Here at Black Southern Belle, we love nothing more than a good Southern Wedding and this wedding oozes it. LaToya and Robert may be New York based but their wedding was truly Southern at heart. From the decor to the location, everything was perfectly Southern. And their love story, we can feel the love in the words of the bride and in their wedding video. This couple just glows and we are so happy to share their story!
Bride Name: LaToya (Ingram) Jordan
Groom Name: Robert Jordan
Wedding Location: Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC
Wedding Date: 10.10.14
Alma Mater of Bride: Columbia University
Alma Mater of Groom: SUNY Delhi
Current City where you live: Brooklyn, NY
Hometown: Bride – Brooklyn, NY; Groom – Queens, NY
How did you meet? We met at a New Year’s Black Tie Ball in 2013. (1/5/13) In an attempt to return our empty glasses to the bar, we bumped into one another. We exchanged pleasantries, small talk, and smiles. A few moments later, Robert asked LaToya to dance. We danced together for the rest of the night, exchanging numbers at the end of the night.
How long did you date? We dated for one year and four months
How did he propose? On May 3rd, 2014, Robert proposed. The funniest thing about the proposal was that I was so clueless that it was going to happen that I actually thought I was orchestrating a special night for us. Robert had planned a short getaway for us to a spa resort in the Hudson Valley. I thought his gesture was so sweet to take us away that I wanted to do something nice for him to say thank you. So, after we finished with the spa services and dinner, I announced that I was going to set a creative mood for us to unwind and relax. In hindsight, I’m sure Robert was cracking up on the inside. To help create a romantic mood, I got champagne and a mixed berry pie from a nearby farm stand. I then returned to the room to arrange pillows near the fireplace, dim the lights, and even asked Robert to find music on his phone for ambiance. Robert was more than happy to oblige since he already created a play list for this evening (unbeknownst to me). Once I’ve completed making this romantic scene, Robert said that he had something for me. He handed me a Shutterfly photo book and asked me to read it aloud. As I open it, I saw that he created a storybook of our journey together complete with photos and captions that read like a fairy tale. With each page, I cried tears of joy reflecting on how thoughtful he was to go through all of this trouble. Questions like: “When did he find time to do this? Where did he get these photos?” played in my head as I continued to read the story aloud. By the time I neared the end of the book, I was practically sobbing. Robert asked me to continue reading. Wiping tears from my eyes, I turned to the final page. There was a picture of us at the same Black Tie Ball where we met one year later with the words “Will you do the honor of becoming my wife?” above it. I screamed and cried even more. When I gained composure, I said yes.
When did you know he was the one? I asked Robert to help me with moving some furniture around in my apartment. I’m sure he thought that was a pretty simple request. The problem was that the opening of the staircase is extremely narrow and getting furniture through is virtually impossible. As we made various attempts to get the furniture through the space, I grew increasingly frustrated. He turned to me and told me to go relax and let him handle it. As I walked away, I exhaled because I knew that Robert really would handle it. In that moment, I knew that he was my life partner, not because he could move furniture through a narrow space but because he understood me and how to take care of me. He was strong and gentile, assertive and laid back. He knew when to let me get crazy and when to calm me down. He understood me. In that moment, I exhaled and said Amen.
What is the cutest thing he has done for you without you asking? There are lots of stories I could share but the cutest thing would be what happened during our first date. As a part of my January “get healthy” challenge, I decided to be gluten-free for 30days that January. So, when Robert and I set our date at a Thai restaurant, I immediately called the restaurant to identify some options. What happened when we ordered set the theme for our relationship, a genuine thoughtfulness for one another. Robert asked to review the gluten-free menu as well. When I mentioned that he didn’t need to order from it just because I planned to, he said “well how else will you be able to eat off of my plate? If I have food with gluten in it, you won’t be able to taste it.” Indeed, this was a thoughtful man.
What is something you love about him that has completely changed your life? I love Robert’s calm! It’s beautiful. It shows his strength in a way I’ve not experience before. He is so chill that he relaxes me without even trying. You can’t help but bring it down when his energy is so calm.
What part of wedding planning is making you crazy? The main thing that made us crazy was RSVP changes at the last minute. People don’t understand the impact that has on the budget. Particularly for our wedding where we had to rent EVERYTHING, a last minute number switch literally impacted the number of seats, utensils, napkins, etc. That drove us batty!
What part of wedding planning can you not live without? Creating items for the wedding together. Robert was a willing participant in our DIY projects. AND, he’s really crafty! It became a fun part of our planning experience. Oh and one more thing…we could not have lived without turning our venue selection into a “House Hunter” video. Because it was a destination wedding, we flew down for a weekend to view locations. So, we turned the process into one of our favorite tv shows. It was too fun! After visiting a site, we would look into the camera and give our opinions of the space. Then at the end of all of our visits, we revealed our selection just like the show!
What was your first thought the day after your engagement? The day after the engagement I thought how blessed I really was. I was filled with peace and gratitude. But that quickly subsided once we decided to have a destination wedding in five months. Lots to do with very little time brought me back to reality.
What was your favorite part about the ceremony? Our wedding ceremony took place on the lawn at the edge of the Ashley River underneath big, bold, majestic oak trees with Spanish moss dangling on the branches. Our favorite part of the ceremony was when we exchanged personal vow. In addition to exchanging vows with each other, LaToya shared vows with Maya, Robert’s daughter. It was truly a special moment for our new family unit with not a dry eye at the ceremony.
What was your favorite part about the wedding? Watching our family and friends mingle was so wonderful to experience. The love truly surrounded us. It felt more like a family reunion than a wedding. We also really enjoyed watching our live artist paint a particular scene of our ceremony. Our guests were able to witness a family heirloom being made.
Did you do any DIY? If so, what? LOTS!! It included: invitations; welcome bags; programs; wedding favors; signature drink recipe cards
Who were your wedding vendors?
Invites: The bride and groom
Flowers: Branch Design Studio
Catering: Duvall Events
DJ/Entertainment: Other Brother DJ
Dress: David’s Bridal (bride + wedding party)
Groom attire: Custom Suit –
Groomsmen + Father of the bride: Men’s Wearhouse
Rentals: Events DRS; Donnie Duglin; Motif Pillows
Wedding Planner: Breeze
Photographer: Virgil Bunao
Videographer: KUU Photography
Transporation: Absolutely Charleston
Other:
Wed on Canvas – Live painting artist
D.S. MeeBee – Cake topper designer
Cake/desserts: Wildflour Pastry
Lure & Ravish – Makeup artist
What were your wedding colors? Off-white and gold
What was your wedding theme? Classic, outdoor southern brunch
What is your favorite part about being married to each other? Coming home and talking on the couch. There is always something to share or laugh about together.
What did you learn about each other through the wedding planning process? We completed pre-marital counseling and one of the things that the therapist shared was that the way we tackled the wedding planning was indicative on how we tackled other things in our lives. She was right! We continue to discuss potential things before making decisions. We collaborate at times but we also acknowledge each other’s expertise and support each other accordingly.
This wedding was so classic and sweet. We love everything about LaToya and Robert and their story. Nothing like a good love story to get through a busy Thursday. We wish this couple nothing but love and happiness and we know this is just the beginning of a great love story!
XOXO
Michiel
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