Kimberly can credit her friends and fellow classmates for her initial connection with Yared. The pair met in New York via mutual friends who attended Morehouse College while she was at Spelman College and interned with Yared at Morgan Stanley. Considering the two rolled in the same circles, over time, they began to run into one another and later discovered they shared a love for travel, music (Michael Jackson in particular!) and scouting the city for the best burger and “al dente” pasta joints. Though Kimberly and Yared were certainly a match, the duo took their time before making it official, due to their individual Law and Business graduate studies being top priority at the time.
However, after graduation, they began a relationship and have been blissfully in love ever since. In the fall of 2013 the couple relocated to Florida, in an adventure that the two will always mark as the place where they started their family. During Labor Day weekend 2015, Yared proposed to Kimberly following a romantic dinner at Cecconi’s in Miami Beach.
When speaking on their love, bride Kimberly shared this with us, “We love one another’s family and friends as our own and have a blast together while respecting our good times apart with the girls/guys! We have traveled the world together and find inspiration and motivation in exploring near and far.”
Read on for more of this beautiful couple’s love story while checking out the visuals from their Crisp & Modern Golf Club Wedding in Florida, captured by Landon Raulerson of The Veil Wedding Photography.
Bride:Kimberly Krystal Frye
Groom: Yared Hadgu Alula
Occupations: Kimberly: Director of Integrated Merchandising & Marketing, Fanatics, Inc. | Yared: Sr. Counsel, PGA TOUR
Wedding date: 10/31/2015
Wedding location: TPC Sawgrass, A club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Quick Facts:
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen gifts: Bridesmaids: Customized jewelry from Lat & Lo | Groomsmen: Customized bow ties from K.S. Correia
Favorite item on the menu: Skillet Cookies & Pumpkin Donuts
First dance song: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
Describe your wedding dress! What was wedding shopping like for you?
Kimberly: I started my wedding dress shopping with family in New York over the holidays. I had a feeling I didn’t want anything that felt too much like a “costume”, but wasn’t 100% sure. I didn’t have a “dream dress” and did not have a “must have” designer in mind, but from the beginning I knew I wanted something special, elegant and sleek. I started looking at Kleinfeld’s, with my maid of honor, mother, sister and niece and continued [shopping] with my brother at Lovely Bride, Gabriella’s and Amsale.
After trying on (and LOVING!) countless dresses, I honed in on elegant strapless, sequin and satin as key components of the gown. Also, with my background in Merchandising, with each gown, I always had an interest in changing some element or another. Before purchasing my fave gown, I made a last minute appointment with New York based custom bridal gown designer Kathryn Conover. After that meeting I was instantly convinced that I would make my own with her expertise! It was the best experience with wonderful value! It’s really nice to know that my gown is a one of a kind, designed for and with me, and that’s something very very special (albeit addictive).
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
Our guests were filled with culture; the groom’s maternal family traveling in from Barbados and the groom’s paternal family is Ethiopian.
What is your best memory from your wedding?
The toasts! It was extremely important to us to allocate time to formal toasts. We had more than average (5) and wrapped up with the groom giving the final toast (okay, make that 6) to our guests. They were all phenomenal and each spoke to something different about us as a couple and individuals. They were unique, touching and hilarious!
If I could pick a second it would be the MUSIC. For the ceremony and cocktail hour we had our favorite live band in Jacksonville – the Chris Thomas Band perform and they were incredible! Then we had a close friend DJ the reception and our absolute favorite part was the “90’s slow jams after party – people had a blast!
It’s so hard to pick favorite moments because everything was literally perfect – months later we are still floating on the clouds and daydreams of the magical event!
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Not everyone can have EVERYTHING on their dream list (with extreme wedding costs!), so decide what matters to the two of you most and go all out on that (for us it was music, tasty food, and an open bar). And then decide what would be the absolutely best for the guests (everything in one venue, provided transportation) and go all out on that as well, but everything in the middle can typically be scaled back without anyone noticing.
Vendors
Photographer: The Veil Wedding Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue/Catering: TPC Sawgrass
Month of Coordinator: Elevation, Events and Design
Florist: 57 Treasury
Videographer: ICG Films
Wedding Gown: Kathryn Conover Couture
Wedding Overskirt: Theia (BHLDN)
Hair: Nadia Vassell Salon
Make up: Kaitlyn Van Winkle
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Stationery (Invitations/Day of): Champagne Press
Rentals: Beachview Rentals
Cake: Classic Cakes
Officiant: Judge Monte Richardson (Friend of Bride & Groom)
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