Eritrea, East Africa met Trinidad and Tobago at the altar as Winta and Jerrell said yes in a gorgeous summer ceremony in New York City. A cocktail hour on the rooftop followed as family and friends from Norway, Sweden, Holland, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France and Canada gathered to wait for the newlyweds!
Come time for the reception, all of the tables were named after the cities of their birthplace, the villages of their parents, where the two studied, etc. Transported by an old NYC tram, guests made their way to the Pond in Central Park for some fun as well! Quite the eventful wedding day for all involved. A carnival in its own right, much different though from the one where Winta and Jerrell first met…
Wedding Date: Friday, August 7, 2015
Wedding Location: Hotel Eventi in Manhattan, NY
First Dance Song: “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran explains how we met and how we feel about each other.
Tell us about how you met and all about the proposal!
We met during our first carnival experience in Trinidad and Tobago. I came from London on a girls trip and he came to celebrate with his boys from Maryland. Little did we know that love would find us in the midst of a carnival. We met, love at first sight and we never stopped talking. With a long distance relationship, it wasn’t easy but we made it work.
Jerrell proposed with a surprise visit to London and set up an arranged dinner filled with roses and candles whilst I was at work having no idea that he was here. After dinner, he went down on one knee in the kitchen and proposed. It was amazing!
Wedding Style
I found my dress in a small town outside London. It was the first dress I tried on the first day looking and I knew it was the one as I saw it on Pinterest but it had no name attached to it. I showed the woman in the boutique the dress and she said she had that exact one. The dress was Dakota by Enzoani and the train was custom made by Surrey Brides.
Culture
The second day was Melsi, the tradition, the Eritrean celebration day and our clothes had been custom made from Eritrea as well.
Memories
The highlight of the day was the big reveal when pictures taken earlier in the day were revealed as the curtains opened at night whilst guests were dancing. The images were shown on a huge screen outside, on the building, on the other side of the hotel we were in. It was magical. The day was truly filled with love from beginning to end.
Help a bride-to-be out!
It’s worth the stress beforehand as long as you enjoy every minute of your day. It’s about you two celebrating your love with family and friends.
Vendors:
Photography: Bandele Zuberi
Wedding Decorator: Ann-Marie Turpin
Videographers: Kvibe Productions
Hair and Makeup: Sabrina Gilbert
Flowers: Makini Regal Designs
Tram: NYC Trolley Company
Hotel: Eventi, 6th Avenue, NYC
Beautiful blending of cultures! Who was the DJ for this wedding?