Modern couple ties the knot on Juneteenth at the Bradford in Raleigh, North Carolina, reminding their guests that love has always been the center of black excellence.
McKenzie and Joseph (Joe) Green said “I do” in an extra meaningful way. The couple decided to wed on June 19th (a.k.a Juneteenth) to not only celebrate their love but also to recognize and honor this special day of Black freedom.
Tying the knot on Juneteenth, McKenzie decided early on that she wanted to be a natural hair bride. McKenzie admits that the choice was not only for Joe (who loves her curls!), but also because “…it felt really important to celebrate and honor my natural hair.”
To further acknowledge their roots, the couple decided to jump the broom at their ceremony. It was a beautiful moment filled with pure joy! Surrounded by friends and family, a lively reception followed in the Bradford’s newly renovated grand ballroom with the couple’s green and gold color-theme flowing throughout the day in everything from their DIY floral arch at their ceremony (made by McKenzie, herself!) and their bridesmaid dresses.
From their meaningful wedding date to honoring traditions and simply having a great time, the Green’s admit their wedding was truly “perfect!”
More sweet details on their love story below!
- Couple: McKenzie & Joseph Green
- Date of Wedding: June 19th, 2022
- Location: The Bradford in Raleigh, North Carolina
The bride…
How they met…
We met while attending college in Richmond, Virginia. Joe was in school at Virginia Union University and claims to have “met” me (I was attending Virginia Commonwealth University) at several parties before he DM’d me (somewhat relentlessly) on Instagram. I finally responded to Joe and after a few days of playful chatting, we went on our first date on December 28th, 2016. We’ve been inseparable ever since!
Wedding theme…
Our last name is “Green” so we both decided on the green and gold color scheme! We also brought in warm hints of peach and blush through our florals. It felt unique to what we had seen other couples do in the previous years and really complimented the natural landscape of our venue. Building on that color palette and the aesthetics of our venue, we loosely defined our theme as an “Enchanted Garden”.
The groom…
First look…
Wedding attire & shopping experience…
McKenzie: I knew I wanted to be a natural hair bride for a lot of reasons, but especially because Joe loves my hair naturally curly. We also got married on Juneteenth, so it felt really important to celebrate and honor my natural hair. With that decision down, I knew I wanted a dress that complimented my crown.
I honestly had such a…. interesting shopping experience and somehow ended up with 2 dresses!
I initially found what I thought was the “perfect” dress in November of 2021. It was a beautiful mermaid gown from Kitty Chen’s Couture line. It arrived in January 2022 and it fit fairly well but, like most gowns, would require alterations to fit just right.
Unfortunately, I was very active in the gym from January through April and I lost quite a bit of weight, which resulted in the dress not fitting as I expected. I went through alterations as a seamstress assured me she could get it back to the original look but 2 weeks before the wedding, I realized it wouldn’t be the “right” dress.
I ran (sprinted) to the closest David’s Bridal and decided I’d have to make something off the rack work. Luckily, I found a beautiful lace appliqué mermaid strapless dress that I felt just as beautiful in and it required zero alterations. The color was even a SLIGHT blush on ivory, which I NEVER would’ve imagined myself wearing but I added a matching ivory veil and I truly did love the final wedding day look.
Joe: We both decided on the green and gold color scheme. We thought it would be a nice play on our last name “Green”. I knew I did not want to have an ordinary black tux for myself or the groomsmen. So it was “go big or go home” on the green team suits.
A big thank you to Tom from ECE Menswear in Raleigh, NC. He helped bring my ideas to life. We spent a lot of time coming up with a custom suit for myself and great suits for the groomsmen not only to wear for the day but that they can wear for other occasions as well.
My suit was an all-green jacket and pants with a subtle detailed floral design on the outside and a dazzling floral design on the inner lining.
Close to the inside-out jacket on The Fresh Prince of bel air. Leave Your Legacy is mine and McKenzie’s motto. It’s my IG name and McKenzie has it tatted on her forearm. Tom had “Leave Your Legacy” stitched to the inside pocket. Along with our wedding date on the hem of my pant legs, just in case I forget (haha).
Tom paid attention to every detail, was extremely patient, and even shipped suits to the groomsmen who were out of state. They all love their suits as much as I love mine.
Decor & DIY details…
The Bradford defines itself as “A PLACE WHERE EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE MEETS APPROACHABLE LUXURY,” and we really gravitated towards that theme. Our wedding coordinator captured it perfectly when she said “Less is more with decor at The Bradford.” So that’s exactly what we went for.
Our ceremony was outside on their beautiful terrace which is placed directly in front of a side garden and beautiful tree line. All we added was a floral arch (which I hand-made with florals from Ling’s Moment). Florals were less central in our overall style and we used silk florals for almost everything
The reception was inside the Bradford’s newly renovated grand ballroom that has beautiful chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open floor plan.
We went with white linens, beige napkins, sage table runners, and gold silverware for a minimal but elegant look! We also had all of the tables loaded with candles to bring in more of that romantic touch.
Jumping the broom…
Favorite wedding day memories…
Joe: My best memory from the wedding day is literally everything. It was perfect. The day was filled with so much love and fun. Nothing went wrong and everyone had a great time. Although a lot of people had never seen each other before it felt like we were all one big family, from the wedding party to the guests, to the vendors. The food was amazing, the DJ had everyone dancing the whole time, and the photographers captured every moment seamlessly. Truly the best day ever.
McKenzie: I echo everything Joe said! Weddings are notoriously stressful to plan and they typically never go “perfectly” but ours truly did. We still praise God to this day that he blessed us with such a “perfect” wedding!
Advice for other engaged couples…
1. Get a PRIVATE Day-of-Coordinator (this doesn’t include one your venue may provide).
2. Communicate and compromise with one another
3. Remember your core values because your wedding is special, but the days, months, and years you spend together after are even more important. Don’t lose sight of that!
Looking for more modern green and gold weddings?
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Vendors:
- Photographer: Optikool illusions
- Videography: Optikool illusions
- Venue: The Bradford
- Coordinator: Chestnut and Vine Weddings
- Officiant: Tie the Knot with Torri
- DJ: DJ King Cise
- MakeUp: Facing Paris B
- Rentals/Linens: CE Rentals Raleigh
- Catering: Cook Shack Catering
- Photobook: Zim Zoom Photobooth
- Menswear: ECE Menswear
- Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal
- Bridesmaids Dresses: Mumu Weddings
- DIY Flower Kit: Ling’s Moment
The Juneteenth 2022, wedding were a flawless and well executed event. That day is recorded as one of the most beautiful and extraodinaire days of my life.
Maybthe Bride and groom experience nothing but bliss throughout their marriage forevermore.