Hello! In just one short month, I'm going to be marrying my fiancé Brian; I’m so excited to be planning my wedding and even more excited to start my marriage with him. We met during a literature class in college and couldn’t be from more different backgrounds, cultures and ways of thinking. I’m Nigerian, he’s American. I want to be the star, he is content to let me shine. I want bold and loud, he says less is more. I like to plan ahead, he deals with issues as they arise.
We got engaged last November after three and a half years of dating. He proposed during a Story Corp recording session, and it was perfect. He came up with the idea because he knows that when I have something that means a lot to me, I cherish it. I have a recording of his proposal and I play it sometimes—you can listen to my proposal, too!
We will be getting married at a private estate in Atlanta and are having two weddings: a traditional Nigerian wedding and a "regular" wedding. We want both weddings to be a reflection of us and a celebration of our dedication to each other. One problem we encountered was picking a few key things that are "us" and not having too many details all over the place. I’m lucky because I have two days to spread the details over. We love bright colors, and although our Yoruba wedding will follow traditional African customs, we want our Americana reception to have a classic look and feel to it.
In my future posts, I’m going to talk about the all the moving parts that go into making a wedding work: the invitations, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and how I plan to incorporate all of these elements into two celebrations. I’m so glad I get to share this experience with other BG brides and can’t wait to read your stories and learn from you!
—Tolu Ogbechie
Tolu Ogbechie is a real bride who knows a thing or two about how to tell a story: she met fiancé Brian in a literature class at the University of Georgia and he popped the question in a StoryCorps session after three years of dating. They will be having two weddings in August 2011; a modern, American fête and a traditional Nigerian ceremony. This multicultural couple is planning a gray, orange, and white color scheme that will incorporate various elements from their backgrounds.
