Real {New York} Wedding in Buffalo: Melitta + Benjamin

Melitta and Ben first met at an on-campus Super Bowl party in 2004. They soon became friends, and their friendship led to a deep and abiding love. The couple’s Buffalo, NY, wedding (which took place on their sixth anniversary as a couple) was just the way they wanted it: simply elegant. :)

The upstate NY wedding was photographed by Marlon Ming Photography.

Bride: Melitta Igwe
Groom: Benjamin Igwe
Occupations: Bride – Academic Advisor; Groom – Physical Therapist
Wedding Date: 07.01.2012
Location: Samuel’s Grande Manor, Buffalo, NY

How He Proposed ….. “On Sunday, October 9, 2011 Ben proposed to Melitta in Philadelphia, PA at the LOVE statue in front of both families. It was perfect! Melitta’s family was going to be in Philadelphia for an event; so, Ben and Melitta thought it would be a good idea to drive up to Philly. Little did Melitta know that Ben, along with the help of his younger brother, had been planning on how to propose to Melitta. That Saturday, Ben pulled Melitta’s father aside to get his blessing and notify him of the plan, along with Larissa (Melitta’s little sister). That Sunday, after the event, Ben suggested they all head to the LOVE Statue at JFK Plaza to take pictures. At the LOVE statue, Melitta’s family took pictures, and Ben (who was taking the picture) seemed a little nervous. However, Melitta didn’t think too much about it. After family photos were taken, Ben wanted to take a picture with Melitta. She agreed to take the picture and they begin walking to the statue. Once they reached the statue, Melitta turned to Ben and found him on one knee. At this point, Melitta was completely confused and shocked! Ben said, “Melitta, we’ve been together for a while…(opens the engagement ring box)…you know I love you and…” (Melitta began to cry… A LOT, lol) “Will you marry me?” And, of course, Melitta said, “Yes!” After Ben put the ring on Melitta’s finger, they both looked over and saw Ben’s dad and brother there. They had driven all the way from Long Island to witness the proposal and Melitta had no idea they were going to be there! It was perfect :)”

Planning the Wedding ….. “When my wonderful boyfriend of 5 years proposed to me and it was my turn to plan a wedding, I pretty much had an idea of how I wanted every element of my wedding. I initially wanted a destination wedding, chiavari chairs, and flowers EVERYWHERE. But then, the reality of paying for a wedding set in and I had to readjust my wedding vision. If I couldn’t get married in a Caribbean island somewhere, I knew I wanted to get married in my home town of Buffalo, NY. I also knew I wanted to get married outside. additionally, I knew that I wanted a small wedding party and our friends and family to be there (230 guest attended the wedding).

After picking a venue and setting our wedding date, I did not have to spend hours leafing through magazines to figure out what “type” of wedding I wanted: I already knew – simple elegance. I did, however, spend a lot of time on-line bargain hunting and getting DIY ideas. Both my husband and I are very frugal people and paid for the majority of the wedding ourselves. So, staying within budget was very important. And as a result, we hardly ever paid full price for anything – there is always a sale going on or a coupon for a product you want. Our wedding had tons of DIY details from our super chic monogram, wedding invitations, wedding card box, favors, menu cards, escort cards/place cards, table numbers, programs, welcome bags for out of town guest, to the sweets table and candy buffet jars and thank you cards. We spent hours of quality time bonding while putting personal touches on the details.”

Wedding Details ….. “The beautiful grounds of Samuel’s Grande Manor provided an awesome setting for our evening wedding. The sounds of the classical and contemporary music played by the violin students from Muhammad’s School of Music were accented by the soothing sounds of the water fountains located at the ceremony site. It was important to us that our ceremony incorporated many personal touches which included writing our own vows, and having my husband’s mother and sister sing a beautiful song (The Wedding Prayer). To unite our families and our marriage, we had a sand ceremony in which our mothers poured sand into a vase, before my husband and I then poured the rest of the sand into the same vase – symbolizing both families coming together.”

Incorporating Culture ….. “My husband is of Caribbean and African descent and we both love to dance! It was important to incorporate these elements into our wedding to add a personal component and a unique experience for our guests. Our cocktail hour and reception was filled with island flare and African music. We had artists playing the steel pans during our cocktail hour, and soca music during the wedding party’s intro dances and throughout the reception. Finally, to commemorate our union, we planned a fun-filled da- after photo shoot at the beautiful Niagara Falls, Canada. My husband spent his teenage years in Canada, so having a photo shoot in Niagara Falls was a great way to incorporate his Canadian heritage.”

Unforgettable Memories ….. “There were so many memorable parts of our wedding day and I loved every second of our special day. However, two events stand out the most to both my husband and I. Because our ceremony was later in the day, we decided to have a first look at a separate location from our ceremony and reception site. Seeing my husband for the first time and seeing the look on his face when he saw me, brought tears to my eyes. That quiet moment we were able to share with one another will forever be etched in our minds. Also, because we wanted our wedding ceremony to be a reflection of our personalities and who we are as a couple, we decided to write our own vows. During a perfect Sunday evening in a beautiful garden area as we exchanged vows in front of our family and friends, the love we felt and expressed as we read our vows to one another is still a vivid memory.”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

More images in the gallery here

[divider]

VENDORS

• Photographer: Marlon Ming Photography
• Ceremony&Reception: Samuel’s Grande Manor
• Music: Muhammad’s School of Music
• Wedding Day-of Coordinator: Yolanda Morris
• Videographer: Karl Phillips and Ken Nelson
• Florists: Maureen’s Florist and TOPS florist department
• Cake Artist: Pumpernick N Pastry
• DJ: Kold Fusion
• Make up artist: Janelle Hill
• Hair: Tonette’s Hair Design
• Wedding Dress: Moni’s Bridal Boutique
• Wedding Veil: Made by the Bride’s mother
• Bridesmaid’s dress: Rosalin’s Bridal
• Men’s Tuxes: Jos A Bank 
• Chairs covers: L-Egant Chair Covers 
• Stationery: Made by the Bride and Groom