College sweethearts, Oliva and Tiraq, decided to tie the knot in an intimate wedding with rustic charm in the college town of Durham, NC.
While they saw each other around their college campus of NC A&T, it wasn’t until Tiraq slid into Oliva’s DMs on Instagram that they finally connected. He would eventually propose at one of their favorite restaurants of Durham, NC, with their family and friends and the wedding photographer Kelly Sullivan Photography waiting in the wings to capture it all.
Their wedding was held at an old farmhouse turned into an Airbnb. It was a perfect, quaint location for their intimate wedding.
Read more about their love story, and see the charming details from their gorgeous outdoor wedding below.
- Names: Oliva and Tiraq
- Occupations: I’m a teller lead and Ti does inside sales along with owning his own clothing line (Quiet Confidence)
- Wedding date: October 3rd, 2020
- Wedding location: Durham, NC in a renovated Farm House Airbnb. It’s listed as The Award Winning Durham Farm hosted by John and Lee.
Quick Facts
- What gifts did you give to your bridesmaids and groomsmen: I gave my bride tribe cute emerald green and gold drop earring that I found on Etsy. I was able to customize the box and they were amazing! Ti also found his groom squad’s gifts on Etsy too. He gave them personalized flask with their Instagram names on them and a personalized watch for his brother who’s a little too young to drink.
- Gifts for one another: I gave Ti a gold tie clip from my great grandfather who had a big part in my life. It matched our 20’s theme perfectly. Ti found a really cool gift called print your songs, it’s an acrylic plate that has our picture and our first dance song on it, it looks just like what you would see on iTunes, just way more sentimental.
- Ceremony entrance song: I walked down the aisle with my father to “Favorite Part” by H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar. We all cried!
- First dance song: We danced to “By Your Side” by Sade. It’s always been one of our favorites. I think we knew it’d be our song.
How did you meet?
We met each other in college. We graduated from the same HBCU, NC A&T. We saw each other on campus but never spoke. Ti sent me a DM on Instagram asking for my number and we actually went out on a date that same night. The rest is history.
Tell us about the proposal.
It all took place at 21C, which is one of our favorite date spots. It’s a hotel in Durham but also an art museum. It has a cool bank vault on the bottom floor. Ti set up a photoshoot with Kelly Sullivan, who also took our wedding photos. We were walking around the museum, Kelly was snapping photos, but little did I know my family, his family, and our friends were waiting in the lobby to come up and surprise me. We were on our final shots and Ti grabbed my hands looked me in my eyes and told me to turn around and everyone was standing behind me with pink flowers (my favorite color). I turned back around and he was down on one knee with the ring that I fell in love with months before. He popped the questions and of course, I said yes! We all later went to dinner at Tobacco Road in Durham.
Describe your wedding style.
I found my dress at Gavin Christianson. When I originally saw the dress on the hanger I immediately turned it down, but Mrs. Gineen told me to try it anyway, I loved it. It’s a form-fitting dress, hugs my curves, with a long tulle train. Ti is a very trendy and fashionable person. So he didn’t want a typical look. He found his tux at Men’s Wearhouse. He chose a classic black tux with a slight twist, a stripe on the side, and a cropped pant with velvet loafers.
What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
Things weren’t too difficult. We found a lot of small things online. With the help of my aunt Katchia and our wedding planner Gina of La Cosa Bella Events, they made things super easy for us. From the tent to the food to the small details they found almost everything for us so that our day wouldn’t be stressful at all.
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
Yes, we did! We jumped the broom, which has a few meanings. It symbolizes starting a new life with your partner and leaving the old one behind and is also a major tradition is black weddings. During times of slavery, slaves were not allowed to legally get married, that was their symbol of marriage, jumping over the broom.
What is your best memory from your wedding?
After the wedding and reception, we booked the Airbnb for an extra night, we had our bridal party stay the night with us, and had an after-party with all of our friends. Things were definitely limited due to Covid-19 regulations. We were only allowed to have 50 guests so we didn’t want the party to end for those who actually could be a part of our special day. We partied until 4 in the morning!
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Do not stress! It won’t turn out to be the day you dreamed of, it will turn out to be even better than that because it’s actually going to be with the person you love. It’s all about love, nothing else, so if something doesn’t go as planned just think of that person waiting at the end of the aisle for you; they love you and that’s perfect.
Vendors
- Planning & Event Design: Gina Myers, La Cosa Bella Events
- Photography: Kelly Sullivan Photography
- Videography: Conscious Filmz
- Tenting & Rentals: CE Rental
- Catering: Catering Works
- Entertainment: DJ Paradime with Cool Receptions
- Flowers: Expressions of Love Florist
- Baker: Sugar Euphoria
- Menus & Ceremony Programs: Theresa Jatko Designs
- Makeup Artist: Contour Kissed
- Ceremony Table Rental: Themeworks
- Dress: Gavin Christianson Bridal
- Men’s attire: Men’s Wearhouse
- Rings: Diamond’s Direct
- Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal
- Bride’s shoes: YSL (Nordstrom)
- Groom’s shoes: Aldo
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