Tempora and Keenan’s Juneteenth wedding in the French Quarter was absolute magic! They celebrated their love NOLA style, complete with a joyous second line parade, gorgeous personalized umbrellas, and a beautiful Fleur de Lis cake!
The couple knew of each other for almost their entire lives but didn’t officially meet until Tempora started at the same college that Keenan attended. Shortly after Keenan smoothly acquired Tempora’s number, the future couple went on their first date! They grabbed Sonic and sat in Keenan’s car, talking until the sun began to rise.
Since then, it’s been one hell of a ride. They stuck together in unconditional love through great wins and devastating losses, seeing each other graduate school, start careers, adjust to life, and gain/lose loved ones along the way.
Keenan surprised Tempora by casually purposing while they were getting ready for a Jay-Z concert. Tempora was so shocked that she nearly knocked the ring out of his hand!
For their big day, they incorporated Black, Creole Louisiana, and HBCU marching band cultures, making their wedding unique and personal. They had the time of their lives celebrating their love with family and friends!
See the beautiful details below!
- Couple: Tempora and Keenan
- Occupations: Veterinarian | AT&T National Business Client Solutions Executive
- Wedding Date: Juneteenth 2021
- Wedding Location: Outdoor Courtyard of the W New Orleans – French Quarter (Marriott) in New Orleans, LA
How did you meet?
It’s hard to say how we met. We knew of each other our whole lives (literally). Our families all grew up around each other in the same Louisiana town(s).
Keenan recalls seeing Tempora at a talent show. She was in the 6th grade, and he was in the 9th. Tempora played multiple musical instruments, with her mom and brother accompanying her. Keenan, who is also a musician, was impressed, watching her go from piano to violin, to base guitar, to alto and soprano saxophone. He recalls hearing a strong voice say “my son, take heed—this will be your wife.” He brushed off the thought, because, well, DUH. #Weird #NoPuppyLoveHereBih
A little later on…
Flash forward to Tempora’s sophomore year in high school: She remembers seeing Keenan at OHS gymnasium, as she watched her older cousin play in a basketball tournament. She distinctly remembers this cute “redbone” walking into the gym, wearing his “Juke” (i.e., a special type of jacket one purchases after completing their first season in Southern University’s Human Jukebox Marching Band.) She saw him again that summer when she participated in the college’s high school band camp.
Tempora and Keenan first spoke her senior year of high school, right before the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade that started at the North Park. (She was drum majorette at the time.) Brandon Levier AKA Oompa Loompa, a friend and fellow college bandsman of Keenan’s (and someone who marched with Tempora in high school) called Keenan over to him. Brandon introduced Keenan to Tempora and told him, “She’ll be heading to the Jukebox this summer.”
The first date…
Things began to change in Summer 2004 when Tempora arrived at Southern University as a freshman preparing for freshmen band camp, nostalgically known as “Camp J” at the time. This is where they would officially meet. According to Keenan, he asked for Tempora’s phone number to make sure the crew from Opelousas stayed in touch and helped each other out. If you ask Tempora, she’d say that was a front for getting her number (because he stopped gathering phone numbers after he got hers.) Tempora would also say she didn’t get anyone else’s phone number either!
Their first date happened at the Sonic Drive-In on Harding Blvd. Tempora couldn’t have a car on campus as a freshman, so Keenan offered to grab food. Tempora suggested that they eat in the car and they sat and talked until the wee hours of the morning, listening to John Legend’s “Ordinary People” album. Since then, it’s been one hell of a ride. They stuck together in unconditional love through great wins and devastating losses, seeing each other graduate school, start careers, adjust to life, and gain/lose loved ones along the way.
Tell us all about the proposal
Keenan is a Jay-Z fan and Tempora is an active member of the Bey-Hive since they were in college; so it was only right that Keenan secretly chose the New Orleans leg of the On the Run II tour (on September 13, 2018) to pop the question. The day is also the anniversary of her grandmother’s death a few years prior, so Keenan wanted to balance that date with a happy memory.
Tempora had trouble finding the accessories for her outfit as they were getting dressed for the concert. Keenan suggested a ring for her left ring finger, and Tempora (in pure Tempora form), started joking about pretending to be married for a day to wear her costume jewelry on “that finger”. In the midst of the trash talk, Keenan pulled out an engagement ring and Tempora was so shocked, she almost knocked the ring out of his hand (gently smacking his shoulder in the process)!! SHE SAID YES and proceeded to walk around Crescent City with her new fianc-bae for the rest of the night.
Wedding Style
For our garden-themed wedding ceremony in the outdoor courtyard, I wore a romantic ivory, laced, beaded fit-and-flare mermaid Essence of Australia gown with a subtly-sheer bodice, silver-glitter tulle, double-scalloped train, and plunging V-neck. I matched it with a bead-fringed veil and wore drop rhinestone earrings, a rhinestone bracelet, a silver cross necklace (gifted to me by my husband a few minutes before the wedding), and a matching diamond stack on my right hand with Badgley Mischka heels (and sparkly flats). I wore my natural, wavy hair accentuated with a glamorous feather/rhinestone hairpin. For the reception, I switched to a little black fringe dress.
My husband wore two custom-made tuxedos. For the ceremony, he donned a unique Ivory Satin jacket with black floral accents, full black velvet collar/lapels, large classic black velvet bowtie, and black velvet vest with black trousers and designer dress shoes. For the reception, he switched to a deep red satin jacket with damask print, black velvet lapels, and a black velvet vest. He wore silver bracelets and diamond stud earrings with both outfits.
Wedding Shopping Experience
For my husband, Keenan: He’s a SHOPPER. He fully enjoyed the custom suit experience provided by his vendor and was especially excited about the unique designs and patterns created just for him. He had multiple fittings (including with his best man and one groom), and the vendor really took the time to cater to their needs. In his words, “there’s nothing like wanting to dress your best on your best day with the best fabrics.”
For me: I hate shopping for clothes (and I suck at matching colors.) I visited one local bridal boutique by myself (pre-pandemic) with no particular designers in mind—just vibes. After trying on three dresses, I said yes to the third one and ended up snatching a hairpin and a veil during one of my fittings. That’s it! I had a great time with the stylist, who understood my stress level and made me feel at ease. My mom (also my matron of honor) face timed me when she was shopping for her dress, and we had a great time.
For both of us: Ordering things online (gift bags, etc) was STRESSFUL considering supply chain issues, but we thank all our vendors for making the overall shopping experience worthwhile.
Culture
Yes, we incorporated Black, Creole Louisiana, and HBCU marching band cultures into the wedding. We both were born and raised in Louisiana, played in college marching band (where we started dating), and our families all passed through New Orleans. For starters, we got married on Juneteenth for the culture on general principle. (After our original June 13, 2020, date in Washington, DC, was canceled due to COVID19 restrictions and we saw Juneteenth 2021 fell on a Saturday, we went for it. It ended up being declared an official holiday only days before our wedding!)
To add razzle-dazzle, our hashtag was #LaissezLesBroussardsRouler, and we had the wedding in an outdoor courtyard in the middle of the French Quarter. We also jumped a “gold broom” and ate Louisiana-inspired dishes. Our wedding cake came from a famous N.O. bakery, Haydel’s bakery, and there were gold Fleur de Lis designs on it.
The second lining
You already know there was a second lining involved! My homie set up a second-line band and ended up surprising us with some of our close friends and high school/college bandmates. We didn’t see who the bandsmen were until we turned around to jump the broom, and my homie handed my dad one of their hats so he could lead the way. (My Dad always followed the Zulu Indians during the Mardi Gras parade, so not only did he walk me down the aisle, he led his own second line.)
In addition, the cultural logistics coordinator handmade personalized second-line umbrellas to make sure we did it right. (Mine reflected AKA colors, and my husband’s reflected New Orleans Saints.) To add icing to the cake, the band played two songs we all played with the Human Jukebox (Bourbon Street Parade and Do Whatcha Wanna). We all did the choreography we used to do. I even had special handkerchiefs with our hashtag and a drawing of a wedding second line on it made so everyone could wave it (and wipe sweat too.)
Last (but not least), it was HURRICANE SEASON, and there was a tropical storm brewing the day of the wedding. With help from the ancestors, the storm “went the other way” the morning of our big day, and we had clear blue skies (and clean streets) for the festivities. (The rain kicked back up the next day.) #TrueStory
What is your best memory from your wedding?
I covered this in the “culture” question above, but second lining with our family on the streets of the French Quarter with our umbrellas and hankies (and having the public join in on the festivities under a tropical-storm-free sky) was the highlight of the wedding, hands down! We’ve gone to (and marched in) so many parades growing up, and it was truly a special moment having our own parade with the ones we love (in person and ancestral.) In addition, having our Pastor travel to officiate meant the world to us.
Vendors
- Wedding Venue: The W New Orleans French Quarter
- Photo/Video: Chip Dizard Washington D.C. Wedding Photographer | Chip Dizard
& Crystal https://www.instagram.com/photosnapsbykrisb/ - Makeup: Jennifer Thorpe Beauty
- Engagement Shoot location: Creative Saints Loft
- Day of Coordinator: Brooke Alexandra Inc.
- Wedding Cake & Desserts: Haydel’s Bakery
- Wedding Dress: Ellie’s Bridal (Designer—Essence of Australia)
- Tux: Miguel Wilson Collection
- Flowers/décor: Leaf + Petal | New Orleans
- Second Line Band: DPlay
- Photobooth: 24K Photobooth
- DJ: DJ Aktright (Ditty Boo Records)
- Cultural Logistics Coordinator: Rose Bratcher
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