Q&A with Bride, Marleka Johnson

Marleka Johnson will be tying the knot on August 27, 2011. Her and her fiance', Brian Greenhow, will be united in marriage at The Rose Garden, in Huntington Park, with many friends and family members to share in their special day. Let's take a quick peek into the couple's planning process!!!

Me: Are you planning a small or big wedding, and with how many guests?
Marleka: We are planning a fairly big wedding, with over 250 guests.

Me: What would you say has been the most stressful part of the planning process?
Marleka: Finance and fiance' go together way too good. We are trying to budget, but keep everything the way we want it.

Me: What would you say has been the least stressful part of the planning process?
Marleka: The least stressful was finding my dress. I went to one fitting and found my dress that same day. I also found my wedding planner easily.

Me: What are your wedding colors?
Marleka: The wedding colors are Watermelon & White, to go with the roses.

Me: What are you most looking forward to for your big day?
Marleka: We're both most looking forward to the exact moment we say "I do".

Me: Are you planning a honeymoon, and if so, to where?
Marleka: Yes we are. We haven't decided on a location yet, but either the Bahamas or Hawaii.

Congratulations Brian and Marleka, and good luck with everything to come!!!!!

My {predicted) Bridal Party

I know I've been away from the blog for quite some time, but it's just been a lot going on. Anyway, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and asked myself "If I was to get married tomorrow, who would be on my side of the bridal party?" Well, I have some amazing friends in my life whom I love dearly, as well as some family members I would probably want to be in it. Then I re-thought some things and actually, I don't want 20 or more bridesmaids!! It'll be a new day by the time I get down the aisle!!! And by the time I include my sister and the cousins that I LOVE so dearly and feel EXTREMELY close to, 20 or more bridesmaids is what I'll probably have. So, with that being said (and who knows... that thought will probably change when the time actually comes), my party would include the following people:
The only two there has never been any question about...
Amber Bennafield (maid of honor)
Carlina Tynes (matron of honor)
Bridesmaids...
Shawnay Mayers
Felicia Byrd
Shanee Jones
Kiearshay Monroe
Kia Watson
Danielle Turlington
Amber Wilkins
Lameisha Poole
Shaahida Lewis
Ar'Kera Mutz
Tashiana Cagle

Now, this is based on if I was to get married tomorrow. And even when the time finally comes, these are the people I still see being a part of it. However, who knows when the time will be, and who knows who I will form a special bond with by that time. So, it definitely isn't official. But these ladies listed all have a special part of my heart and all must share in that special day!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

I've been away from the blog for about a month because I've been so busy.

HOWEVER... I would like to wish NC couple Kelly and Thomas a HAPPY 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TODAY!!!!!

Last, but not least, I would be remiss if I failed to wish NY couple Tiffany and Stephen a late, but HAPPY... 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!! (Couple joined in marriage on March 1, 2008)

Shad Moss, do you take A'ra......

Yes! I once dreamed of marrying Lil Bow Wow! I was in love with that boy! Bounce with me... I'll bounce! Thank You.... you're welcome! Ghetto Girls... That's me! Take ya home... I'll go home with you! I was IN LOVE with that boy! And going to his concerts did not do anything but make me fall deeper in love with him. My walls were covered with posters of him. I had a portfolio that had all of his information in it. Also in the portfolio... were our wedding plans! Yes, I had our ENTIRE wedding planned out, except for the groomsmen because I had to wait for him to call me so he could give me the names. I even had our wedding program ready. Anyway, here's a sneak peek at what I had going on (and this is straight from my portfolio):
Front of Wedding program: A'ra Alston & Shad Moss
Date: March 9th (hadn't yet decided on a year, but that is his birthday)
Place: Miracle Temple Baptist Church
Colors: Baby blue, white, and silver
My dress: White, with a baby blue sash around the waist
Maid of Honor: Amber Bennafield (only thing that hasn't changed in life LOL!)
Pastor: Oh get this, Mason Betha! It was around the time rapper, Mase, had became a minister.
Oh I was so ready for my big day!!!! My best friend (Amber) and I would sit in my room for hours and plan our weddings (she was marrying Lil Romeo). Oh this was real!!! Real and serious! I am sorry to say, however, that the wedding was called off, because Lil Bow Wow decided he wanted to be in a relationship with R&B singer, Ciara. I can't believe I used to love her song "Goodies", not even knowing it was to MY man!
RIP A'ra Moss. LOL!

Double Love!

How did people feel about the double wedding on RichBride, PoorBride???

Brides Gone Crazy!!!

Remember that bride who wanted a cake of a vagina for her husband?? Ha!
Remember that bride who wanted her bridesmaids to wear the same perfume?? Ha!
Remember that bride who flipped on the nail tech because it was $30 to get her nails done?? Ha!
Remember that bride who had to clean up after her own wedding reception?? Ha!
Remember that bride who had a whistle to keep her "people" in order?? Ha!
Rememeber that bride who wanted her bridesmaids to spray-paint the grass?? Ha!
That's only a few of 'em! Bridezillas these days are off the hook when getting ready for their big day!!! And some of them still aren't happy after the wedding!

"It would take me a while to think of the favorite part of my wedding day considering I was hungover and cramping..." -LaJune

"So my wedding day wasn't exactly what I had planned it to be. I stressed and worked hard on a billion different things, only to have it washed away in the stinkin rain. I am definitely a believer in indoor weddings now..." -Lacy

"My favorite part of my wedding day was all the attention on me. It took 9 months to plan my wedding. The one thing I would change about my wedding is that I would have had a different hair/makeup artist..." -Melissa C. (You should have done a trial months before, girl)

"My wedding was craziness. All the drama and tragic events that happened the week of my wedding make it hard to really even remember the wedding day..." -Christina

And OH MY!!!! Some people are so unhappy that they completely neglected to answer the question about their favorite part of their wedding day.....

"I am a Biology pre-med student who also works in Hospitality Management here in NY. I'm originally from the Caribbean Island of Antigua but was raised on St. Thomas in the U.S Virgin Islands..." -Valique (Ummm, nice to meet you honey!)

Wedding No-No's for Guests

• Always RSVP (don't assume the couple knows you'll be there, unless you're in the bridal party
• If you arrive at the church during the procession, wait until the bride has made her way down the aisle before entering. And don't peek through the doors because you'll be in her photos. You should've been on time! Also, walk down an outside aisle when coming in late.
• Don't produce sound effects. TURN OFF or SILENCE your phones.
• Don't compare (out loud) the wedding you're attending to other weddings you've been to. It's about that bride and groom, not the bride and groom from last week or yesterday.
• Follow the dress code that has been set forth by the couple. If they say it's formal, don't wear jeans. If they say its casual, don't wear prom attire.
• Don't steal the show. The toast is not the time to let the newly married coupled know that they will be an aunt and an uncle. The wedding reception is not the time to propose to your girlfriend. Wait until the day after for all that.
• Don't bring up old things that may be embarassing to the bride or groom. Sure, it may add humor to the room, but check with them first just to be sure it's okay for you to share that particular story.
• A lot of times (especially with a large number of guests), the bride and groom will limit toasting either to each other, just to a maid of honor and best man, or either to the entire bridal party. However, if they do open it up to guests, keep it SHORT!!! It's appreciated and all, but no one wants to spend 3 hours listening to different words of wisdom, encouragement, and blessings when they can be dancing and enjoying the night!
• Do NOT try to share personal stories with the bride and groom all night and do NOT try to make plans for the following weekend. Talk to the new couple, congratulate them, compliment them, but remember they have other guests there too. It's "their" time, not "you all's" time.
• Of course, don't get DRUNK! Being able to enjoy an open bar is great, but if you know you can't control yourself when you drink a lot, know when to step away from the bar. Throwing up, having to be carried out, falling everywhere... is unacceptable! When you're out with the bride or groom for a regular night out, they may laugh at this behavior the next day. But when it happens on their wedding night, I'm sure they will not crack a smile, and neither will you when sober up.

Be Alert... because everyday I can think of more and more things that should not be done at a wedding ceremony or wedding reception. So I WILL be back with more (to keep you from embarassing yourself).