Cynthia and Aaron exchanged the sweetest vows at their elegant black-tie wedding celebration in Charleston, South Carolina!
I’ve thought a lot of what love is and determined that it’s hard to define but easy to see in my partner… When I look at you I see beauty beyond measure, an impressive intelligence, and a quiet strength… But today, in this moment, I see my wife, the mother of my children, my best friend, and the answer to my prayers…
Aaron’s vows
Cynthia and Aaron first met on Bumble while Cynthia was visiting a friend in Columbia, South Carolina where Aaron was attending law school. Once they started talking, their conversations flowed effortlessly, leading them to meet on the beach where they talked for hours.
Aaron proposed to Cynthia on the same beach where they first met. He hired a professional photographer to capture the special moment. After, they celebrated by having dinner at a beachfront restaurant.
He told me how much he loved me; He loves how I push him and challenge him to go to greater heights and how he feels that he can achieve anything with me in his corner.
Cynthia
With the help of talented wedding professionals, family, and friends Cynthia and Aaron planned their elegant black-tie wedding celebration in only six months!
They gathered up willing family and friends and went to work with several DIY projects including designing their own stationary, signage, welcome bags, and other personalized items…
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
Cynthia and Aaron originally planned to host their wedding outdoors, however, the weather did not cooperate and they moved the celebration indoors. Despite the change, their elegant black-tie wedding in Charleston was more beautiful than they could have imagined and they were ecstatic with the outcome.
Learn more about the couple’s love story and see the elegant details below!
- Couple: Cynthia & Aaron
- Occupations: Obstetrician-Gynecologist | Attorney
- Wedding date: April 8, 2023
- Wedding location: Charleston, SC
Quick Facts:
- Gifts for bridesmaids and groomsmen: On the Friday before the wedding day, I invited the bridesmaids to Cameilia’s Champagne Lounge located in the beautiful Hotel Bennett in downtown Charleston, SC. We got dressed up and had afternoon tea. We were also fortunate to be able to provide hair and make-up services for the bridal party on the day of the wedding in addition to personalized pajamas, slippers, wedding day jewelry, and shape-wear. A personalized thank you photobook was presented to them after we received our professional photos as well. For the groomsmen, we gifted personalized decanters, personalized pocket knives, large black sippy cups, wine bottle openers with our custom crest on them, and cigars.
- Gift for the bride: Diamond tennis bracelet
- Gift for the groom: Tag Heuer watch
- Ceremony entrance song: Groom- “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen | Bride- “River Flows in You” by Hauser, both performed by a live stringed trio.
- First dance song: “Cheek to Cheek” by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald
How did you meet?
We met on Bumble! I (Cynthia) was visiting a girlfriend in Columbia, SC where Aaron was in law school at the time and I got on Bumble and we matched! We didn’t communicate for a few days after I returned to Myrtle Beach but once we started chatting, the conversation flowed effortlessly. We met up on the beach and talked for hours.
Tell us about the proposal.
Aaron proposed on the same beach where we first met. He hired a professional photographer to snap pictures while we were walking. He told me how much he loved me; He loves how I push him and challenge him to go to greater heights and how he feels that he can achieve anything with me in his corner. I said yes and we celebrated with dinner at a local beachfront restaurant.
Describe your wedding attire.
I wore a Martina Liana dress for the wedding and a gorgeous sample dress that she had professionally altered to wear for the reception. Aaron wore a black Calvin Klein Tuxedo for the wedding and he also had a dress change where he donned a burgundy velvet suit jacket.
Upon entering into the Gaillard Center, guests were greeted by a gorgeous staircase and ornate architecture, the perfect setting for a black tie event.
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
What was the wedding shopping experience like for you?
The dress-shopping experience was so much fun but so intense! Given that we were in a time crunch to have the wedding in April, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a custom dress.
Throughout the entire wedding process, I wanted to incorporate my family as much as possible so I did a “trial dress shopping experience” at David’s Bridal in my home town and 24 of my aunts and cousins attended! My mom made little signs of my bitmoji face smiling with thumbs up on the front and thumbs down frowning on the back. I tried on a variety of silhouettes and it allowed me to get an idea of the dress style I wanted.
When I went shopping in Charlotte at higher-end boutiques with a smaller group of 4-5 people, I was so much more prepared with the knowledge from the trial experience. I knew what shoes to wear, what undergarments to wear, and what silhouette fit me best and it just made for an overall great experience. Highly recommend!
The ceremony highlighted love, family, and community, three things that Cynthia and Aaron cherish dearly…
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
We jumped the broom! Our broom was made by my mother who put small photos of Aaron and me on it so it was really special to us. We also had a second-line band usher us into the reception.
Aaron and I both lived in the New Orleans area for several years (even overlapping years but we didn’t know each other then), so we knew we wanted to incorporate New Orleans in some way during our special day. It was a surprise for everyone except our wedding planner!
We also had personalized umbrellas made by a talented woman based in New Orleans. They featured our custom crest, our fraternity/sorority associations, and our professions.
Cocktail hour was equipped with hor d’oeuvres, a chef-tended taco station, an open bar, and live music! The guests were giddy and ready to party. They were able to remember the day with a classic photo booth and they were inspired by the Love Wall, a collection of photos of married guests that displayed how long each couple was married. They ranged from 6 months to over 40 years!
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
What is your best memory from your wedding?
My favorite part was a portion of Aaron’s vows where he said, “I’ve thought a lot of what love is and determined that it’s hard to define but easy to see in my partner… When I look at you I see beauty beyond measure, an impressive intelligence, and a quiet strength… But today, in this moment, I see my wife, the mother of my children, my best friend, and the answer to my prayers.”
Aaron’s favorite part was our send-off. It was raining so were unable to do the outdoor sparkler exit as we hoped for. Instead, unbeknownst to us, our wedding planner had everyone line each side of the hallway and as we turned the corner to leave, everyone was cheering for us with their phone lights on as we exited the building. It was such a fun way to end an epic night. We hopped into a cream-colored Jaguar coupe and kissed before leaving our venue.
The excitement did not end there as they all enjoyed a three course dinner, danced the night away, and then the McCall’s re-entered both donning outfit changes, and a vibe change to let everyone know it was time to let loose!
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
What is the best advice you can give to engaged couples?
Cynthia: Try to think through the entire day (either with your planner or your partner) and write everything out that you think you may need, including for your wedding party. Do this at least twice and then have someone else review it as well. Have someone else that people can go to for issues and have someone to keep guard over you to ensure that you’re able to enjoy yourself and not worry.
Aaron: Enjoy your time with your boys, especially if they don’t live nearby. Enjoy the experience because you’ll never have the same opportunity again. The day goes by so fast!
After a long night of celebrating, guests received a late night snack of cheeseburgers and fries then cheered Aaron and Cynthia off in a sleek cream colored Jaguar coupe.
Afolabi Sogunro (Photographer – Fotos by Fola)
Looking for more inspiration like this black-tie wedding in Charleston?
Click here.
Vendors:
- Photographer: Afolabi Sogunro of Fotos by Fola
- Planner/Coordinator: Elana Walker of Elana Walker Events
- Floral Designer: Xpressions Floral & Event Design
- Rentals: Curated Events | Pomp Posh Event Decor & Rentals
- Entertainment: Dimensions Entertainment (photo booth, sparklers, DJ) | Charleston Entertainment (stringed trio, second line band) Andrew Mille
- Wedding Dress Designer: Martina Liana
- Wedding dress salon: Coastal Knot, Wilmington NC
- Cake: Ashley Bakery
- Hair: Fatima Sidbury
- Make-up: Montia Shardae Makeup Studio and Academy
- Ceremony and reception location: Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
- Cinematographer: Morgan Scott Films
- Grooms and groomsmen attire: Calvin Klein with Men’s Wearhouse and Macy’s for groom’s suit jacket change for reception
Leave a Reply