"From the beginning Mary showed and exemplified everything that a woman of God would be," says proud groom Alain. "She was so supportive of my dreams, my vision and my direction."
Mary stunned her groom in this gorgeous La Sposa gown. "I found it off the rack at A Savvy Bride in Brookfield, Wisconsin," she tells us. "I was blessed to have found it in my size. My mother and I set up four appointments in one weekend and I found this at the first bridal shop we went to."
Mary's engagement ring is a real beauty. Alain popped the question in Dubai after he traveled to Wisconsin to personally ask her family for their approval.
"I most love Alain's spirituality and his conversation," says Mary. "He is steadfast and strong in his beliefs, and it is the cornerstone of his life and our marriage. It is our foundation. He is very committed to his life reflecting Christ and our marriage reflecting the love of Christ and the church."
"At the point where I was getting my make-up and hair done, it finally began to feel like my day," Mary admits. "Once my girls were all with me, and my mom too, it started to really sink in."
"I knew I wanted to show off the length of my hair and Alain really wanted it to be straight and not curly," says Mary. "I knew my natural hair and didn’t want to risk it being bone straight with the potential to frizz in the heat. I tested my hair with my friend back in Orlando and she let me borrow her wand. After the test run I knew I wanted my hair that way."
Mary's bridal party posed pretty for the camera in their matching gift robes.
"When I tried my dress on with a veil I looked at my mom, we teared up and I knew it was the one," says Mary. "I cancelled all the other appointments and negotiated a little since it was right off the rack. Then I walked right out with my wedding dress."
"My shoes were on sale for $20 by Nina," Mary boasts. What a steal!
"I knew there was something that first night we met," says Mary. "Was it ‘the one’ feeling? No, but I knew he and I were supposed to connect. It came later in our discussions around faith and how we agreed on the word. We would listen to podcasts on different spiritual topics, take notes and come together to discuss in detail. It was in these moments I learned what drove him in purpose in his life and that was what I wanted, a God fearing man."
"What I love most about her is her spirit," says Alain. "I was drawn to her spirit first, before I heard about who she was, what she does and where she came from. I just knew and loved her spirit."
"I initially really loved the calla lilly but it wasn’t in our price range," Mary explains. "I definitely wanted the bouquets to pop against my white dress and the dresses of the bridesmaids." She enlisted the help of local florist Jamie Beauchamp of Jaimers Flora for help in coming up with this lovely creation.
College friends (FAMU, anyone?), siblings and family members help to round out Mary and Alain's beautiful bridal party.
"I sought God about where it was going, what it entailed and who she was supposed to be in my life," says Alain of the moments he was falling for Mary. " I felt that I was in a place where God saw fit to bless me with a phenomenal woman. As things began to develop, I recognized her for the woman she was."
Alain's god son served as their ring bearer and his niece their flower girl. Aren't they just the cutest?
Mary's bridal glow is just contagious. We're grinning from ear to ear!
"We can talk about it all," Mary insists. "Our vulnerabilities, our passions and any other random topic we dive into. We will pause any movie or TV show and engage into a discussion on the spot. We continuously explore every aspect of life."
"We would listen to podcasts on different spiritual topics, take notes and come together to discuss in detail," says Mary. "It was in these moments I learned what drove him in purpose in his life and that was what I wanted, a God fearing man."
The social media savvy couple made sure that their smart-phone carrying guests knew exactly which hashtags to use on their special day. We absolutely adore this idea! It's both original and fun.
Ciagrs for the fellas' photo opps on the couple's celebratory big day.
"Her very belief in me was what made me strong and what encouraged me to keep going," says Alain. "After fasting and praying I came to the decision that it was time to have this woman with me for the rest of my life."
Chalkboards were used as decor signs at the couple's outdoor ceremony location to indicate which sides the guests should gather on.
"At the time of our engagement Alain was being considered for opportunities in the northeast and I did not want to risk having to travel back to Orlando to have the wedding when the majority of our families were not in the state of Florida," says Mary. "Therefore, we went with tradition and have it in my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin." The couple decided to tie the knot at the gorgeous Olympia Resort and Spa.
Pretty bouquets for the pretty ladies. The blooms complement their gowns perfectly!
Alain was overcome with emotion as he watched his lovely bride-to-be Mary make her way down the aisle.
"My father walked me down the aisle to the song 'I'm Ready For Love' by India.Arie," says the beaming bride. "He walked me down for the significance of me going from one covering of a man to another, in addition to tradition."
"When I saw Mary from a distance, all the emotions came rushing in like a flood," says Alain. "I was standing before my family and friends who were all here to support this very moment. I was overwhelmed with emotion when Mary came around that corner. She was so beautiful, I was getting married to this beautiful woman before all these people and most importantly before God. I felt all the love for her rise up in me."
"Our officiant was Dr. E. Allan Sorum," says Mary. "I attended a small private school in Milwaukee and he was the pastor of the church for the duration that I attended the school. He is now a professor at a seminary college in Mequon, WI, but I wanted nothing more than the man who preached to me as a child to be there to oversee this covenant."
"We included the unity candle tradition at the wedding to symbolize two becoming one flesh," says Mary. "It was about 65 degrees and the wind was blowing so we had to act it out as the candles kept blowing out."
"We had a Christian based ceremony with scripture readings and traditional marriage rites," says Mary. "We wrote our own vows. Our guests were included in a scripture responsive reading. I wanted to have a direct connection with God. I wanted to be in his created nature."
Congrats to the happy couple!
Here come Mr. and Mrs. Pompilus!
"I felt good to be a groom," Alain admits. "I enjoyed the time hanging out with my groomsmen kicking it in the suite. We joked, we laughed and we talked about me becoming a married man in a matter of hours. At the altar, I felt happy to be there. I was at peace about what I was about to do."
We love Mary and Alain's first dance song pick. They chose Anthony Hamilton's "Best Of Me," a true classic.
"Our wedding cake was made by my former classmate from FAMU," Mary tells us. "Her name is Amber Martin and she started a bakery, Seasons Baked Goods, and I wanted to help her grow her business. She traveled all the way from Manhattan to bake in my mother’s kitchen for three days. She made our wedding cake, cupcakes and cake pops too."
"I have never met someone so gentle, so loving and so sincere in my life," says Alain. "Her commitment to God is real, and she is dedicated to feeding her spirit with His word. Anyone that meets her, would say the same thing. There really is 'something about Mary.'" Ha! We agree.
We just adored Mary and Alain's love story and wedding day. If you did too, don't forget to leave them a little comment love below.
