Jasmine and Criston’s elegant affair was the wedding of her dreams. She’d envisioned an enchanted vintage dream, complete with elaborate florals and impeccable design. The wedding was housed at the Chateau Polonez in Houston, TX, an exquisite location to say the least. Beauty radiated throughout the ceremony and reception spaces. Guests were ushered into the ceremony space by the melodic sounds of the string quartet provided by Divisi Strings, LLC. “The ceremony took place in an outside courtyard area that featured a wood-burning fireplace at its center. Four towering double-halo floral arrangements with tea light bulbs cascading down from their stature lined the center aisle,” Jasmine describes.
Inside the grand ballroom, the reception was illuminated by champagne and ivory hues. Hollywood glamour danced about as a black and white motif clothed the 40 ft dinner style table. Black candelabras sat at the center of the table, appropriately staged for the luxe theme. “Each guest table featured either a towering vintage candelabra wrapped in an arrangement of babies breaths or a silver set of candle holders with a beautiful arrangement of hydrangeas, roses, and babies featured in an elevated revere bowl. Gorgeous champagne and ivory striped linens and flat rosette linens draped all of the round tables in the room,” Jasmine describes further.
Take a look at Jasmine and Criston’s gorgeous vintage dream wedding in Houston. Photography by Lulu Lopez Photography.
Quick Facts
Favorite item on wedding menu – Chipotle Flank Steak Roulade
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Gifts – Bridesmaids: Custom embroidered satin robes, Groomsmen: Engraved flasks
First dance song – “Fall For You” by Leela James
Bride: Jasmine Carrie – Chemist
Groom: Criston Okoli – Engineer
Wedding date: 01/25/2015
Wedding location: Houston, TX
Tell us all about the proposal!
One day in May 2011, Cris surprised me with a secret weekend getaway to a location unknown to me. He picked me up from work with our bags packed and said he was taking me out of town. We drove all day and night until we ended up at our final destination of Hot Springs, AR where we checked into a hotel.
The next morning we woke up, ventured into the town to see the natural springs, a wax museum, and a guided boat tour of the lake. Later that day, Cris told me to dress to impress because he wanted to take me to a really nice restaurant for dinner. We went to a fancy Italian restaurant and had a nice, romantic dinner. Afterwards, Cris told me that he had one more surprise for me. We got back in the car and Cris drove to a nearby lake where there were Memorial Day fireworks going off. He parked the car and we went to shoreline and started watching the show. Cris said he forgot the camera in the car and when he came back he handed me a book that was titled “The Story of Us: Cris & Jasmine.” It had both of our names written on it and it included pages and pages of pictures of us throughout various stages in our relationship and all of the events and trips we had taken together since 2007. The last pages read “We’ve done so many things together but there’s one more thing to make The Story of Us complete….Jasmine Monique Carrie…Will you marry me?” When I read the last page I turned around to Cris, who was already down on one knee. He reached for my hand and said:
“Jasmine, I wanted to make this book for you to show you all of the great memories we’ve made together in such a short time. We’ve laughed, taken vacations, and gone to various events together. This book just represents our time together so far. And if you’ll be my wife, I can’t wait to fill an entire library full of these memory books with you. So Jasmine, will you marry me?”
Then I worked up the nerve to finally say yes. At this point, I was crying, Cris is crying, and there is a complete uproar of applause from the other people at the lake who are no longer watching the fireworks but instead watching an important moment in our lives transpire. We hug, kiss, and wipe away each others tears of joy and continued to watch the fireworks as a newly engaged couple.
Describe your wedding gown. How was your dress shopping experience?My dress was a beautiful Ysa Makino one-strap, ivory, mermaid shaped dress. It was amazingly embroidered with bling from the top all throughout the skirt of the dress. The one-strap had such a big flair too it that it was its own statement piece. Shopping for my wedding dress was surprisingly easy. I actually found my wedding dress as I was shopping by myself. The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew it was the one. And then the moment I tried it on, I was absolutely sold on it. So much so that I immediately stopped shopping for wedding dresses. I invited my husband’s family along with my mother to accompany me for the final wedding dress fitting and everyone was absolutely floored.
What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
The most memorable aspect of my wedding was the ceremony. My father passed away in 2012 and there was a seat reserved in the front row with a picture of my father and a lit candle to honor him. Instead of my father walking me down the aisle, I walked halfway, and my future husband Cris, walked down to escort me down the remainder of the aisle.
How was culture incorporated in your wedding day?
During the second half of the reception we hosted a traditional Nigerian reception where Cris and I and all of the Cris’ family re-entered the reception hall donning beautiful blue and gold Nigerian Traditional attire. The family encircled us and prayed blessings over our marriage and wished us nothing but wellness and prosperity. The Nigerian celebration was a great hit and we really enjoyed showing people some aspects of a traditional Nigerian wedding reception. The most memorable part of the Nigerian reception was when Cris’ father and uncles wished numerous blessings on our new marriage. But then they also prayed over my womb multiple times for us to have a baby in front of everybody!
What advice would you give to our brides-to-be?
I would say to just sit back and relax. At this point, you’ve planned the best you could and more often than not, things are going to go just fine. Take in every single moment, remove all distractions, and just focus on what the true meaning of the day is.
Vendors
Venue: Chateau Polonez
Event Planning + Design: Jane Deux
Décor & Floral Design: Darryl & Co.
Head Piece + Jewelry: Bo & Luca
Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Dress: Ysa Makino
Tuxedo: Bengjof Couture
Music: Divisi Strings
DJ: DJ That Boy Be Jammin’
Cake: Cakes by Gina
Dessert: Chocolate Fountain Express
Candy Bar: Sugar Bunch Creations
Photography: Lulu Lopez Photography
Videography: Luxe Films Houston
Lighting: LG Entertainment
Transportation: Monarch British Limousines
Hair & Makeup: Double Dutch Inc.
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