This formal outdoor wedding has black-tie fashion, fun touches, and lots of romance!
Despite the uncertainty of COVID-19, Ebony and Alvin were able to hang on to their wedding date. On September 5th, 2020 they celebrated their love in style with an elegant color scheme of black, gold, and ivory.
Set against the Gardens at Harmony in Jonesboro, Arkansas, their wedding was a gorgeous outdoor affair filled with unique touches of fun! Sparkly tennis shoes, a gorgeous 2-in-1 dress, and intimate moments with friends and family are just a few standout details from their big day.
To find out more about Ebony and Alvin’s journey to love and more photos from their formal outdoor wedding, keep reading below!
- Couple: Ebony Lewis and Alvin Baker
- Occupations: Ebony is a nurse. Alvin is a Restaurant Manager.
- Wedding Date: September 5th, 2020
- Venue: The Gardens at Harmony in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Quick Facts:
- Gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen: Ebony gave her bridesmaids Kate Spade bracelets, monogrammed totes, getting ready robes, and Vans tennis shoes for the reception. Alvin gave the groomsmen personalized flasks, a short tumbler whiskey glass and Black Panther socks.
- Gifts for one another: While they didn’t “plan” to give each other gifts, Alvin surprised Ebony with an upgraded engagement ring with double wedding bands all soldered together on their wedding day. Ebony surprised Alvin by rebooking their honeymoon which they had cancelled due to COVID.
- Ceremony entrance song: “I’m Sure It’s You” by Shelea for bridal entrance; “My Greatest Inspiration” by Teddy Pendergrass for groom’s entrance
- First dance song: “Real Love” by Eric Benet
How they met?
Ebony met Alvin on the first day of her new job.
At the time, her colleagues invited her to lunch at a local restaurant. Alvin, the manager of the restaurant, asked her colleague (who is Alvin’s childhood friend) to introduce him to her.
After that initial introduction and several messages though Alvin’s friend, Ebony sent a Facebook friend request to Alvin. He accepted, and the rest is history!
The proposal…
Alvin proposed to Ebony on February 6th, on her birthday; however, mother nature didn’t make things easy for him!
The weather for February 6th was predicting to be icy and rainy. So, the night before Alvin told Ebony he would be making dinner for them instead of going out. The next day, Alvin hydroplaned his truck and ended up stuck in a ditch with a damaged tire.
After getting his truck towed and the tire repaired, Ebony ended up beating him home from work. When Alvin finally got home, he called her out to the garage to inspect the damage.
She recalls: “While we were out there inspecting his truck, he asked me to look in his glove compartment for a flashlight so he could look underneath the truck. When I opened the glove compartment, instead of a flashlight, there was a ring box.”
When she turned around, Alvin was down on one knee! He said “he refused to let anything keep him from asking [her] to spend the rest of [her] life with him.”
So, Ebony immediately started crying and said yes! She says: “I will remember that birthday indefinitely… things didn’t go as he had planned for the day but ended better than ever.”
Wedding details…
The couple’s wedding style was an elegant black tie formal with fun touches, like sparkly Kate Spade Keds tennis shoes for Ebony and Black Panther socks for Alvin and his groomsman! They also implemented a color scheme of black, gold, and ivory.
For her dress, Ebony knew she “wanted to wear an elegant gown with uniqueness and lots of sparkle.” She got exactly that with her “2 in 1” dress with a removable train and a perfect amount of sparkle throughout the entire bodice.
Regarding her shopping experience, Ebony admits: “Being a plus size bride and shopping during a pandemic did cause some difficulties in finding “the one”.” She had tried on several dressed in stores, but finally found her perfect dress through an online bridal store that had a “try on at home” service.
Alvin, on the other hand, found his tuxedo jacket, pants, and accessories all in one visit to a local men’s formalwear store. He sported a white Calvin Klein tuxedo jacket with black accents to coordinate with her dress and incorporate their black tie formal theme.
The ceremony…
Favorite memory…
Ebony’s favorite memory was walking down the aisle to her handsome husband. “All of my nervousness and anxiety just vanished after I saw him.”
Alvin’s favorite moment was seeing Ebony walk down the aisle towards him.
Since they chose not to have a first look before the ceremony, the moment they first saw each other was extra special!
Cultural elements…
The couple incorporated culture into their wedding by jumping the broom.
Ebony and Alvin agree that “jumping the broom as the pronouncement of our marriage was very important…because it represented paying homage to our ancestors that only had this method as the symbolism of marriage during the times of slavery.”
The reception…
Advice for engaged couples…
Ebony says the most important thing is to “enjoy the engagement period and make decisions for your wedding together. No one else’s opinions should matter other than yours and your spouse.”
The day will fly by, so “embrace and take in as much of the wedding day as you can.” And no matter what, don’t sweat the little things!
She says: “There will be things that go wrong on your wedding day (ex. I left our marriage license at home), but do not let it stop you from enjoying and celebrating this important milestone in your life.”
Looking for more formal outdoor wedding inspiration?
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Vendors:
- Venue: The Gardens at Harmony @hgeventcenter
- Planning and Coordination: It’s Your Day! Weddings & Special Events @itsyourdayweddingsevents
- Photography and Video: David G. Studios @davidgstudios
- Floral & Decor: Olivia Ward Events @owevents
- Catering: Draper’s Catering of Memphis @draperscatering
- Wedding Cake: Abby Cakes @abby.cakes_
- DJ: Justin Slaughter
- Makeup Artists: Nadiya Atkins and Duhborah Wells
- Photo Booth: Iconic Photo Booths
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