KATHERINE & SEUN’S WEDDING November 1st, 2014
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THE MC: CYNTHIA, AND UCHENNA
CYNTHIA GREETS THE GROOM’S FAMILY. 2
CYNTHIA GREETS MORE OF THE GROOM’S FAMILY.
CYNTHIA GREETS EVEN MORE OF THE GROOM’S FAMILY! 3
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THE GROOM’S SISTER, TAIYE, READS THE PROPOSAL LETTER.
CYNTHIA JOINS TAIYE AS SHE FINISHES READING THE LETTER. 7
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CYNTHIA READS THE ACCEPTANCE LETTER Traditionally, the groom’s family provides a Proposal Letter, a letter from the groom’s family to the bride’s family, requesting the bride’s hand in marriage. The bride’s family then responds with an Acceptance Letter, agreeing to the wedding.
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DISPLAYING FINANCIAL STABILITY In order for the groom to show he is financially capable of caring for his new wife, he provides one of each denomination of naira, from the least to the 12
greatest, and sets them on a plate. This is given as a gift to the bride’s family. Here, Ms. Bola accepts this gift on behalf of Katherine’s family. 13
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KATHERINE AND SEUN ENJOYING THEIR DAY TOGETHER
PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS COMMEMORATE THE DAY 15
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FATHER OF THE GROOM 20
MOTHER OF THE GROOM 21
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IN MICHIGAN, KATHERINE PREPARES HER HAIR WITH RAG CURLS
ALL SMILES AS THE LAST OF THE PREPARATION BEGINS 30
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MAKEUP GETS A SISTERLY TOUCH
Everyone in the family helped with the preparation for the wedding. From decorating the house, cooking the food, running the music, taking the photographs, to styling hair and makeup, everyone had a role to play in 34
EVERYONE HELPS OUT WITH KATHERINE’S HAIR!
Katherine and Seun’s special day: the Michigan version. Small, low-key and very intimate, everyone’s deep involvement made this a very personal celebration for the whole family. 35
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SEUN: MASTER CHEF How many grooms spend the morning of their wedding day preparing a feast of entrees for their guests? Katherine and Seun, along with some family help, prepared all the delicious food for the reception. The food was themed by location, featuring places Katherine and Seun had each called home: Nigeria, Mexico, and the United States.
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MIKE HELPS SEUN GET READY 40
THE GROOM IS ALL SMILES! 41
SHARED VOWS: KATHERINE I promise to support your freedom and independence while respecting our commitment to each other. I promise to always strive to meet your needs, and compromise when the need arises. I promise to nurture your goals and ambitions; to support you through misfortune, and celebrate your triumphs. I promise to persevere when times get tough, knowing that any challenges we might face, we will conquer them together. I promise to never take your actions, your love, or your presence in my life for granted.
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SHARED VOWS: SEUN I promise to respect, admire, and appreciate you for who you are, as well as for the person you wish to become. I promise to seek a deep understanding of your wishes, your desires, your fears, and your dreams. I promise to be there for you when you need me, whenever you need me. I promise to lives exciting, adventurous, and full of passion. I promise to treat you with compassion, especially in times of stress and hardship.
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“FIRST LOOK”
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DESIDERATA Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. 48
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EXCITED FOR THE UPCOMING CEREMONY
SHARING A LOVING MOMENT 50
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CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT? There’s a calm surrender to the rush of day When the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away An enchanted moment, and it sees me through It’s enough for this restless warrior just to be with you And can you feel the love tonight? It is where we are It’s enough for this wide-eyed wanderer That we got this far And can you feel the love tonight? How it’s laid to rest It’s enough to make kings and vagabonds Believe the very best There’s a time for everyone if they only learn
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That the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn There’s a rhyme and reason to the wild outdoors When the heart of this star-crossed voyager beats in time with yours And can you feel the love tonight? It is where we are It’s enough for this wide-eyed wanderer That we got this far And can you feel the love tonight? How it’s laid to rest It’s enough to make kings and vagabonds Believe the very best It’s enough to make kings and vagabonds Believe the very best
ALWAYS SERIOUS. Or not - having a great sense of humor is important in any relationship, and something Kathy and Seun share.
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WHAT A HANDSOME COUPLE!
CATCHING KATHERINE’S VEIL AS IT BLOWS IN THE WIND 58
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KATHERINE & SEUN WITH MOM & DAD
LOVE - THROUGH THE GENERATIONS 66
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CEREMONY SITE - THE DETROIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM Katherine and Seun chose the Detroit Historial Museum for their ceremony location, getting married in the “Streets of Detroit� exhibit on the lower floor. Constructed as a street front with period-appropriate props, shops, and some wax figurines, the exhibit progresses through the ages. It created a beautiful and romantic backdrop for their ceremony.
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AUNT MARJORIE, AUNT DIANE, LING, AND LING’S MOM
COUSIN MIKE AND BABY PENNY 74
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KATHERINE AND BABY PENNY
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CHARLOTTE ANDREW
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THE OFFICIANT: WILLIAM JENTZEN Uncle Bill presided over the ceremony, bringing a delightful balance of humor and serious reflection while telling the bride and groom’s story. Fellow family 78
members teased Bill before the ceremony started, asking, “Are we allowed to heckle the officiant at a wedding?� 79
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THE WAITING BRIDE “Here’s the not-so-standard variation of our story: girl grows up intelligent, articulate, kind-hearted, and more than a little stubborn. She decides she wants to use her talents in less-developed areas of the world, and so spends much of her teens living and working in such places as Nicaragua, Vietnam, China, and Mexico. Finally, after college, she travels to Nigeria, where she gets a job working in a Montessori school in Lagos.”
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THE CEREMONY BEGINS “There she meets a young man, an intelligent, polite, respectful man who works as a psychologist in that school. In his own quiet way, he is as determined to see more of the world as she is. At the age of 12, he made the decision to attend school all the way across his country. He not only left the security of his home, but he went to a region where he had to learn a new language. After school, his desire to expand his horizons takes him away from his hometown to Lagos, where he accepts a position at this school.�
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THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE Diane Marion, mother of the bride, was the organization and planning heart and soul of the wedding. As always, she helped make sure everything went as planned and was set up just right.
THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE Michael Marion, the father of the bride, was a huge help in preparing the Marion home for the wedding, and excited about the ceremony - but more than anything, was happy to have Katherine home in Michigan again!
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CHARLIE, LAURIE, & OTHER FAMILY AND FRIENDS
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“We do not create this union today, because it is not possible to create something which has existed for so long already. As many of you may know, Katherine and Seun have already had a traditional ceremony in Nigeria. Instead, the vows made today are intended to sustain this union, to fight for it when the need arises, and all the while, to develop it far beyond what was initially thought possible.�
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ALL I EVER REALLY NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN All of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school. These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Give them to someone who feels sad. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day. Take a nap every afternoon. Be aware of wonder. Remember in school, when you’d plant a little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. Katherine and Seun, today is the day when you choose to hold hands and stick together.
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LOVE WRITTEN IN TOMATO SOUP “I thought of the many ways that people traditionally express their love. They may do so with Valentine’s Day candy and bouquets of flowers and expensive jewelry. They may have a violinist come to their table at a fancy restaurant, or have their lover’s name skywritten across the clear blue sky. But this is the first time I have ever heard of true love written in tomato soup.”
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SEALING THE WINE BOX
WINE AND LOVE LETTERS - TO BE ENJOYED APRIL 12, 2015 98
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THE EXCHANGE OF RINGS “Katherine, I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.” “Seun, I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.”
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THE KISSING COUPLE “Katherine and Seun, you have made your marriage vows to one another, witnessed by your friends and family. So, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.�
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RECEPTION AT THE MARION RESIDENCE
BETTY, KURT & STEVEN - A RAUCUS TRIO 114
THE BRIDE’S TABLE
EVERYONE ENJOYING A GOOD MEAL 115
RED ROSES DECORATED THE HOUSEHOLD
GUESTS WERE ASKED TO SHARE ADVICE WITH KATHERINE & SEUN 116
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KATHERINE FEEDS SEUN
SEUN FEEDS KATHERINE 121
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SISTERS, SISTERS, THERE WERE NEVEER SUCH DEVOTED SISTERS! ...when a certain gentleman arrived from Nigeria... you know, we’ve sang that song many times together, but we’ve never tried to rhyme anything with “Nigeria” before! Katherine and I have gone through lots of phases as sisters. There was the “I want to be just like Donna” phase - I’m told this is when she took up dancing. Then came the “I am going to be the exact OPPOSITE of Donna” phase - I think this is when we painted our room, which is why half of the walls are green, and half purple. Eventually our lives were neither the same nor opposite, and you grew into your own person. I grew a lot of admiration for you, especially your courage in traveling and living around the world. Yidigou idigare idiga widigondidigerfidigul sidigistidiger, idigand Idigi lidigove yidigou. Cheers! 126
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FOOD AROUND THE WORLD Mexican Food: jalapeno poppers with ranch or tomato sauce; tamales and cheese – mild or medium – made by Katherine; poblano peppers in tomato & cheese sauce – made by Katherine; and 7-layer dip w tortilla chips.
American food: potato salad; fruit salad; spinach balls; ham and Swiss sandwiches; and artichoke & veg sandwiches.
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Nigerian food: curried veg fried rice – made by Seun; plantains – made by Seun; curried chicken with peppers & tomatoes – made by Seun; and coleslaw.
Desserts: wedding cake with a cake topper by Donna; bite-sized pastries; and Reese’s brownies and Oreo brownies – made by Katherine, Donna and Betty during the bachelorette party. 129
WEDDING DANCE PARTY!
...BUT SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO JUST SIT AND RELAX. 130
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THE BRIDE & GROOM’S “FIRST DANCE”
RESTING AFTER A LOVELY DAY. 132
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KATHERINE & SEUN’S WEDDING April 12th, 2015 134