Multicultural Wedding with Southern Charm in Charleston, SC

The morning of Brittany and Daku’s first date, Brittany fell ill.

She decided to call and cancel, but Daku, who she met on Match.com, sounded so warm and caring that she didn’t have the heart to do it. Showing up was one of the best decisions Brittany made. She was so impressed with Daku that she invited him to her family’s New Year’s brunch with hopes to make up for her illness during their date. In a surprise move, he said “Yes!” The next day he met her entire family!

Over time, their friendship and love deepened, and after two years of dating, Daku proposed to Brittany right outside of Victor’s Social Club — the very same place where the two had originally planned to have their first date!

Their multicultural wedding celebration mixed Brittany’s African-American and southern culture with Daku’s West African, Cameroonian heritage. The festivities started the Friday evening before the wedding, with a Cameroonian themed rehearsal dinner. The venue was decorated with African-themed décor, and guests wore traditional African attire, dined on Cameroonian food, and took part in traditional Cameroonian wedding festivities.

The next day for their American ceremony and reception, guests dined on traditional southern food, while the band, The Secrets, had guests dancing on their feet to traditional Funk, Jazz, Soul, and R&B. They even had Charleston, SC Mayor Tecklenburg join the band in playing Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” on the keyboard. The reception concluded with a money spray- a Yorùbá and Igbo tradition also practiced in African American wedding receptions.

See all of the beautiful details below.

Full names of couple: Brittany Mathis, JD and Daku Siewe, MD
Occupations: Daku- Radiologist/ Brittany- Nonprofit Professional
Wedding date: 11/23/2019
Wedding location: Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC

Quick Facts

Ceremony entrance song: Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “September”
First dance song: Leon Bridges’ “Coming Home.”

How did you meet?

Brittany Mathis and Daku Siewe met on Match.com. The two begin chatting and decided to have their first date on New Year’s Eve at Victor’s Social Club. The morning of their date, Brittany fell ill and debated about whether or not to cancel. She decided to call and cancel, but the man on the end of the phone sounded so warm and caring that she didn’t have the heart to do it, and instead recommended a sushi spot in West Ashley that was close to where she lived. Unbeknownst to them, they would later discover that the two lived only 5 minutes apart from each other! At the end of the date, selflessly remorseful about being ill, Brittany politely asked if I would like to have New Year’s brunch with her family!

Even then, Daku knew that Brittany fully expected him to refuse. Most sensible people would not put themselves in such a precarious situation so early, but for some reason he accepted, and the next day he met her entire family! Over time, their friendship, mutual trust, and love had grown and deepened, and after two years of dating, Daku proposed to Brittany right outside of Victor’s Social Club — the very same place where the two had originally planned to have their first date!

The Proposal

The proposal that Saturday evening on November 30, 2018 almost didn’t happen as Brittany had a weekend work fundraising event that was draining her, and she couldn’t understand why her boyfriend of two years was so adamant about going to Vincent Chicco’s that night- a restaurant that neither one of them had ever dined at before. Brittany became suspicious and called one of her close friends, Karen Brinson Bell, to vent her frustration and inquire as to whether Daku was up to something. Karen eased her suspicions by stating that Daku was just a wonderful boyfriend that wanted to congratulate her on what would likely be another successful library fundraising event that she had planned, and celebrate by taking her out to dinner. Brittany in turn felt silly for not appreciating Daku’s sweet gesture and after her event, met Daku at Vincent Chico’s. The food was delicious and during the dinner, Daku explained he understood that she was tired but he just wanted to do something special for her. After dinner, the two walked outside and Daku mentioned that they were right next door to Victor’s Social Club- the very spot where their original first date was supposed to be held. Brittany suggested that they have a drink inside Victor’s Social Club (Daku was aware that Brittany would suggest this). The atmosphere was really nice and the two of them shared laughs about their time together thus far.

As they exited Victor’s Social Club, Brittany could see her friend Karen and her husband walking towards them. What a surprise! Brittany walked up to them and gave them both a big hug (Daku was aware that she would do this). As Brittany finished greeting her friends, Karen asked Brittany to turn around and when she did, there was Daku kneeling in front of Victor’s Social Club — the very same place where the two had originally planned to have their first date asking her to marry him.

Wedding Style

From the outset, Brittany and Daku wanted a relaxed, elegant affair that celebrated their different cultures and delivered good food, good wine, and dancing. Since Charleston, SC is where the two met and fell in love, they decided to host their wedding celebration there, and determined early on that The Gibbes Museum in downtown Charleston, SC was the perfect fit.

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?

The Friday evening before the wedding, the couple highlighted Daku’s West African heritage by hosting a Cameroonian themed rehearsal dinner at The Room. The venue was decorated with African-themed décor, guests wore traditional African attire, dined on Cameroonian food (including kola nuts, a must-have at every Cameroonian wedding), and took part in a traditional Cameroonian wedding festivities. Richard Bell Photography was there to capture the celebration, as the bride and groom and their closest family and friends danced to contemporary West African music.

The Room on Meeting Street prepared the traditional Cameroonian food. The guests dines on Lemon Pepper Baked Mahi, Suya Chicken (Suya is a spicy meat skewer which is a popular food item in West Africa), Fried Plantains, and Jollof Rice (Jollof rice is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries. The classic version is cooked with long-grain rice and seasoned with Nigerian-style curry powder and dried thyme.) For dessert, guests enjoyed puff puff balls (a yummy doughnut-like dessert) and chin chin (a West African Fried pastry)