Featured in Munaluchi Bride Magazine Issue 32, Lourdia Jean and Jean Pierre-Louis’s love story was divine intervention from the beginning.
During their first meeting at their shared Haitian Church in Tallahassee, Florida, Lourdia recalls, “I was new to town, so after services, I would always leave as quickly as possible since I didn’t know anyone too well. But one night, Jean noticed me sitting towards the back of the church with a white head wrap on. From then on he made it his mission to always try to talk to me before I got the chance to hurry off.”
Little did she know Jean had been praying for someone special to come into his life. While Lourdia would later insist that she did not own a white headwrap, Jean eventually realized it might have been what looked like a white crown placed on her head as a sign from God. She happily agreed to this theory!
After a first date at California Chicken Grill, Lourdia shares, “We talked with a purpose and eventually started courting with a purpose, too.” When the timing was right, Jean surprised Lourdia with an intimate proposal surrounded by friends and family to one of her favorite songs, “Iyawo Mi” by Timi Dakolo.
On February 24th, 2024, the couple tied the knot in a black and white modern wedding in Tampa, Florida, with pops of vibrant color throughout.
They incorporated their shared Haitian roots into their music and food with a special Konpa choreographed first dance to “Pi Bon Moman M Pase Se Ave-w” by Delly Benson and worked with a Haitian caterer to create an authentic wedding menu. They also handed out mini bottles of Kremas – a sweet and creamy liqueur originating in Haiti – made lovingly by their mothers as wedding favors.
Their wedding day from start to finish was a dream come true and their love is an answered prayer they’ll cherish together for a lifetime.
Keep scrolling below for more details on their divine nuptials!
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- Couple: Lourdia Jean & Jean Pierre-Louis
- Location of Wedding: Tampa, Florida
- Wedding Date: February 24, 2024
- Photographer for Wedding: Frantz and Mel Casimir, Focal Muse Photography
Quick Facts:
- Wedding flowers: My bridal bouquet was a hand-tied bouquet consisting of white phalaenopsis orchids, white garden roses, white tibet, and white dried Italian ruscus wrapped in white ribbon to match my all-white florals during the wedding ceremony. The reception consisted of vibrant pink and orange, lush florals, both tall and low throughout the room.
- Favorite item on the menu: Our favorite item on the menu was the Macaroni Gratine. It’s one of our favorite Haitian side dishes.
- First dance song: “Pi Bon Moman M Pase Se Ave-w” by Delly Benson
- Advice for brides: Don’t stress yourself out over anything. Celebrate your small wins and every little thing that you cross off of your checklist. Even if something does not work out, remember that every problem has a solution. So, if something goes wrong, it’s okay to be bothered, but don’t dwell on it. Just take another direction and keep moving towards your special day. At the end of the day, the day has to end – and the wedding planning process will be over. With that being said, make the most of it and enjoy every bit of it while you can!
Tell us how you met.
I met Jean at the Haitian Church in Tallahassee. I was new to town, so after the services I would always leave as quickly as possible since I didn’t know anyone too well. But, somehow, Jean would sometimes catch me in time just to say hi and ask how I was doing. (I even caught him looking around for me outside once as I was getting ready to drive off!) Little did I know, Jean had been praying for God to send someone his way.
During service one night, Jean was getting up from that exact prayer when God allowed him to lay his eyes on me. He noticed me sitting towards the back of the church with a white head wrap on. It was then that Jean made it his mission to always try to talk to me before I got the chance to hurry off.
*Side Note: I would later insist that I didn’t even own a white-head wrap! We would go back and forth about it until Jean realized that it might’ve been what looked like a crown placed on my head as a sign from God… which I would happily agree to!
We started getting to know each other more when Jean sent me a direct message. As we became friends, he asked me out to eat at California Chicken Grill. I refused at first, but Jean managed to talk me into it! From there on, we talked with a purpose and eventually started courting with a purpose, too.
The proposal:
After courting for a while, the time finally came for Jean to take our relationship to greater heights: it was time to propose. He took me out to dinner one evening and made a “quick” stop somewhere on our way back. As Jean went inside and I waited in the car, he gave me a call asking me to bring him a tool he forgot — only for me to walk into a romantically decorated room filled with family, friends, and “Back at One” by Brian McKnight playing in the background.
A tear-filled moment ended with Jean on one knee, me saying yes, and a joyous atmosphere as one of my favorite songs, “Iyawo Mi” by Timi Dakolo, filled the air.
How did you know they were “the one”?
We both admit to not having a specific moment in time that revealed us being “the one” to each other, but rather a culmination of moments.
For Jean, being with me made him feel like he was hanging out with a person he had known forever. He could tell I was a true believer in God through my actions and knew that I would always be there for him.
I realized the feelings I had for Jean when I saw how in sync we were spiritually and how easy it was for me to be comfortable and vulnerable around him. In addition, my constant prayer to God was that my interest wouldn’t be sparked by any man unless he would be my future husband… and guess who sparked that interest?
We both knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other. However, I do joke that I definitely knew Jean was the one for me when he said that our first dance would be to the Haitian worship leader Samuel Robuste!
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?
We are Haitian, so there were a few things in our wedding that were attributed to the Haitian culture. For our first dance, we chose to learn Konpa choreography, which is a popular form of jazz-based dance that originated in Haiti. It is a very sensual dance and is often used to express love and romance. We also had a live band, Revelation Mizik, performing Gospel Konpa Music at our reception. It’s also our favorite music genre.
For the evening’s meal, we hired a Haitian caterer to ensure that all the items on our menu were authentic foods from our culture, such as Diri Djon Djon, Macaroni Gratine, and Haitian Salade Russe. Our wedding favors to our guests were mini bottles of Kremas – a very sweet and creamy liqueur originating in Haiti – made by our loving Haitian mothers. Most families often make bottles of this delicious, creamy Haitian drink every year to give away as a gift to loved ones.
Describe your wedding dress and your favorite wedding accessory.
My wedding dress was a showstopper for lack of a better word! It was beautifully designed by ZeneBridal owner Zene Ereyra, who did not fail to perfectly tailor it to my body while also perfecting its unique beading and silhouette. As for accessories, I chose to not wear any jewelry, as I believed the dress to be a beauty on its own (as it was).
However, I was gifted a Bouquet Charm by one of my closest friends and bridesmaid on the morning of my wedding. The charm was customized with pictures of my dear grandmother who raised me – Clermancia Isme, 107, who passed away 3 weeks before the wedding.
The gift was a tearjerker and a gentle reminder that even in her absence, she is still near and dear to my heart. Thus, I would have to say that was my favorite wedding accessory and one that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Describe your wedding style:
Our wedding style stemmed from my vision of a modern look but with a pop of color. I was adamant about having the wedding design display a black-and-white classic feel while having vibrant accents. This was achieved with the groomsmen in black tuxedos and the bridesmaids in silver dresses. We included black and white drapery around the room, and the tablescape was an array of black and silver tableware. The florals and napkins were a beautiful, vibrant pop of pink and orange.
Mr. & Mrs…
Reception decor…
Sweet details…
Setting the mood for romance…
What is your best memory from your wedding?
There were so many beautiful memories from walking down the aisle to being surprised by my maid of honor and sister, Tarah Jean, with a live painter at our reception.
But my favorite memory from my wedding day has to be our first dance. Not only did Jean and I learn choreography for this special moment, but we also had the song remixed so that it consisted of a Konpa rhythm that was never heard before.
It was such an intimate feeling dancing with my life-long partner for the first time as husband and wife and to a song that was made especially for us: “Pi Bon Moman M Pase Se Ave-w” by Delly Benson, which translates to “The Best Moments I Spend Are With You.” I truly wanted the moment of us dancing in each other’s arms while gazing into each other’s eyes to last forever.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Wedding planning is often one-sided in the relationship, but it’s nice to be open with your partner. Talk about anything and everything wedding-related. This sets the tone for healthy communication in the marriage that is to come.
To make this easier, create a shared email account that both of you have access to so that information is received by both of you from wedding vendors during the wedding process. Be transparent with each other to have a wedding that suits both of your desires. This way, you both can lean on each other to stay firm on what you want or do not want in your wedding despite what other individual opinions are.
Looking for more modern black and white weddings?
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Vendors:
- Planning and Design: Vanessa Hayward Events
- Film: Tristian Brown
- Photography: Focul Muse Photography
- Ceremony: Canterbury Hall at Grace Church
- Cocktail Hour and Reception: The Venetian Event Center
- Floral: Royal Events & Services, LLC
- Hair: Tiffany Stylez
- MUA: Stenza Beauty
- Luxury Chairs: Chanel Lux Event Rentals LLC
- Luxury Candles: ADR Decor
- Drapery: On The Move Wedding & Event Rentals
- Cake: Sweet Clementine LLC
- Live Painter: Shani Lynn Art
- DJ: DJ Style Merlyn
- Live Band: Revelation Mizik
- Floor: Wrapmyfloor
- Gown: ZeneBridal
- Suit: Garçon Couture
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