If you’re a woman who scoffs at the idea of using dating apps to find love, Malika was once that girl, too. A firm believer in the importance of meeting potential mates in everyday life, she focused on putting herself out there, literally, instead of swiping through apps at home.
“I was one of those girls that took life way too seriously and looked at dating apps as desperate or for people who couldn’t get a date in the ‘real world,'” she recalls. Nevertheless, the real world wasn’t bringing about the suitors she’d hoped for. She realized she shouldn’t knock the apps without at least trying one.
“After failed relationships and dating that led nowhere, I decided to give online dating a try,” she says.
She chose Bumble, and her experience was a metaphor for life: You get what you pay for. Once she shelled out for a superior experience, she met Daniel — the man who would be her husband.
“The first few weeks were a disaster,” she admits. “But one day I decided to pay for the premium plan. The app promoted that the premium plan would give you ‘better options,’ and that’s when I matched with Daniel. With Bumble, the women have to approach the guy first, so I said something cheesy, and the rest was history.”
The two connected in January 2019, and it didn’t take long for them to realize the other could be the one.
“From the beginning, Malika has always been a team player, and that is something that stuck out to me,” Daniel says. “Malika is also very family-oriented, and that is something I knew I wanted in a wife.”
“I used to hate when I asked couples this question, and they responded, ‘When you find your person, you just know,’ but that’s the honest truth,” says Malika. “Once Daniel officially asked me to be his girlfriend in March of 2019, I just had a sense of relief; I didn’t feel on edge or anxious about dating, which I usually felt. It seemed like we instantly started including each other in future plans, and I just knew he was my person.”
After two months of dating and two years of being in a relationship, in October of 2021, Daniel proposed to Malika in front of a room of family and close friends, surrounded by gorgeous candles and white rose petals all over the floor.
They followed up that big moment with an even bigger expression of love — four epic photo shoots in Washington, D.C., to announce their engagement. They went with the theme of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The “old” was a celebration of Daniel’s Ghanaian roots, so the couple wore kente straight from Bonwire, Ghana. For the new, she wore white, he donned black, very much in line with what their wedding day looks would be. Their future. For the borrowed, she wore a brooch from her late grandmother on top of a green gown, and for the blue, she wore a voluminous blue dress, and he matched her in a blue sweater.
So you know the wedding day had to be peak opulence, right?
Malika and Daniel didn’t disappoint. From invitations with a structure of Philadelphia’s City Hall in the middle, their wedding venue and reception hall covered in their favorite white roses and candelabras, Malika’s train reaching lengths that would make your head spin, bridesmen instead of traditional bridesmaids, and a cake over six feet tall, the couple took luxury to new heights for their special day in September 2023.
“Our wedding day was the most magical day from start to finish,” Malika says. “Everything happened exactly how I imagined it.”
Scroll down for more on how the couple brought their ideas to life, to learn more about their love story, and to see the extravagance of their unforgettable wedding day in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
The couple’s wedding planner, Lola Akingbade, worked with Upani India, known for their luxury packaging for weddings. The design of the invitations, which included Philadelphia’s City Hall to let everyone know that the wedding would take place in the historic city, took three months to make. The figure of the bride and groom was outfitted in formal attire, from their engagement shoot, to let guests know the dress code.
While the wedding party did include a few other women, it was stacked primarily with men. That was Malika’s idea. “Since I can remember, I have always said I’d have ‘BRIDESmen,’” she says. “I’m talking way over a decade. Growing up the youngest and only girl, I loved that I always got the spotlight at home. Although I have female cousins and girlfriends, I have always told them that I’d be the only woman standing at the altar on my wedding day. Also, over the years I’ve witnessed so much conflict with couples being forced to include their spouse’s family or friends in the wedding that they may not be close to. Coming from a male-dominant family, it just made sense for me to have my guys on my side and Daniel’s guys on his side. Because this was something I talked about for years, it was no surprise to my family or friends on our wedding day.”
Daniel, sharp in white, wore a tux from the brand Billionaire New York. We love the black accents!
While Daniel wore white, his groomsmen looked sharp in black suits from Eaden Myles.
“One of the things that stood out most to me about Daniel was how he remembered everything,” she says. “Any and everything that mattered to me mattered to Daniel. In the first few weeks of dating, for whatever reason, I got a new pair of socks, and I was really excited about wearing them to work because I worked with children who’d appreciate my cool socks. The day I wore the socks, Daniel texted me in the morning saying, ‘Good luck with your new socks today!’ I knew then he’d be my husband.”
“Since I can remember, my relationship with Malika just felt different, but in a good way,” he says. “When it came to me, she was such a selfless person; she cared about my feelings, included me in future plans, and it just always felt right. I knew I’d spend my life with her.”
The couple share a kiss after doing their first look.
…They also shared a few tears as they prepared for their big moment.
With her BridesMEN, also in Eaden Myles, carrying her lengthy train, Malika was ready to make her way to the venue, which was the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.
The bride made her way down the aisle at the church wearing her Ese Azenabor gown. “Seeing Malika walk down the aisle was by far my favorite moment,” Daniel shares. “She actually made me cry. She looked so beautiful, and I knew how much she wanted her dream wedding. Seeing her get everything she wanted was the best feeling.”
The lovebirds were eager to solidify their new union with a kiss after exchanging vows in the beautiful church. “If I had to really think about my favorite moments, they would include hearing Daniel’s vows; he’s a man of very few words, so hearing him express his feelings that way really brought me to tears.”
The overjoyed couple headed back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Owusu-Antwi.
With their wedding party lined up, the photographer, of Mesus Studios, captured this gorgeous image of the couple sharing a kiss during their portrait session.
It’s giving luxury! The couple are photographed pre-reception festivities in the venue, the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. The space—get this—sits at a minimum, 150 people, and a maximum of 1200. The spot was adorned with the couple’s favorite white roses, which Wedded Events provided.
Not only was white and black the dress code for guests, it was also the color scheme for the wedding party. While some might shy away from having others wear the same shades as the bride and groom, Daniel and Malika couldn’t help but stand out.
Everything about the day was big, including the cake! Cupcakes at Tiffanys pulled off an impressive feat by creating a cake more than six feet tall. It, like everything else, was adorned with white roses.
In addition to being on the cake and on a huge display where the bride and groom sat, the roses were displayed in ornate fashion on the tables of guests, who sat on beautiful black chairs.
Atop one table setting at the reception, an empty one, sat this gorgeous, gilded butterfly representative of Malika’s late, beloved grandmother.
While some tables had overflowing white roses, others had these stunning crystal displays that held the white roses. It was quite fitting for a reception at the Crystal Tea Room.
The couple spared no expense to celebrate with their guests. Servers poured Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, better known as Ace of Spades, keeping the party going and the drinks flowing.
A great decor idea to try? Napkins that share details about the couple. Malika and Daniel shared fun facts about themselves, including that they somehow went without a TV for three years. Wild, yet impressive.
For their grand entrance into the reception hall in full view of guests, with sparklers and white smoke effects all around, the couple’s planner was able to have the space transformed. A stage was built specifically for the moment, which was then equipped with florals, candles, draping and unique flooring. Malika changed into her second gown, a look made by designer Mimmy Yeboah.
The couple are now a year into their marriage, and since saying “I do,” they’ve been blessed to welcome a baby girl in September. Talk about a fabulous anniversary gift. So what’s next? “I think I’m most looking forward to simply growing, spending life together, and creating new memories,” she says. “Daniel and I had two weddings in two years, a traditional Ghanaian wedding and our formal wedding, which soaked up a lot of our time and energy. Sometimes I feel like we lost those years being engaged because all of our energy went towards wedding planning. Although it was well worth it, it feels good to be able to simply enjoy my husband without having the stress of planning.” As for Daniel, he says getting to do life with Malika makes the future brighter. “I’m most looking forward to growing our family and continuing to grow as a couple,” he says. “Being married to my best friend is all I wanted. I’m excited to continue to spend my life together.”
Vendors
Planner: MasterPlan Events
Photographer: Mesus Studios
Cinematographer: CodyBlane Studios
Hair stylist: Dominique Nicole
Makeup: Jasmine Carter of JDC Artistry
Florals: Wedded Events
Draping, Lights, Stage Cover, Clouds, Confetti: The Light Source Company
White carpet: Two Brothers Installations
Stage and Tunnel Structure Builders: Evolution Event Production & Rentals
Table + Chair Rental: Silvera Event Furnishings
Dance Floor Wrap: SHOUT! Dance Floor Wraps
Reception Venue & Catering: Finley Catering
Cake: Cupcakes at Tiffany’s