Salena & Jonathan

from Black Bride Magazine: 2018 Winter Issue

Teceim & Ariel

Salena and Jonathan met on July 3, 2011 during a barbeque at Salena’s stepfather’s house. One of Salena’s high school friends introduced the pair. However, before actually meeting Jonathan, Salena’s friend told her that Jonathan would be a perfect husband. Turns out that friend was right, and they’ve been together for seven years.

Engagement Story

It was Thanksgiving of 2017, we were spending time with family when Jonathan asked me to go for a ride with him. I thought he wanted to go to the store or something, so I didn’t ask questions and we took the ride. We ended up at my stepfather’s house and he told me to look in the glove compartment. Inside, I found a card that read, “Here is where I attended a struggle cookout with a friend and the love story of Meeka and Popeye began.” I sat in the passenger seat wondering what was going on, but Jonathan told me to relax. He then drove to a friend’s house and told me to look under the seat. There I found another card which read, “Here is where I first uttered the romantic words, ‘Guess what, I love you.’” We then arrived back at our family’s home to celebrate with our loved ones. Maybe 10 minutes after we returned, he asked me to come into the living room.

As I walked into the room, his cousin dropped another card on the floor in front of me. This card read, “And here is where I humbly ask you to be my wife!” He opened the box and dropped to one knee. It was such an amazing and emotional moment. Of course, tears were in my eyes when I said yes! My son Donte, who was 10 at the time, was beyond excited and jumped up to hug Jonathan and I after my acceptance. Then Donte shouted, “Mom, do you like it? I picked out the ring!” Everyone laughed, and I told him I loved it.

The Proposal {His Story}

Family is very important to us. So, I knew proposing to her in front of her family during the holidays was the best option. I chose to do a scavenger hunt because I wanted us to relive those important moments within our relationship before asking her to be my wife. Everything went as planned! Although I was nervous, I knew I wanted to be her husband and love her for the rest of my days.

Q: What makes your love special?

A: We both agree that laughter is what makes our love special. We aren’t afraid to just have fun with each other and truly be ourselves. We’re also learning throughout this journey. Learning to be vulnerable, to love deeply, and spiritually. Our love is fearless and fun!

Q: What was the theme of your shoot?

A: Jonathan is Nigerian and from the Igbo tribe, so we chose to have an African themed engagement shoot.

Q: Were there any memorable moments during the shoot?

A: Jonathan and I were pretty awkward during our photo session, so it was weird for us. Our photographer, Aida, made us feel comfortable and not like we were mannequins. We laughed the entire time. Even Donte had a great time! Our personalities truly shined through and we absolutely loved our shoot.

Q: Have you started planning your wedding?

A: We were wed on September 6, 2018. Alicia from Ilé events was our planner. She listened to us and guided us without pressuring us with her own ideas. My uncle married us while our photographer Aida captured the day perfectly.

Our wedding day embraced Jonathan’s Nigerian roots with our entire bridal party wearing traditional Nigerian garb for the ceremony. The wedding took place at the Tides Estate in North Haledon, New Jersey, where the staff was truly kind and attentive to Jonathan and I as well as all of our guests.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?

A: Jonathan looked forward to us being introduced as husband and wife. I, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to see his face when I walked down the aisle.