Bridal Bliss: Inside Tara And Ofo's Brooklyn Bash

“Early on, I had this kind of spiritual knowing,” Tara says when sharing how she knew Ofo was the man for her. “As I mentioned before, Ofo and I dated twice. The first time didn’t work out, but what made the breakup so painful was that I felt this deep, soul-level connection to him—and I’d even had a vision of us getting married. Fast forward to round two of our dating, and this time, we really saw each other. Ofo has the biggest heart. His capacity for love is more than I could have imagined on that first date. He fights with everything he’s got to bring humanity back to housing. He believed in where his company was going, even when no one else did. He believes in his employees, his family, and me—sometimes more than we believe in ourselves. That’s excellence, and it’s inspiring.”

“I think I’ve learned that I’m a peace chaser. Life throws curveballs all the time—that’s the variable part. But I don’t want a partner who’s as variable as life. I need my rock,” Ofo says about the qualities that make Tara his match. “Tara and I have always communicated with relative ease, so I knew early on that we were incredibly compatible.”

While the couple initially planned to tie the knot in Maryland with their sights set on a backyard bash, they were inspired to stay close to home and marry in BK. “We hired a wedding planner and were determined not to break the bank,” Tara says. “In the end, we found a stunning venue in Red Hook called Shell’s Loft (not in this pic). I had seen one of their other venues in Fort Greene, and Ofo had done a shoot at their Red Hook location. It felt like the perfect fit.”

Ofo’s sleek ensemble was created by Illbert Sanchez’s Garçon Couture. Honoring his Igbo culture, lions were featured on the suit buttons and on his vest. In the inseam of his coat were the words “Mine mine mine,” which were the same words used to announce their engagement on Instagram. It was also engraved in the couple’s wedding bands.

The person who helped the couple exchange vows during their ceremony was Ofo’s father. Previously ordained, he had to obtain a license in NYC to lead the ceremony.

“My aunt made my necklace,” Tara says, running down the elements of her ensemble for the ceremony. “She created an initial mockup knowing I wanted it to be mostly white with just a pop of blue, and then we adjusted it from there. I wore my grandma’s watch and bracelet. As for the dress, I got a loving push from my stylist friend, Quanasia, and the team at Kleinfeld. Oddly enough, I bought it at a sample sale back in March, before I knew any details about our wedding—before we even had a venue! To be honest, I was in a bit of a tough place at the time, dealing with fibroid issues and deciding whether or not to get surgery. I went to the sample sale just to look around and somehow ended up leaving with this giant, heavy gown that I felt pretty ambivalent about. In the end, it turned out to be perfect.”

The couple seal the deal to be Mr. and Mrs., with a kiss.

“It truly was such a special day,” Tara says. “Ofo called it a ‘graduation moment.’ This felt like the beginning of a new chapter—one filled with abundance, love, family, and peace.”

“Our dear friend Zoje choreographed a duet for us! The first song was Beyoncé’s ‘Drunk in Love,’ followed by Skales’ ‘Shake Body.’ We learned the whole thing in just three rehearsals—honestly, we weren’t totally sure how it all came together, but we’re beyond grateful it did. The money photo happened during ‘Shake Body,’ when people started throwing money at us. They even brought out a money machine to spit money at us,” the bride says with a laugh.

“Every second was incredible,” Ofo says. “The day was special from top to bottom, and I’m so grateful that Durrell our photographer and Lou our videographer were there to capture the essence of it all in the photos and videos.”

A beloved Nike trainer, it was only right the brand came through for Tara, and her new hubby, by gifting them custom Air Force 1 shoes that were embellished for the special occasion for the bride and the groom.

“Ofo and I have already been living together for two years, so in many ways, things haven’t changed at all since the wedding. But in other ways, everything feels completely different,” Tara says. “I now have a life partner who I’m building with. We don’t know exactly what life will bring, but after the craziness of this past year, we know one thing for sure: we want to do this thing called life together. I’m excited to see him as a parent, to keep exploring the world with him, and to learn new skills along the way. Honestly, I’m even excited to grow old together.”

“Peace and building a family,” Ofo says of what he’s looking forward to most about building a life with his bride. “Tara and I are both passionate, driven, intelligent, and fun-loving humans. So when I say ‘peace,’ I mean it in the sense that I’m truly aligned with this human. Even though there will be disagreements, tough situations, and more to navigate, I want to go through all of it with her. We’re so aligned spiritually and energetically, and I think we keep each other young and uplifted as a result. I also want to build a family. We both want to raise children who are beautiful inside and out. We’re big believers in God and in the power of what He can do in our lives, and we want our children to experience those same blessings, guidance, and peace.”

Oh, about the green! Tara wanted everyone to wear green to represent as their unofficial bridal party. It worked perfectly for the intimate celebration, as there were only 60 t0 75 people present, but they came with big energy and a lot of love for the couple. “I was a little resistant at first, but it all came together beautifully,” Ofo says of the green. “Our families were fully immersed in the day, and our friends showed up ready to party,” he adds. “The speeches, the choreographed dance we prepped before the wedding, and the big dance party the reception turned into—it was all amazing.”