Dionna and Jordan's Modern Vibrant Wedding in Chicago -Munaluchi Bride

High School sweethearts, Dionna and Jordan, met during a freshman year field trip. Dionna noticed how much of a “gentleman” and how “cute” Jordan was. To the rest of their classmates it was clear that a connection was between them. So much so that by the end of the trip, word on campus was that Jordan would be asking Dionna out at the next football game. During that evening at the game, while talking with her friends, Jordan approached and made his move, and they’ve been inseparable ever since…

Read all about Dionna & Jordan in their modern vibrant wedding in Chicago.

Bride & Groom: Dionna & Jordan
Wedding Location: Chicago, IL
Wedding Date: April 14th 2018

Tell us how you met. Dionna met Jordan fall of 2001, their freshman year in high school on a field trip when Jordan threw away Dionna’s lunch (she wasn’t event finished!). Despite not being able to finish her lunch, Dionna noticed how Jordan was being a gentleman and also noticed how cute he was. After the field trip, the word on the street was that Jordan was going to ask Dionna out on a date during the football game on Friday, October 19—a game that Dionna had no interest in attending. Nevertheless, after all of the persuasion and insisting, Dionna’s girls convinced her to go. During the game she stood in a circle, with anxious knots in her stomach, talking with her girlfriends. Out of nowhere, Jordan walks into their circle, and asks Dionna on a date to Chili’s, where both were driven by their parents.

Describe your wedding attire. I would describe our wedding attire as bold, modern and fashion-forward! Jordan knew from the very beginning that he was going to get his tuxedo custom made and that I would help design it. I, on the other hand, went to tons of bridal boutiques and fashion shows. I even went to a trunk show for my favorite bridal designer since high school from “Say Yes to the Dress” and got a chance to meet him. It was quite the experience! I was there with my mom for hours, trying on dresses, but could not find “the one.” Finally, the designer walks over and says, “what about this one?” In his hands, he was holding a magical, beautiful beaded gown and insisted that I try it on. I tried it on and every stylist came up to me telling me how beautiful it was, and the designer even sketched it for me. Before I knew it, they were popping champagne and asking me the magical question, “Are you saying, yes to the dress?”, and I gleefully said, YES! My mom put down a deposit and I stayed in a trance for the remainder of the day. The “Gotcha, Gotcha” was that I woke up the next day and called my mom, almost in tears, because I realized that was NOT “the dress.”
I was surprised at the fact that she wasn’t surprised (she knows me)! It was also the eye-opening moment, that I was going to have to design my own dresses and get them made. I knew exactly what I wanted and was exhausted from trying to find it in a store. My ceremony look was modern glam, and I’ve never felt more beautiful! It was very important to us to patronize as many black-owned businesses for our wedding as possible, including our wedding attire.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? We were married in a beautiful Christian church, one like the bride was raised in. It was also important for us to jump the broom just like our ancestors and both sets of our parents. Aside from that the culture/vibe was Black urban/modern contemporary.

Wedding party gifts: Dionna: “I paid for a hotel suite for the bridal party so that they wouldn’t have to commute early in the morning for hair and makeup. They also received beautiful silk floral robes, along with their accessories for the wedding day.”
Jordan: “I bought my groomsmen, including my father, socks for the wedding day along with a cream-colored canvas tote. Along with the aforementioned gifts, I bought my brother, who served as my best man, a cigar torch.”
Gifts for each other: I gave Jordan a gift box. It included love letter that reminded me of the ones that he used to put in my locker in high school, an album that included a boudoir photoshoot, his favorite gum (been chewing it since we were kids), and my favorite cologne of his. He was wearing it the day we met!
Jordan wrote me the sweetest letter ever—that man has a way with words, a bottle of my favorite sparkling wine from Napa, a pack of my favorite Skittles, and a playlist of our favorite loves songs. He used to make me CDs in high school, so that one was a tear-jerker. He also included a cute book that listed 50 reasons why he loves us!

What is your best memory from your wedding? Dionna: “There are so many amazing memories from our wedding day—literally from the time I woke up until we left our reception venue at midnight. But if I could only pick one, it would have to be walking down the aisle with my dad, with my eyes focused on my husband. I had butterflies and was so nervous—partially because I didn’t want to trip and partially because there were over 200 people staring at me. He looked so amazingly handsome and that kept me calm. When I finally made it to the altar, he said “What’s up” loudly into the microphone in his lapel. We both laughed, along with our guests and all was well!”

Jordan: “Seeing my wife walk down the aisle. It was a moment I had taken for granted before experiencing it, but then once I saw her, it was like “oh, that’s how this feels.” Second to that, I’d say the private moments that we had immediately following the ceremony. We were able to take pics upstairs in the church before heading down to our friends and family.”

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples? Weddings are full of emotion! You’re surrounded by the people who love you the most, while preparing to commit your life to the person who you love the most. Everyone thinks that they have the best ideas and advice for you, and the truth is that your loved ones do have great intentions. However, this day is only about two people—the bride and the groom. Remember to always keep one another first, in every decision that you make. This day is only all about you, so keep it that way! Don’t spend time, energy and money trying to keep up with the next couple—be genuine to your relationship because as cliché as it sounds, the wedding is one day, but your marriage is a lifetime!
Make sure that your wedding planner/caterer puts some snacks and drinks aside for you, so that you can have a bite before your grand entrance into the reception. This was a huge life saver for us!
We didn’t eat our dinner because we were so caught up in the moment, so if this happens to you make sure that they put your food aside for later.
Make sure that you have backup locations for your pictures pending the weather.