Omega and Andrew met through a mutual friend named Leon. “We were heading out to a party in 2009, and Andrew was the designated driver,” says Omega. “He was kind, caring and we had a great night dancing to dancehall and afro tunes. We exchanged numbers and kept in touch. Finally, we attended an out of town festival together with a small group of friends, and officially started dating while on our excursion.”
After getting engaged on Omega’s 27th birthday, the couple came up with the idea of doing a royal-themed wedding for their Western ceremony. “After attending a few wedding open houses, Paradise Banquet Hall stuck out to us for its Venetian crown molding, dedicated lobby area, three luxury chandeliers looking over the large dancefloor,” says Omega. “The venue had our wedding written all over it.”
Seven days before their traditional Western ceremony, Andrew and Omega held a traditional Ghanaian wedding complete with a traditional bride reveal, gift exchanges between the families and gorgeous Kente dresses designed by the groom’s father.
Scroll through the gallery to see the beautiful photos from Andrew and Omega’s royal ceremonies.
Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Send your story and a link to your wedding photos to bridalbliss@essence.com for consideration.
01
Meet The Ochrans
Bride: Omega Dione Mighty, makeup artist and commercial realtor, 29
Groom: Andrew Kwesi Ochran, elementary and high school educator
Venue: Paradise Banquet Hall
Theme: Royalty
Photography/Cinematography: Timeless Tree Weddings, Tommy and Tuyen Nguyen
Venue: Mono Community Centre
Bride’s Makeup & Hair: Omega's company (DollfaceDredie), Omega Mighty
Bride’s Kente Dress: Ewan Mighty (father of the bride)
Bridesmaids Custom Kente Dresses: Rita’s Modern Fashion
Custom Kente Fans: @obaayaavisa
Calligrapher (written on mirror as welcome sign): Pinya Letters
Wedding Planner: Bliss Events by Barbara
Caterer: The Golden Stool, Chef Kwame
Loctitian: Nash Palmer of Keikyz Hair Studio Inc.
Bride's Dress Designer: Martina Liana
Bride’s Dress Boutique: Sophie’s Gown Shoppe
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bride’s Nails: Tha Champagne Boutique
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: FashionNova
Groomsmen Tuxedos: Tuxedo Royale
Groom's Suit Jacket & Shirt: Eaden Myles
Western Wedding Ceremony Venue: First Baptist Church, Brampton, ON
Florist: Ashbourne Flowers and Gifts
Cake: Fruitilicious Cakes
Table décor, stationery & table numbers: custom made by the bride
Décor Rentals (cherry blossom trees, bride & groom table): Event Rent
Décor (ghost table for sweets table): Décor and Fiesta
Vinyl Floor Wrap: North Floor Design
DJ: @djalchemixx
Limo: LA Limousines
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn
02
The Proposal
"It was my 27th birthday, and Andrew said he had a surprise for me," says Omega. "He told me to dress up. Once I got in the car, he blindfolded me. Once parked, he then guided me on a walk. Finally, he took off my blindfold, and a group of our family and friends screamed 'surprise!' I had thrown him a surprise birthday party a few years prior so it was nice for him to return the favor. Andrew requested to have a word before I cut the cake. He started off with a speech that echoed comments I was accustomed to hearing: how hard I worked, how dedicated I was to every single project I put my mind to, and how selfless I was towards my inner circle. It made me smile from ear to ear. Out of nowhere, he bent down on one knee and took out a ring. My heart kind of stopped."
03
Coming Together
The Ghanaian ceremony included both families sitting on either side of the room, exchanging gifts such as kente cloth, Ghanaian beads, gold jewelry, and other gifts.
04
Family Affair
100 family and friends gathered at the couple's Ghanaian wedding.
05
All My Love
"There’s no way for me to specifically narrow down one thing that I love the most about Omega," says Andrew. "If I had to, I would say the fact that my wife is truly a selfless giver."
06
Take My Breath Away
There's nothing more powerful than Black love!
07
A Family That Prays
"As part of our Ghanaian ceremony, we had traditional drums, Ghanaian dancers, and incorporated the traditional bride reveal after a lengthy presentation."
08
Tradition And Love
"I was wearing a full kente dress designed by my father, who had previously designed both my 8th grade graduation and prom dresses," says Omega. "Andrew wore a matching kente suit and hat while our bridal party members wore customized kente wear."
09
Bridal Glam
"My makeup style was the perfect cross between timeless and African cultural beauty featuring golden-toned eyes, a softened cut crease, colorful lip, and silver crown," says Omega.
10
Wedding Day Vibes
"It felt amazing to be a bride, but stressful at the same time,' says Omega. "I felt like the queen of the castle; the ultimate royalty."
11
Star Of The Show
"I felt like a superstar on my wedding day," says Andrew. "My groomsmen started the day off right by giving me the king’s treatment, and getting me ready for the ceremony."
12
Dressed To The Nines
"My wedding dress was everything! But it wasn’t my first pick," said Omega. "I had a delicate crepe dress in mind that hugged every curve of my body. I searched around and made a few more appointments to try on different dresses. However, the sales representative pulled a lace Martina Liana dress for me to try on just in case. I wasn’t super impressed seeing it on the rack, but when I tried it on, it screamed royalty!"
13
True Beauties!
"I knew the style of dress I wanted for my bridesmaids," says Omega. "I wanted something that would show off their beautiful figures in a color that would accentuate their beautiful skin tones. I was super into the off-shoulder style dress and came across a happy medium at FashionNova!"
14
When Love Finds You
"I didn’t think I would find the love of my life how and when I did," says Andrew. "A mutual friend of ours was having an event and asked me to give Omega a ride since he knew we lived in the same area. I couldn’t be happier that I found love the way I did because I found my soulmate."
15
The Walk Of A Lifetime
Omega walked down the aisle with her father to “I Look To You” by Whitney Houston.
16
The Yin To My Yang
"Crazy enough, from the moment we started dating I knew Andrew was the one," says Omega. "We had made such a strong connection between our family values and work ethic, and ultimately we had become best friends before we officially started dating."
17
With This Ring
The Ochrans exchanged vows in front of 250 guests.
18
The Look Of Love
You know you've found a keeper when you can get lost in their eyes.
19
To New Beginnings
"The highlight of the reception room decor was the 9’ pink cherry blossom trees, bringing this royal summer wedding to life," says Omega, who designed the table decor herself. "I chose cherry blossoms because they are the mark of entering a new season. I decided to keep a minimalist design approach, letting the cherry blossom trees be the focal point of the room."
20
Just Us
The couple's reception took place about 30 minutes away from their ceremony space. "We had a two and a half hour gap in order for guests to head over to the reception venue while we took pictures," says the bride.
21
So Fresh And So Green
This table garland incorporated with pink roses was such an elegant touch!
22
Center Stage
One of the most beautiful details from their reception was this customized dance floor branded with the same wedding crest featured on their invitations and menu.
23
Play My Song
The couple's DJ kept the dancefloor occupied all night long.
24
Be Our Guest
After prayer and dinner, the couple's cinematography team surprised guests with a highlight video from their traditional engagement. They followed that up with a slideshow presentation dating back to when Andrew and Omega first met.
25
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
The bride and groom's sweets table was a magnificent display of desserts including gold macaron towers, pink and gold sprinkled donuts and strawberry cheesecake cups.
26
Sit Back And Enjoy The Show
"I came through with some of the ladies for a surprise 4-minute dance and vocal performance with sister and rapper Haviah Mighty," says Omega. "The groomsmen enjoyed being in the hot seat, front row!"
27
Omega's Advice To Brides
"Read all of your contracts with a fine-tooth comb and understand your obligations.
Whether it be payment deadlines or submission of final guest count, being organized will bring you peace."
