Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
When Al and Shalwah met on Tinder four years ago, they both embraced the online dating experience without placing any expectations on finding their soulmate. When they got engaged in February 2020, they never expected their destination wedding plans would be sideswiped by a global pandemic. But like everything else in their relationship, even the unexpected turns out perfectly.
Shalwah and Al envisioned their wedding on a serene private beach on the island of Curaçao. The date and arrangements were scheduled for November 2020. Then, COVID-19 forced the couple to change their plans drastically. Instead of postponing, the couple rolled with the punches and arranged a socially distanced ceremony in their home city of Brooklyn, NY.
Intent on extending the love back to the community, the bride and groom handpicked Black-owned vendors to hire for their big day. They even did most of the setup and event production themselves, which turned out to be a clever way to save instead of spend. “We used a lot of sweat equity to save money,” says the bride. “My motto is ‘you either have the time or you have the money.’ We decided to spend the time. I created the décor and enlisted a group of friends to help execute it.”
Scroll through the gallery to see Shalwah’s and Al’s gorgeous Brooklyn wedding.
01
Meet The Van-Dykes
Bride: Shalwah Evans, beauty editor, 37
Groom: Al-Jumar Van Dyke, golfing professional, 39
Venue: Loft172, Brooklyn, NY
Theme: Socially Distanced Rustic Glam
Bridal gown: Ericdress
Bridal reception outfit: Andrea Iyamah
Tailor: Kingbridge Cleaners & Tailors
Groom’s suit: Fai World
Groom’s reception outfit: Banpharty via Etsy
Makeup: Taina “Tokyo” Soto
Flowers: Global Rose
Photographer: Devon Watson of Devon Watson Photography
Videographer: Mike Saunders of Mike Saunders Films
Food: Jacob Restaurant
Cake: Christina Grajales
Bride’s ring: Tiffany & Co.
Groom’s ring: Angelo Paul
Bar: HH Bespoke Spirits, Revel Spirits, Saint Cloud Kentucky Bourbon, Rosé All Day Sparkling Wine
02
Keep The Proposal, Hold The Ring
“We were staying at the NOMAD hotel for a local press trip with my job,” says the bride. “Since the hotel is known for its wonderful bathtubs, the brand we were visiting with had an elaborate bath set up for us. Al showed up with a bottle of champagne and flowers for me but I simply thought he was leaning into the staycation experience. But right after our bath, I began to fall asleep. As I was slightly dozing off, he nudged a black velvet box my way. I was fully awake then. He asked me to marry him and when I said ‘yes,’ he warned me that there was no ring in the box. I opened it to find a beautiful white gold and diamond Hamsa Hand which is Judaism is also called the hand of Miriam, it symbolizes protection. He had combined the idea that I didn’t want a traditional engagement ring with the fact that I’d said I wanted a Hamsa hand pendant. It was sweet and private and chill, exactly how I wanted.”
03
With Love And Honor
Shalwah, who is Jewish, wanted the ceremony to weave in touches of tradition while generally keeping things casual. “I’m Jewish and Al is not,” she explains. “So we kept some parts of the ceremony that my father created for the congregants of our temple growing up, but we skipped over some of them. No chuppah, just an arch. No breaking of the glass, but a few traditional prayers. And the ceremony was not six hours, more like 20 minutes.”
04
A Family Affair
The Van-Dykes socially distanced wedding was attended by 59 of their closest family and friends. “Because of COVID-19 and the need to socially distance the guests, we thought it would be easier and safer to simply have the guests seated for the reception and watch the ceremony from there,” says the bride. “It worked out perfectly.”
05
A Modern Bride
“As part of the ceremony that my father created, the bride’s mother wraps her head to signify that she is now a married woman because, in Judaism, no man other than your husband is supposed to see your hair,” Shalwah explains. “I didn’t want to include that because I won’t be covering my hair in public, but I did wear a head wrap for both the ceremony and the reception to tie that in.”
06
In This Together
“I guess the fact that Shalwah and I were so involved in the process kind of added another layer to the whole bride and groom thing,” says Al. “There was much more of an accomplished feeling in addition to the feelings around getting married.”
07
The Perfect Match
“I knew Al was the one when everything that had been a struggle in previous relationships was easy,” says the happy bride. “He was willing to compromise and it made me willing to compromise. He was open to my ideas, and it made me open to his ideas. We’re very different, but I could see that our values aligned and that sealed the deal for me.”
08
Love Without Limits
“Shalwah is one of the most driven people I know,” says Al. “Her ambition challenges me to not get complacent. I can really appreciate that. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that she is beautiful. That is an easy thing to love.”
09
A Small But Mighty Circle
True to the non-traditional nature of their wedding, Shalwah and Al skipped a large bridal party and instead simply chose a maid of honor and a best man. “We literally told them to wear whatever they wanted,” says the laid back bride. “But my maid of honor was way more intent on making sure their outfits were aligned. So after the best man chose his suit color, she coordinated with him.”
10
Our Day, Our Way
Shalwah had a vision for her bridal look from the moment she got engaged, which turned out beautifully. “I actually bought my dress on a random website I found called ericdress.com and took it to an old tried-and-true tailor in Brooklyn to make it what I wanted,” she said. Al’s custom suit was designed by bespoke Nigerian-owned fashion brand Fai’s World.
11
Good Food, Even Better Company
Guests dined on delicious soul food catered by the Black-owned Jacob Restaurant in Harlem. The format of Shalwah and Al’s indoor wedding and reception required no flipping of the space. “The venue had a huge outdoor space that guests took advantage of for photos, to chat and have cocktails, and to get some air with no mask on.”
12
Love Is The Star
“The thing that was really cemented for us was something we already knew: no matter what your venue looks like or how many guests you have, the day will be special because you want it to be,” the couple told ESSENCE. “Don’t forget to dance, eat your cake, have a sip, do a little dip, and say that you love each other. COVID or no COVID, love will always thrive!”
13
Love All Over
The groom says the work leading up to the wedding was beyond worth it. “There is a ton of preparation and planning for months leading up to it, trying to make sure you are covering all the bases and seeing all the angles because you want to be as ready as you can,” he says. “Then you finally get to the day and there is this feeling of elation, but at the same time relief. Then the actual game starts and all that stuff fades away. You snap right back to you.”
14
Looks For Days
“My reception outfit is from a Nigerian designer that I’m obsessed with named Andrea Iyamah,” says Shalwah. “Initially, I wanted one of her bridal gowns but they were out of the budget and also needed five months for alterations, etc. When I saw the white pencil skirt with this elaborate flounce I immediately fell in love. I reached out to see if they could get a matching top (which was sold out at the time) and her team tracked one down and shipped the outfit from Toronto. I loved both outfits but my reception outfit, which I wore the longest that day, was just a dream.”
15
Go DJ!
“My family is huge, I mean indescribably huge,” says Shalwah. “One of the advantages of that is putting people to work. My sister was the officiant. My other sister is a registered nurse and she took temperatures as guests entered the venue. My nephew was the DJ ( he’s a professional DJ). My nieces and other nephew served the food. My close friend was the coordinator. Al’s friend and her co-worker were the bartenders (which they do professionally), my friends and I did all the décor.”
16
Black-Owned And Proud
From the wedding vendors to the liquors served, Shalwah and Al were intent on making sure the businesses they hired to help put their wedding together were Black-owned. “My most important resolution for 2020 was to make at least 80 percent of my ongoing purchases were from Black-owned businesses, says Shalwah. “So we wanted to make sure we were also honoring that with the wedding as much as we could. It was really important to us to introduce these businesses and creatives to our family and friends, and also to make sure we were giving them much-needed business during these hard times.”
17
Dance The Night Away
The newlyweds and their guests danced the night away to hip hop, soca and old school R&B all night long.
18
Hit The Floor
Shalwah and Al’s guests had fun on the dancefloor while keeping safe distances. We love to see it!
19
Sweet Tooth
The delicious garden-themed vanilla wedding cake was made by the couple’s friend Christina Grajales. According to the newlyweds, guests haven’t stopped raving about it since.
20
Shalwah’s Advice To Brides
“If you focus on the marriage and less on the wedding, you’ll be alright. We decided that if the cake had fallen, and my dress had ripped, or the alcohol had run out, it wouldn’t matter because in the end we were married and we said those vows in front of our family and friends.”
21
Curaçao, Here We Come
Since the Van-Dykes weren’t able to have their destination wedding in Curaçao like they originally planned, they will be heading to the island for a vow renewal when it’s deemed safe to travel again.
