses purchased from Favor Favor :::  Bridesmaids gowns:  Bill Levkoff :::  Junior Bridesmaid Dress: Bill Levkoff purchased from Lotus Bridal :::  Flower girl dress:  Sweet Beginnings purchased from Michael Shane Bridal :::  Hair/Makeup: Tiers Unisex Salon/Khadeen Ellis  :::  Honeymoon:  Aruba  :::  Photography:  Joshua Dwain Photography :::  Videographer:  New York Signature Films

Click any thumbnail below to view the entire gallery.

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Munaluchi Bride is the leading authority of bridal inspiration for women of color. Our stylish and chic print publication is released quarterly in major bookstores across the US and internationally.  If you crave culture, and style, then you’re in the right place!

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