“I knew early on that he was special,” says happy bride Ayana. “Things were really easy around him. I admired how he placed high priority on family. He always finds ways to make me feel special. The little things mean more to me than large extravagant gifts.”
“Picking out my dress was very easy,” Ayana shares. “I didn’t try on many. My family and I visited two bridal salons. I tried on three dresses at the first salon and I found my dress at the second salon, the famous Bridals by Lori. The second one I tried on was the one. It was perfect!” Wait until you see more shots of Ayana in her Marisa gown.
“Being a bride was amazing,” says Ayana. “I had been waiting on the moment to marry the man God made for me. I will never forget that day!”
“I wore a beautiful pair of gold Christian Louboutin shoes that were a perfect compliment to the style of my dress,” says Ayana. “I bought earrings to wear but quickly changed into the ones Savill purchased as my wedding gift. I wore my grandmother’s bracelet as my something old and in memory of her life.”
“I knew early on that he was special,” says Ayana. “Things were really easy around him. I admired how he placed high priority on family too.”
“I was completely surprised and overcome with joy,” says the bride. “For the rest of the night and for most of the next day I just stared at my ring.”
“Ayana is beautiful on the inside and out,” says Savill. “We were able to connect on a spiritual level. Very appealing to me. She will stand up for something. She can stand firm, and she’s not just a flag in the wind. She is principled and has a strong foundation on Christian principles.”
“I knew I wanted long black dresses for my bridesmaids,” says Ayana. “I have an awesome group of friends. I knew they wouldn’t complain about the dress I picked out, but I wanted them to like it too. Everyone looked great. It was the kind of dress that accentuates your best features.”
“During our first year of dating, Savill lost his niece Arielle Parker who was only 18 years old and a few days before our engagement, I lost my grandmother,” says Ayana. “Arielle loved butterflies and a non-profit organization in her honor uses butterflies as her logo. My grandmother loved elephants. To honor them both during the wedding, I wore one of her elephant brooches on my bouquet and all throughout the wedding decor we had butterflies placed. We made a special announcement on our program so our friends and family would look for them.”
Say hello to Savill’s dapper groomsmen. What an attractive bunch!
“He always finds ways to make me feel special,” says Ayana. “The little things mean more to me than large extravagant gifts.”
“I dedicated 18 years of my life to health and fitness,” says Savill. “So it only makes sense finding true love in an area where my passion was. My passion led me to my wife.”
“Savill is the most loving, caring and God-fearing man around,” says Ayana.
“Since we met in Atlanta we wanted to have our ceremony in Atlanta,” says Ayana. “I wanted a more urban setting. More specifically, I wanted a room with a view. The W Midtown ballroom is on the 26th floor with great views of downtown Atlanta and surrounding neighborhoods.”
The ceremony décor featured clusters of various height cylinders with pillar candles,” says Ayana. “Our altar was flanked by two 10-foot metal trees covered with cherry blossoms. The tree also had hanging votive candles and butterflies. At the beginning of the aisle we had two white pedestals with a lush and tall arrangement of white cherry branches designed atop two sleek black containers. We also had a beautiful white rose petal design down the aisle too.”
One hundred and fifty cherished guests attended Ayana and Savill’s wedding day.
“Savill loves the pictures of me coming down the aisle,” says Ayana.”Savill wrote a song about me and we used the musical arrangement of ‘The Day’ by Babyface. His brother Nathan Collins and music producer Kevin Griffin put it all together. It was beautiful and I walked down the aisle to it with my father.”
Did we mention we were absolutely enamored with Ayana and Savill’s ceremony décor? Just look at all those details.
Ayana tells us that her dad was the only choice for an escort to take her down the aisle. “He is a great father, mentor, friend and confidant,” she adds.
The couple’s photographer, Scobey Photography, really captured the magic of every single moment.
“Looking into Ayana’s eyes at the altar, I knew I was the luckiest man in the world,” says the groom.
“Our parents are whom we use as examples for what a marriage based on Godly principles looks like,” says the bride. “Collectively they have been married for close to 90 years. I wanted to include them in the ceremony, so before our recessional, our parents came up to the altar and Savill’s brother-in-law James Parker led us in a unity prayer. It was a beautiful moment.”
Saviall and Ayana made it official at the altar with a romantic smooch and lots of cheers.
“We decided to use the traditional vows,” says Ayana. “If it worked for our parents, we knew if it would work for us.”
“We promised each other at the very beginning of the wedding planning that we would not cry,” says Ayana. “We got teary eyed during the exchanging of our vows, but we held it together.”
“Right from the beginning I knew from talking to her that she had great character,” says Savill. “I thought she was beautiful from the first day I met her. However, there was substance behind her pretty face and that is what really drew me in. She was really down to earth and she did not take herself too seriously. She is very comfortable and self assured about who she is. From our first date, I just knew she was special. That is why I did not take a long time in introducing her to my parents.”
The couple’s ceremony was held in one meeting space and then the cocktail hour moved up one floor to a loft area. “Our guests were able to enjoy the beautiful hotel décor while enjoying live jazz and passed hors d’oeuvres,” says Ayana.
Their reception was on the 26th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of downtown Atlanta and surrounding neighborhoods.
Lovely tables covered with romantic blooms and linens were there in the couple’s reception space to greet their guests for a sit-down dinner.
The couple chose Anthony Hamilton’s “The Best Of Me” for their dreamy first dance.
“It felt awesome to be a groom,” says Savill.
“Our overall theme was modern and sleek with a soft romantic feel,” Ayana describes. “We incorporated the things we love into the décor. Our tables were named after golf courses and run races.”
We just had to have a closer look at Ayanna and Savill’s romantic and elegant centerpieces. (The work of fab florist Tulip-Blooming Creations.)
The couple had quite a cake on hand for dessert. Isn’t it a beauty?
“The day was surreal,” says Ayana. “I had waited a long time to marry the love of my life. It was finally happening and I am so glad I waited.”
“We had a DJ and a band called the Kevin Griffin Band,” says Ayana. “Griffin’s wife Eumika Body-Griffin was the lead vocalist. They both were amazing.”
This is one reception party we would have loved to have been invited to because it looks like they were gettin’ down!
“Our guests are still talking about it,” says Ayana. “Our pictures show that the music was on point and everyone was on the dance floor.”
Join us in wishing Ayana and Savill nothing but the best. Leave the happy couple a little comment love below. To see more photos from their big day, visit The Bride’s Café now. Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Email us now!
