Sharing time… Next to your honest self, the greatest gift you can give another is your time. Our time is a precious, limited commodity that can’t be returned or renewed. To share your time with another is a demonstration of their importance in your life, and marriage is the ultimate example of this. Giving the rest of your life to each other is a gesture of romance unrivaled by any amount of wealth, diamonds, flowers, status, or prestige.
Pierrette and Nigel’s beautiful vineyard wedding is a testament to this sentiment. The African traditions and “four elements” segments were lovely additions to their ceremony and highlighted the appreciation of sharing time.
Read all about Pierette and Nigel’s love story and romantic proposal – beautifully photographed by MunaLuchi Coterie member Samantha Clarke.
Bride & Groom: Pierrette & Nigel Enniss
Occupations: Teacher & Social worker
Wedding date: Aug. 28th, 2016
Wedding location: Willow Springs Winery – Ontario, Canada
Tell us how you met and all about the proposal. (Groom) We met about 10 years ago at a community centre. Pierrette worked there and I played pick up ball once a week. Over the years we developed a friendship through shared spaces, including our church. I always thought that we had a good connection, but I never thought it would ever evolve into a union. Through our friendship (and my brother suggesting that I date her), her fun loving spirit, kindness, zest for life and intelligence drew me to her. I should also add, the fact that she is beautiful didn’t hurt either (lol). So when the opportunity presented itself to explore dating in 2013, we didn’t know what to expect. Along the way, some distance came between us, but eventually we decided to give dating another shot in 2014, and it was the best decision Pierrette ever made (LOL!). And, it was the best decision that I ever made! We’ve been through our challenges, our ups and downs, but God’s grace is sufficient. In this time our love grew.
Proposal: (Bride) We were scheduled to attend a New Years Eve party at a friends house. We were supposed to go to church first, but Nigel wanted us to have some “alone time” and proposed dinner. At first we thought we would go to a restaurant, but we decided to do dinner at his house. Given the distance of all the activities that day, it seemed a little misplaced, but I went along with it. I didn’t make it to church that night, I had a migraine. In fact, I almost stayed home. Over dinner, we spent time reflecting on our year, our relationship and goals for the coming year. I noticed he had a card in his hand. All I could think of was, “shoot, I forgot a New Years Card. I suck!” He presented me with the card filled with a few of his favorite pictures of moments we shared that year and then got on his knees asking to share more. I said yes!
What was wedding shopping like for you? I didn’t enjoy my wedding shopping experience at first. I quickly realized how the industry limits or tries to poke fun of curvy bodies. It was also frustrating because I changed my dress 3 months before the wedding. Yikes! After a long engagement, my original Stella York dress did not feel like me. I didn’t pay attention to brands or names, so to be honest, I’m not sure “what dress I wore” until this moment. What is true is that I walked into a store one Sunday morning and walked out with a dress. It was literally an off-the-rack purchase, no major alterations, just breast inserts. It was God sent. When my mother joined me for the reveal, we both knew I had a found “the dress.” It was a mixture of elegance, sexy sleek, and just enough edge to feel like myself.
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? Culture was super important. Planning a wedding in three months is difficult. It’s easy to plan yourself right out of your own wedding. One way to combat this was to remember some of our values: God and Our African Roots. I wanted some grounding prior to the ceremony and as a way to usher our guests to sit we incorporated African Drumming. We also danced out to drums ceremoniously after we were presented as “Mr. & Mrs.” We incorporated a lot of poetry into our ceremony and had our bridal party read a litany I arranged by Clementine von Radics’s, “A Mouthful of Forevers.” Our Unity ceremony was definitely one of our cultural highlights. Our unity ceremony was based on an African-American wedding tradition called “the Four Elements.” This ritual dramatizes the “traditional” promise to love “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” Lemon, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and honey — represent the sour, the bitter, the hot, and the sweet times of marriage.”
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen gifts: Engraved Necklaces, robes and a few tiny surprises/ Matching Fossil Watches
Favorite item on the menu: The Jerk Chicken did not disappoint.
First dance song: We had a fusion mix of Tessane Chin’s “Hideaway”; Ed Sheeran’s, “We find Love” ; Faith Evans, “I love You”
What is your best memory from your wedding? Our ceremony was heartfelt, comedic and symbolic. We loved our officiant, the Pastor of our Church. He kept things spiritual and light-hearted. At one point, he got our Best Man and Maid of Honor to fan us in preparation for “the kiss.” We were both laughing, as well as our guests. The Unity ceremony has a call and response component to it. It was beautiful hearing our guests affirm that they would stand with us through the bitter, sour, hot and sweet moments. At the reception, the highlight was also lovely to witness the mother-son dance. My husband’s mother has an early onset of dementia, so to see them in that moment was special to say the least.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Do “you.” This is the most difficult thing to remember when getting married. But try with your might to stay authentically you and don’t forget to pray through it. Marriage is a spiritual ceremony. Take your time to reflect on what it means to you both; why you’re getting married and use that to craft whatever ceremony you wish. Last, “non-bridal-brides,” you know the ones who said they had no vision of a wedding or never wanted a big wedding? Watch, out, you may surprise yourself and discover your hidden talents. I know I did.
Vendors:
Wedding Dress Salon: Blu Ivory
Wedding Dress: Enzoani Blue: Huntington Gown
Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy Lux Chiffon Formal Wear in Persian Plum -Avenue 22 Bridal
Suits: Eaden Myles
Hair: Anya Grant – Social Media @anyasvida
Make Up: The Look Beauty
Cake and Flowers: Cocoa Fancy Events
Wedding Planner: Plan My Day Now
Photographer: Samantha Clarke
Stationary: Paperless Post
Reception: Crystal Fountain Banquet Hall
Ceremony: Willow Springs Winery
Photo booth: Pandalini Studio
Love it! Thanks again for the feature!