If you’ve ever dreamed of being in a magazine Ad, Bishop and Sarah’s vibrant Miami engagement session gets pretty close!
Featured in our latest print magazine, Issue 29, the fashion-forward couple looks effortlessly cool posing atop a luxurious yellow Mercedes-Benz convertible in custom yellow and orange attire.
Sarah admits their engagement theme was literally based around the fact that “Black people look amazing in vibrant colors.” And she isn’t wrong! The colorful summer hues of Miami are everywhere and Sarah and Bishop look flawless and elevated in every frame.
Highlights of their colorful Miami engagement session include two outfit changes, with their custom suits by Suit Stories, and matching Nike Air Force 1’s (Low ’07 Premium
Little Accra Edition)!
The ever-talented Muna Coterie member, REEM Photography, captured every moment with ease, creating a total vibe of effortless luxury and Black excellence. With such a stand-out engagement session, we can’t wait to see their wedding photos!
Check out more photos from their vibrant Miami engagement session below.
- Couple: Bishop Sakyi & Sarah Ansah
- Occupations: Bishop is a lawyer and Sarah is a Nurse
Quick Facts:
- Wedding date: August 13, 2023
- Wedding Location: Santorini, Greece
- Location of Engagement shoot: Miami, Florida
- Planner: Be Astonished Events
- Photographer: REEM Photography
How they met…
It all started at the University of Maryland, College Park.
They used to see each other on campus here and there but it wasn’t until Sarah joined the school’s African dance team, Afrochique in 2010, that they started to really notice one another. It was the same year Bishop became president of the African Student Association on campus and if you know Bishop you know he was the people’s President!
He was very well known on campus while Sarah on the other hand remained fairly low-key throughout undergrad. There was always a mutual, ‘you’re kind of cute’ vibe between the two of them, but Sarah brushed it off initially because she knew that getting with someone that popular could only be a headache.
That all changed during a holiday party thrown by the maid of honor, Zuliat, in 2011.
By this time, Bishop had already graduated so they did not see each other on campus the way they used to. They ended up chopping it up during the party. By the end of the night, Bishop asked for Sarah’s number so they could continue the conversation. The conversation has not stopped since.
Throughout the years, they always kept in touch, even when Bishop was in Charlotte for law school and Sarah moved to California briefly after undergrad. Long-distance made it seem like starting a relationship would be illogical and impossible, but that never stopped them from keeping the spark between them alive and well.
After years with the long-distance song and dance, Bishop and Sarah both moved back to Maryland. It was then that they could see the potential of getting serious with one another. In 2015, they became official and have since blossomed, matured, and glowed up with one another in a beautiful way.
Their first date…
Not sure if this was our first or second date, but this was one of the first formal dates that we went on that really stuck out to us. Bishop surprised me with tickets to a comedy show that his cousin was performing in.
I loved this date idea because I had never been to an actual comedy show before, but had always wanted to go. I thought it was even more special that he knew someone who was performing. We laughed together, I got to meet his cousin, and we went out to eat. We just had an overall great time.
When they knew they found “the one”…
Bishop: I knew she was the one when she took me for who I was and not what everyone else thought of me.
She liked the me that the world saw but also liked me when nobody was around. It was instances when she cared about me…through my success and failures when she didn’t have to.
I realized that she was a woman that could love hard and urge me to become what I wanted to do back then. She still does that today. I always said to myself, I couldn’t see her with anyone else but myself. I saw the values of an independent woman, along with some values of what I thought could be an incredible mother.
She opened up to me and came out of her shell to learn about me and how I operate in this world. I knew it wasn’t easy for her. It still might not be easy for her, but it was a sacrifice she made for me. It’s something I always appreciated. Before we dated, she brought God in between us and ensured that it was a foundation for anything we did individually and collectively. I didn’t take that for granted and it became ingrained in me.
We laughed, built memories together, and learned one another when we were unsure of our direction. Luckily, it led down to this path of love. With all that being said, how could I let a woman like her pass me by?
Sarah: I don’t think there was one definitive moment that comes to mind. It was more like a feeling that I slipped into.
When we first started dating we would spend a lot of time driving and talking. He would mention little things about what he would do when he got married (but not necessarily to me). I distinctly remember how he knew he wanted to wear one of his infamous sneakers on his wedding day and come out to, “Down the Aisle” by LL Cool.
At that time I thought, ‘I could see myself coming down the aisle to you looking fly in your sneakers.’ I never told him that though because I wasn’t sure he felt the same about me. I was a bit guarded at first because I feared that my vulnerability would only lead to my feelings being hurt.
However, as time went on and we got closer, I found myself naturally becoming more vulnerable and trusting him with my heart. He showed me that he could be a safe space for me. He showed me true partnership and friendship and in those actions I knew I found my personal person for life.
The proposal:
With the help of so many people and designed by our friend and wedding planner, Melissa Williams of B Astonished Events, the proposal was able to take shape and Sarah received a truly memorable proposal.
Bishop tapped into all his resources and supporters of his love!
On October 29, 2021, at an art gallery in Washington, D.C., approximately 80 or so people attended to show their love and support for the couple. Throughout the night, food was served by Mama K’s Kitchen, drinks were served by Arena Social, and the saxophone was played by Chris Garcia.
As guests reveled in the astonishing art gallery created by the incomparable artistry of Lex Marie, pictures were taken by the lovely Terri Baskin Photography and videos were captured by the great Blair Williams Productions.
As an incredible favor to the couple, artist Lex Marie decided to start a live painting of the couple before their arrival. To complete this, Bishop had to send a picture of their outfits before they arrived.
Once the couple FINALLY arrived, all guests were moved to the back of the gallery where the room was dimly lit with candles, while gold and purple decor.
Bishop took Sarah through the art gallery. As he removed her jacket, she questioned where the rest of the partygoers were. As Bishop was berated by Sarah’s questions about the emptiness of the venue, he reassured her that everyone should be in the back.
It was then that Sarah saw all the invited guests… including her mother in the crowd! And it was then that the beautiful bride-to-be shed tears of joy and excitement as the love in the room grew with cheers.
Bishop led Sarah down the aisle and they took in the animated crowd that outpoured their love for them….and he began. Bishop spoke from the heart, without anything written, to let Sarah know what he felt about her.
Luckily, his words were convincing because once he asked for her hand in marriage, she said “YES!” as more tears fell down her eyes. From there, the couple enjoyed the night with their family and friends as they took pictures and videos with everyone!
Engagement session & theme…
The theme of the engagement shoot was, “Black people look amazing in vibrant colors.” We both knew that we wanted to do something completely different from the formal engagement shoots we normally see.
Sarah’s vision was to take pictures that we could see being in a magazine ad, so it’s amazing that we are being featured in MunaLuchi! We took a picture together a couple of summers ago that really inspired our style for this shoot. We went from there to create a look from our matching sneakers, up.
Favorite thing to do as a couple…
One of our favorite things to do is watch shows and movies together. We always try to do a movie date night at least once a month at our favorite theater close by. It’s very simple but it’s a great way for us to connect and decompress.
Wedding planning so far…
Wedding planning has been stressful, to say the least. Because we are both Ghanaian, planning a traditional Ghanaian wedding and a white wedding within the same year has been a huge undertaking. But our wedding planning team B Astonished Events has been so wonderful. They have helped us since step one of this journey to make sure that we get everything we are looking for out of our wedding ceremonies.
What they’re looking forward to most…
We’re looking forward to having a great time with our family and friends in Santorini, Greece. We wanted to give our guests a fun and memorable experience while also celebrating our love story in another country.
Looking for more vibrant, colorful Miami engagement sessions?
Click here.
Vendors:
- Photographer: REEM Photography
- Wedding Planner: B Astonished Events
- Suits: Suit Stories
- MUA: KKAO by KKB
- Hair: Guided Hands
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