Linda McQueen Photography
Sabine and Ejiro were brought together by a meeting concerning business that soon turned into one filled with pleasure. Running a non-profit organization, Sabine sought out the services of a consultant who could help her and her business partner navigate the future of the business. That’s where Ejiro entered the picture.
“My partner couldn’t join in on our first meeting so I decided to go by myself,” she tells ESSENCE. The connection between the two was immediate. They stopped talking about business and started talking about themselves. The rest was history. “We had our first meeting, and within that day we went for lunch, grabbed sushi, went for a walk around the park and ice cream! So, our first meeting was really like our first date.”
From there, the couple fell in love. She appreciated how kind he was to her and others. “It’s so cliché, however, I knew Ejiro was the one when I first met him. I didn’t know too much about him but we just jelled.” For Ejiro, it took considering how much it would hurt for Sabine to not be in his life that let him know she was special. “That’s when I knew she was my wife.”
And so he proposed in a creative way (more on that later), flying in family to be present. The couple then proceeded to plan their big day, dealing with the inconveniences and hiccups of COVID. That included finding out the day of their wedding that a large number of people in their wedding party had contracted the virus. Nevertheless, they made it work with who was still available, utilizing masks, temperature checks and sanitizer at their venue.
“Although we had to make due with our wedding party, everyone was able to truly enjoy themselves, especially with the wedding outside. We didn’t report positive COVID results after the wedding,” Sabine says.
The end result was a two-day dream. They had a traditional Nigerian wedding on September 9, 2021 that honored Ejiro’s Urhobo culture. Then, on September 11, they had the traditional white wedding. Both were outdoors. Both celebrations were also big, bold and memorable — from the decor to the attire. “I remember being so hands on in every aspect of our wedding that I was quite surprised walking down the aisle while my husband serenaded me,” Sabine recalls. “Everything was picture perfect!”
Picture perfect indeed. Take a look at some of the stunning imagery from both big days, learn more about the love story of Sabine and Ejiro and what the future holds for them.
Vendors
Décor: Priceless Planning Events
Catering: Delivering Experiences
Videographer: Bricks Group
Photographer: Linda Mcqueen
Photography: Reem Photography
Venue: The Belvedere Estate
Bride Dress: Pantora Bridal
Groom Suit: Garcon Couture
Flower Wall: Long Island Back Drops
Sound Production: DJ Zeke
01
When the Bride Knew She’d Found the One
“He was easy to talk to, supportive, very smart and charming,” Sabine recalls. “It was our first meeting and I saw how helpful he was to a stranger struggling with their shopping cart. It’s hard to find courteous men nowadays; I knew he was a keeper.”
Linda McQueen Photography
02
When the Groom Knew He’d Found the One
“It’s different for men. We don’t typically say, ‘I knew the moment I laid eyes on her.’ It takes a little more than that to get our heads knocked straight. The moment it clicked for me was after our first big fight as a couple. It was at that point I said to myself, ‘Do I really want my wife to get away?’”
Linda McQueen Photography
03
A Traditional Bride
The bride waits to make her big entrance ahead of the traditional ceremony.
Reem Photography
04
A Traditional Groom
The groom looked dapper in his Urhobo threads. We love a good trad wedding!
05
The Proposal
When Ejiro got a makeup artist and a photographer for a dinner two nights before her birthday, she just knew he was going to propose. But then the dinner came and went and he didn’t.
“I was over it,” she recalls. “We started to head back towards Brooklyn and I had to stop at his house to use the restroom. To my surprise when I walked into the backyard, I saw a huge sign that said ‘Will you marry me’! After he came up from the ground I looked up and saw all of our close family and friends there to witness it, he even had some of our family fly in.”
Reem Photography
06
…More on That Proposal
“I faked her out at the first restaurant,” Ejiro says. “It was a regular Tuesday, which was two days before her birthday. I knew choosing an ordinary day during the week before her birthday would raise the least suspicion. At the restaurant, I got a photographer to paparazzi us and then he just left. I saw the disappointment on her face. Then by the time we got to the house, she was tired and then BOOM!”
Linda McQueen Photography
07
The Venue
The couple wed, both times, at Belvedere Estate in Tarrytown, New York on their 23-acre private estate. Formal photographs were taken indoors but both weddings were held outside to play it safe.
Linda McQueen Photography
08
Daring Decor
“Due to Covid we had to build everything from scratch outdoors,” Sabine says of the decor for both celebrations (traditional wedding decor pictured). “This was a heavy lift and we enlisted the services of the illustrious and prestigious Priceless Event Planning.”
Reem Photography
09
Planning Amid COVID
“For our big day we wanted to ensure that everyone would be safe. We had everyone tested 48hrs prior to the wedding along with temperature checks, sanitizer and masks at the door,” Sabine says. “Planning a wedding during a pandemic was tough. We decided to have an outdoor wedding to alleviate things. It just so happened that leading up to the wedding things were getting better. New York opened fully in July, and the numbers were down, so our large guest count was approved. But as we moved into September, the numbers began to rise, and we made it before talks of Delta and Omicron variants ran rampant.”
Linda McQueen Photography
10
A Towering Treat
Delicious in flavor and visually delightful? Score!
Linda McQueen Photography
11
The Bride’s Tribe
Can you say stunning?
Linda McQueen Photography
12
The Groomsmen
Can you say regal?
Linda McQueen Photography
13
The Bridal Party
The available members of the bridal party stunned alongside the bride and groom as they took photographs inside the Belvedere Estate.
Linda McQueen Photography
14
The Bride’s Favorite Traditional Wedding Moment
“My favorite moment from the traditional wedding was seeing all of our families embracing the culture in their full outfits, dancing and just having a great time!” she recalls. “It was the first outing that everyone was able to see one another since the pandemic started so the dancing and laughter was nonstop all night.”
Reem Photography
15
The Groom’s Favorite Traditional Wedding Moment
“For the traditional wedding, it was cool to have all my non-Nigerian friends and family take part in a cultural ceremony,” he says. “They got all dressed up in traditional and native clothing and got to dance and have the time of their lives.”
Reem Photography
16
The Bride’s Favorite White Wedding Moment
“When I walked down the grass aisle, I saw our families on both sides of the white flower stage where we would tie our union and my husband sang to me as our family and friends witnessed us tie our union,” says of the moment that stuck out to her most.
17
What the Groom Loved About the White Wedding
“The second wedding had black excellence plastered everywhere. Our guests did not come to play. We overheard the estate owners say ‘this is the most beautiful crowd we’ve ever seen,’” Ejiro recalls. “But a quick story on the second wedding. We were delayed about an hour, so I decided to go down to the garden where our guests were waiting, and what I saw shocked the hell out of me. Our guests were drinking and having the time of their lives. Our caterer Juan later came over to Sabine and I and said he hoped it was ok that he began the cocktail hour before the wedding began. He said he saw our guests drinking and knew he had to get food in them before they got drunk! Needless to say, Juan is our hero.”
Linda McQueen Photography
18
A Cultural Celebration
While it was a Nigerian traditional wedding, Sabine’s loved ones represented for Haiti during the first wedding by waving the country’s flag throughout the celebration.
Reem Photography
19
An Outfit Change
Sabine kept the spotlight on her on her white wedding day not only with her bridal gown but also with her second sleek dress for the reception.
Linda McQueen Photography
20
Mother and Son Money Dance
We love to see it! Ejiro and his mom were sprayed with money on the dance floor during the white wedding’s reception.
Linda McQueen Photography
21
It’s a Photo Shoot
The couple struck a fierce pose after their white wedding amid the breathtaking decor.
Linda McQueen Photography
22
Married Life
“Being married for three months has been great!” Ejiro says. “She still needs to learn to share the bed. We have a California king, and she insists on giving me 20 inches of bed space. Other than that, it’s a breeze. As for our future, we look forward to growing our family and the family business and further growing our roles as leaders in our community.”
Reem Photography
23
Future Hopes…
“Married life has been adventurous, full of support with each other’s businesses and full of love,” Sabine says. “I’m looking forward to expanding our family, making new strides in our careers, new work opportunities, traveling, and eating good food!”
Linda McQueen Photography
24
Into Forever
They came together to do business, now they’re doing life together. A true, modern love story.
Linda McQueen Photography
