Marian + Russell

Bride: Marian Kazali-Wilson

Groom: Russell Shepard

Location: Houston, Tx.

Wedding Date: July 19, 2015

Venue: Chateau Polonez

Number of Guests: 195

Cultures Represented: American & Ethiopian. My father is Ethiopian (Harar) but I was raised in home with my American Mother and Stepfather. I have always been involved with the Harar culture throughout my life when visiting with my father. However, with my upbringing and my groom's American background, I would say my wedding was a traditional American wedding. Our Harar wedding will take place in Atlanta this coming spring.

Description or Theme of wedding: Gold and blue with a touch of pink. We kept it classic with lots of gold as our base color. We mixed and matched blues in the table décor and bridesmaids dresses as blue is my favorite color. We used the floral to give the room just a pop of pink.

The most memorable part of your wedding: Without a doubt my favorite part of the wedding was walking down the isle to see my groom on one side and my sister on the other side, as my maid of honor.

Did you do anything unique, crazy or fun: In addition to our photobooth our guests had the option of leaving a video message for us. As the night went on and the drinks flowed, those messages got funnier and funnier!

What was the most difficult part about planning your wedding: Most definitely the guest list. The guest list affects everything budget wise. So keeping that down to a certain number and keeping everyone happy was a challenge.

What was the easiest part about planning your wedding: Picking our song list. Because my groom and I like the same music and went into planning with the same ideas, we were able to knock that out fairly quickly.

Any words of wisdom to the couple planning their wedding: You two are getting married. That is what is most important. Always keep that in the forefront of your mind any time you start to get stressed. Nothing is more important than that. Not the cake, the linen, the people, or the lights. It’s that person standing in front of you at the altar. That is what’s most important.

Vendors:

Bride's attire: Dress by Stephen Yearick

Bridal boutique: Weddings by Debbie (281) 698-8160

Makeup: Belaan Beauty, Ronee Legington, MUA

Instagram: @belaanbeauty

Email: info@belaanbeauty.com

Hair: Styles by Jen

(832) 602-1729

Instagram: @texturedstyles_byjen

Groom's attire: Al’s Formal Wear

Navy Tuxedo Suit by Caravelli

Photographer & Videographyer: Tony Houston Photography

(713) 906-6843

email: info@tonyhouston.com

Wedding Planner: Ooh La La! Exquisite Events

Tomeka Paul

Instagram: @oohlalaexquisiteevents

(832) 489-7553

Wedding Decorator: Linen: House of Hough

Instagram: @houseofhough

(281) 900-0900

email: info@houseofhough.com

Décor: Keisha’s Kreations

Instagram: @keishaskreations

(281) 495-5556

Florist: Keisha’s Kreations

Invitations: Aja Prints

Aja Prince

(225) 932-1551

Instagram: @_ajaprints

Email: ajaprince13@hotmail.com

Cake: Cakes by Gina

(281) 495-9400

email: gina@cakesbyginahouston.com

Catering: Glorious Cuisine

(713) 826-4615

email: info@gloriouscuisine.com

Lighting: Keisha’s Kreations

Transportation: Family Friend

Entertainment (DJ, Band): Dj Mr. Rogers

Email: getmrrogers@gmail.com

Instagram: @djmrrogers

Every moment and detail of this wedding made us swoon! Everything from your dress to the decor and venue was elegant and romantic! We can't wait for the traditional Harar wedding! We hope that you will share them with us!