Medical officer Nykeba, 31, and her new husband Lacrederick, 34, a military police officer, met on the job. They went out for breakfast on their first date and he says he knew her love was sent from heaven. They were married in Virginia Beach on November 18, 2011. Share their love!
“I decided to wear my hair up with spiral curls because it complimented the dress and looked elegant,” says Nykeba. “It fit the atmosphere for a grand ballroom appearance.”
“It was a little challenging to find the dress because after searching for about one month, most of the gowns started to look the same and none really stood out to me,“ Nykeba admits. “I knew my dress was the one because when I saw it, I fell in love with it and when I put it on for the first time, I did not want to take it off.”
Nykeba carried a hand-tied bouquet of white roses with touches of dark blue delphinium, white freesia, white pixie roses, and rhinestones down the aisle on her big day.
“The girls wore elegant, long midnight blue gowns with matching shawls,” says Nykeba. “The maid of honor, my sister, had her dress made in Philadelphia.”
His and her wedding bands were on hand when it came time for Nykeba and Lacrederick to say “I do.”
Nykeba posed for these pretty bridal portraits at Regent University in Virginia.
Proud groom Lacrederick got married in his formal military uniform, otherwise known as Army Dress Blues.
“Lacrederick saw who I was underneath, something no one else has ever been able to do,” says Nykeba.
Nykeba’s gorgeous cathedral length gown was designed by Moonlight Couture and was heavily beaded with Italian stones around her sweetheart neckline. Luckily, very few alterations had to be made. “It felt almost as if it was made just for me,” says Nykeba.
Nykeba and Lacrederick dated for nine months and were engaged for six before tying the knot in their dream wedding ceremony.
“People always used to tell me, ‘You’ll know the one when you meet him,’ ” says Nykeba. “I never understood it, until I met Lacrederick.”
“The groomsmen wore midnight blue vests to match the bridesmaids,” says Nykeba. “This color worked well because it fit the overall wedding theme and reminds me of something like a blue lagoon. It also had a nice elegant look and worked well with the overall beach theme.”
Nykeba became Mrs. Jackson before all of her closest friends and family, and she tells us, it was a moment she’ll cherish forever.
“We did have a budget and we did a great job sticking to it,” Nykeba confesses. That’s impressive, considering most brides readily admit to going way over budget when planning their wedding day. “We didn’t believe in financing our wedding, so we planned it based on what we could afford.”
The new Cavalier Hotel on Virginia Beach has a spectacular view from the 11th floor where guests enjoyed a cocktail hour between the couple’s ceremony and reception.
The happy couple were married at the Old Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach.
Cylinders filled with submerged roses and floating candles lined the aisles during the couple’s ceremony.
“We chose the venue because it is a beautiful, historical and prestigious site,” Nykeba tells us. “We did not want a traditional hotel. We really wanted something different that would really bring our day to life.”
“The scenery at the entrance to the Cavalier hotel is just breathtaking,” says the bride, who was all smiles throughout her wedding day. Six presidents have dined there.
“We both feel blessed and we’re so grateful that we could be a part of each other’s lives,” says Nykeba.
“Our wedding was a huge family reunion, so we decided to do it Carribean style in our home state of Virginia,” says the bride. “The entire weekend was filled with late night cooking, drinking and spending time with family.”
We sure love Nykeba and Lacrederick’s venue. The locations just oozed elegance.
For a bit of added glitz and glam, Nykeba and Lacrederick chose a custom gobo light that displayed their wedding date on their dance floor.
The electric blue lighting effects created a romantic, elegant reception vibe. The couple hired Blue Steel Lighting Company in Virginia Beach.
Seashells, starfish and sea horses adorned the edges of the couple’s cake.
“We decided to pay ourselves every month in order to cover the cost of the wedding,” says Nykeba. “It was like paying another bill, but it was our investment into our special day.”
For continued elegance throughout the evening, Nykeba chose to incorporate floating candles and submerged flowers throughout their reception décor.
Nykeba tells us her florists, Palette of Petals LLC in Virginia Beach, “did a spectacular job blending all the colors in our wedding during our ceremony and reception.”
DJ Bad Joe keep the couple’s guests entertained all night long by spinning the best R&B, soca and Reggae music.
“We had an impeccable wedding planner,” says Nykeba, who hired Julie Morgan from As You Wish Weddings and Events in Virginia. “I knew from our first meeting that Julie was the perfect wedding planner, and that she was! She made our day more special than we could have ever imagined. She is truly gifted.”
Prior to the ceremony, guests were served fruit kabobs and lemonade. During the reception, delectable appetizers like these were in abundance for all to enjoy.
We chose the décor to compliment a beach-like scene,” says Nykeba, who chose a Caribbean theme for her wedding day.
“We gave our guests a mixture of white or chocolate truffles and a miniature bottle of fruit flavored Cruzan Rum,” Nykeba tells us. “The Cruzan Rum is signature rum manufactured on my island of St. Croix, so we wanted to share that with our guests.”
Join us in wishing Nykeba and LaCrederick a very happily ever after. Leave your congratulatory messages for the newlyweds below.