Samantha and Samuel met as students in university. Their friendship blossomed into a love that brought together two nations and cultures. They wed on a warm summer day at the Atkinson Country Club in Atkinson, NH before their loved ones. Their ceremony and reception included traditions from the Congolese and Ugandan cultures. See a few images from their wedding below, shot by Jordan Sekatawa.
Terrence and Laeticia met in June 2015 at an Afrobeat event in New York City. Laeticia was interning for a fashion designer company while Terrence was working in the banking industry. He proposed 2 years later during a trip to New Orleans for the Essence Festival. They took a jazz cruise in the Mississippi River and had dinner on the boat. At the end of the night, Terrence got on one knee and asked Laeticia to marry him.
Laeticia knew what she wanted. Glamour. Vintage. Elegant. Sophisticated. Timeless. It was our pleasure to deliver. From finding vendors like Alisha Simone who flawlessly styled the room to coordinating with the venue Lucien’s Manor. Every bride should be in awe when they walk into their wedding. Enjoy the pictures beautifully captured by HAK Weddings.
The ceremony was full of joy! In a quick 20 minute ceremony the pastor delivered a powerful exhortation and the couple lavished words of appreciation and devotion to one another. It was an unplugged ceremony, which allowed the guests to focus on this important part of the day and also kept them out of the photographers way.
They had a super fun and memorable reception. One of the best parts of the night was the speeches (yes, speeches!) They were sweet and emotional yet comical and inspirational. Terrence’s grandmother gave a speech that was funny yet set the atmosphere for the merging of the 2 families, which is part of what marriage does. The dancing portion kicked off with a soul train line dance-off to determine who has better dancers between Congo and Cote D’Ivoire. Who do you think were the better dancers? 😉
“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”.
When Harry Met Sally
Never underestimate the power of a hookup. For Fabrice, when he took the trip to Canada to handle some family business, what he did not expect was that it would also open up the door to his forever love. While in Canada, his aunt started telling him about a special girl that would be great for him. The girl lived in New Hampshire and he in Texas. However, his aunt spoke so highly of that girl that he decided to contact her, and that was the beginning of a special friendship and love story.
Fabrice and Felly got engaged in April 2020 and decided to get married that same year. They had a clear vision of what they wanted for their wedding day — an outdoor ceremony, lots of dancing, and VIP treatment for their guests. They were specifically looking for an African wedding planner in the Boston area who would understand their specific needs, and they booked our “Total Ease” Partial Planning Package because they wanted to be hands-on in planning their wedding but realized that they needed guidance and a professional to help them stay on track.
Planning a wedding during a pandemic was not without challenges. One month before their wedding they had to find a new venue and change the date. Upon finding a new venue, my focus became to get well acquainted with the COVID-19 state guidelines, as well as the specific safety measures being taken by their new venue. I worked around those to create a wedding day timeline that reflected what they wanted. I also worked closely with the venue and with the other vendors to ensure that all vendors understood the plan for the day and were on the same page. It was a fun evening full of dancing and laughter.
Planning & Coordination: A Peace of Cake Event Planning
Photographer: Kevin Bravo
Decoration:⠀Be Creative Decor⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
DJ: DJ Kunta
Venue: Radisson Hotel Nashua⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Wedding vendors are the professionals who provide goods or services for the wedding day. There are many types of vendors, including the venue, officiant, decorator, hair stylist, DJ, invitations, caterer, etc. No matter how large or small the wedding, vendors will be needed to fulfill important tasks. Your vendor team is crucial in executing your special day according to your vision for your wedding day. Therefore, one of the most important parts of wedding planning is building your vendor team. Below we have compiled a list of ways you can find wedding vendors:
1. Ask for referrals.
Think of the weddings and events that you have attended… did the decorations capture your eyes? Did you enjoy the DJ? Ask people you know who recently got married about vendors referrals. In addition to the name and contact information of the vendor, ask also about their experience working with that vendor. What the vendor did well, what they could have done better, how responsive they were, etc. Be mindful to still do your research. People’s styles and personalities are different so your friend’s experience will not necessarily be yours.
2. Google search.
Utilize Google to search for the vendor(s) that you need. You can make that search as specific as you’d like, ex: “Boston natural hair stylist” or “African caterer near Lowell, MA”. Make use of Google’s reviews feature to read on people’s experience with those vendors. In addition to Google, Yelp is also a useful site for finding vendors, viewing pictures of their work, and reading feedback from their past clients.
Social media provides the awesome ability to view a wide range work from and interact with potential vendors. However, social media is also inundated with pictures and videos. To help with that, Follow hashtags relevant to what you need (ex: #Bostonfloraldesigner) to see posts from those vendors directly on your timeline. Make the hashtag as specific as possible to focus your search. Once you see work that you like from a particular vendor, consider following that particular vendor on social media to see more of their work and to learn more about their style.
4. Wedding marketplace
Wedding marketplaces (or directories) were created to facilitate the wedding planning process for couples, including the process of finding vendors. Utilize the marketplace to not only look for vendors but also to look at their ratings, to read reviews, etc. Popular wedding marketplaces include: the Knot and WeddingWire. There are also specialized marketplaces like Munaluchi Bridal, which focuses on multicultural weddings.
5. Wedding expo
A wedding expo (or fair) is an exposition of different wedding vendors. They contain a range of vendors and a couple of vendors in each category. They also contain different types of shows (ex: fashion show, live band), and they are great for generating ideas for the wedding. Because these are in person, they are interactive, allowing you to see, feel, touch, and taste, and also to determine whether you “click” with a particular vendor. They are also something fun to do with loved ones or the bridal party.
One of the advantages of hiring a wedding planner is getting access to their network of vendors. Wedding planners are constantly working to become aware of the different vendors around. They will work with you to understand your vision. From experience, they will know (or will look into) vendors that best match your style and vision and that are also reliable and operate their business with excellence.
Beyond helping find vendors, your wedding planner will assist you in the process of booking your vendors and will help you review contracts. They will act as liaison between you and your vendors. They will help schedule vendor meetings and will attend them with you. Throughout the planning process they will maintain communication with the vendors to make sure things are carried out as contracted and as scheduled. Your wedding planner will also oversee all the vendors on your wedding day.
If you need a wedding planner, we would love to speak to you more about how we can serve you. At A Peace Of Cake Event Planning, our mission is to make the wedding planning process easy for couples, allowing them to enjoy the planning and their wedding day. We would love to talk to you more at our free 1-hour consultation. Contact us today!
We want to hear from you!
Which of these tips were most helpful to you in finding vendors? Is there one that you would like to add to the list? Let us know! Happy planning!
~Laetitia
Happy New Year to you!
I started this year with only one resolution, which is to cultivate my relationships with loved ones. This has always been important to me. I have always appreciated my family and friends and cherished my time with them and the special moments that we share. However, over the last few years the busyness of life hasn’t allowed me to always be fully present.
The year 2020 taught me anew to maximize special moments and to cherish those moments. You just never know when you can get it again. Creating memories may look different today while we are still in the thick of the pandemic. However, I challenge you all to join me this year in looking for ways to cultivate relationships with loved ones. Find ways to make them feel cherished, to celebrate their achievements (and yours too), to commemorate milestones, and to maximize moments. As you share special moments, I encourage you to make sure that you are fully present.
With love,
Laetitia
