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A native of New Orleans with the distinct, delightful accent, from the moment Heather arrived on the campus of Clark Atlanta University in the post-Hurricane Katrina era, people were drawn to her. According to her, classmates were fascinated by all the students coming in from The Big Easy.

“Everyone on campus was intrigued by our strength, adaptability, and our accents,” she tells ESSENCE for Bridal Bliss, “so I definitely led with ‘I’m from New Orleans’ all the time and it helped with every single conversation in any capacity.” 

But Heather would eventually be the one drawn to someone else, their own accent as alluring as her own.

When she first noticed Drew on campus, a Brooklyn native, she used her charisma and confidence to spark an unexpected, bold conversation. “I walked up to him and complimented him on his amazing eyes and told him that I wanted my kids to have those eyes,” she recalls. “His response was ‘When are we getting started?’ From then on we were connected. He matched my New Orleans wittiness with his Brooklyn charm.”

But maintaining that connection would require them to overcome some hurdles. When the couple graduated from college, she returned to New Orleans, Drew to Brooklyn. The two would split because of the distance. However, when a post-collegiate internship brought Heather the opportunity of a lifetime to move to New York City, they had another chance. While she pursued her dreams, he was reminded of how important it was to pursue her.  

“Her being in my city only strengthened our connection and watching her take on and thrive gave me a greater appreciation and love for Heather,” he says. “Our love story hasn’t been perfect, mostly myself to blame for that, but Heather has been loving, loyal and patient throughout.” 

The two would withstand the breakups to makeups, always finding their way back to each other. About 10 years after they met, in 2021, Drew decided to ask for Heather’s hand in marriage. He proposed to her the day before Valentine’s Day, a “A true Brooklyn proposal” that included a lot of snow, bar-hopping in Bed-Stuy and dinner at their favorite romantic Italian restaurant. 

Wedding planning wasn’t as sweet, as the couple tried to lock down plans in New Orleans from New York City. But the big day, on April 22, 2022, was everything the pair could have wanted and more — for themselves and their guests. 

“Having our wedding in NOLA during festival season was intentional to bring our families and friends to the BEST CITY in the U.S., during one of the best times of the year,” she says. “We wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Heather also threw a huge party after the wedding, and provided activities that ran from Thursday through Sunday.

“I am a self-proclaimed New Orleans ambassador so I had to make sure all of my guests had a lot of activities to choose from,” she says. “I called all of my promoter friends in the city to make sure that our wedding party had the VIP treatment all weekend long. Over the wedding weekend we visited Vandal, CIAO, Treehouse, French Quarter Fest, and Pressure, and we had a great time at every place. We also had a Welcome to New Orleans cookout hosted by my family with all of my favorite New Orleans dishes, and sounds by DJ Captain Charles. We had a ball, and our friends can’t wait to do it all over again for ESSENCE Fest!”    

What a weekend! The fun that was had with 175 family and friends, all dressed in black for the big day, was evident in the gorgeous images shot by Dark Roux Photography. See how they pulled off one of the biggest parties in town and learn more about the love story that inspired it. 

Bridal MUAs – Fatimot Isadare & Sade Isadare

DJ – DJ Keith Scott

Caterer – Bacon and Fig 

Cake – The Royal Cakery

Florals – Villere’s Florist

Video – Très Bien Photo + Video

TOPICS:  black weddings Bridal Bliss new orleans

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