Samira Wiley tied the knot just five months ago and she is still on cloud nine.
The former Orange Is The New Black star and her bride, Lauren Morelli, met on set of the hit Netflix show —and the two planned the wedding of their dreams in just six months. Talking with ESSENCE, the Washington D.C. native discussed how she and her wife pulled off their big day without a hitch, dished on what newlywed life is like, plus gave out a few tricks that everyone should take note of to plan a hitch-free wedding.
“I had a pretty big year, I got married,” Wiley said with delight. She says a big part in alleviating some of the stress of wedding planning was American Express’ new mobile system, #PlanItPayIt, which allows consumers more options for how purchases are paid via credit card. “It’s crazy and hectic getting married. You have to buy so many things. Your bill adds up unknowingly. The app helped us to plan our life better and it puts more control in our hands.”
“So far, I’ve learned from marriage —more internally than externally— is how I think about she and me,” the Emmy-nominated actress revealed. “There’s another part of us as a whole together. I know now there’s a sense of security, a sense of this is my team. This is the team for life. She ain’t going nowhere. It’s just a sense of security that feels really, really good.”
The 30-year-old shares that one of the best things they have in common is food so when their schedules align, quiet and intimate in-home date nights are always their best bet. While her wife commands the kitchen, Wiley is at the bar making her speciality cocktail.
“A drink that can be perfect, and it’s not hard to get it right because it’s not too complicated is a Manhattan. There’s only a couple of ingredients: some bourbon and some sweet vermouth. You need to make sure you add Luxardo cherries because that’s what really makes the drink. It’s this perfect little sweet treat at the end. You can’t do Maraschino because that’s just abominable! And always remember stirred, not shaken.
We’ll cheers to that!