The love story between Brooklynites Tara and Ofo began as many relationships in the “10s” decade did — it went down in the DMs. But it wasn’t love at first message for the two.
Ofo spotted the Nike trainer, actress, and wellness guru in a mutual friend’s vacation photo and decided to shoot his shot in the spring of 2018. The WYL (WhoseYourLandlord) founder and CEO would have to do it a couple of times though, and wait a while before hearing anything from Tara.
“It took me a minute to respond,” she tells ESSENCE, explaining that she was new to Instagram at the time. “At first, I was skeptical. I mean, he was just some guy on the Internet.”
She decided to give him a shot but admittedly did so while still harboring that skepticism. “I was so reluctant to go out with this ‘stranger’ that our first date ended up being a trio instead of a duet,” she says. “So, there was me, Ofo, and one of my friends.”
If she thought bringing a girlfriend would deter him, she was wrong. The man could multitask. “I remember being impressed by how effortlessly he made my friend feel welcome while still making sure I knew who he was there for,” she says. After dropping off Tara and her friend at her apartment in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Ofo messaged her. He wanted to know if she was free to hang out again the next day, and she said yes, this time meeting without the presence of her homegirl. “As they say, the rest is history,” she says.
The two would couple up more than once. And while things initially didn’t work out after a year of dating, COVID would help them reunite in a way they weren’t expecting. “As we started talking again, Ofo asked if I wanted to join him for a two-week trip to Buffalo. What was supposed to be two weeks turned into 2.5 months of living together and realizing we were right for each other,” she says. “We came back to Brooklyn, where we were still living separately, but less than a year later, we moved in together in Flatbush.”
Soon after, it became clear that they were each other’s person. She appreciated his affection, support, and genuine love for her. “He nurtures my goals, motivates me with his own passion and work ethic, uplifts me through the peaks and valleys of life, and insists on hundreds of daily kisses and hugs,” she says. “Some days, he gets on my last nerve. When we first met, I was all kinds of unsure—especially when I thought I might have found someone more ambitious than me. The jury’s still out on that one. But he sees me—all of me—and somehow, he manages to love all of me. I didn’t think love like this existed for me. To be my weirdo, emotional, artsy fartsy, Type A self and have that be just right…it’s more than I ever thought possible.”
For Ofo, it didn’t take long for him to know that Tara was special, but he had the actual feeling that she was his soulmate, the kind of feeling that ran through him like electricity in 2021 during a trip to Miami. “At some point, we ended up at a beach in North Beach. As we walked along the shoreline, we paused and hugged. And in that moment, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Damn, I think I love this girl,'” he recalls. “We’d already had conversations about how well we fit together, and I think we both had checked a lot of the boxes for each other. But the feeling—the unexplainable wave of energy, the kind of love people often describe—that’s what hit me that day. And it’s stayed with me ever since.”
And so, in 2023, he popped the question. It didn’t happen when Tara suspected it would during one of their romantic summer getaways. There was one specific time she thought it was happening while the two were visiting France. “One of the most memorable ‘jokes’ was in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where he pretended to drop something on the ground, started to get down on one knee, and then said, ‘Just kidding.'”
But on September 28, 2023, he finally put the pranks aside and asked for her hand. He did so in D.C., her hometown, while she was visiting for a Nike conference she was teaching at.
“Ofo had arranged for our families to meet up in a specific gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum with the instructions to act like they were casually perusing art. The plan was for Ofo to take me there because he really wanted me to see the portraits of Toni Morrison and the Obamas,” she recalls. “We casually walked by the gallery, and Ofo suggested we pop in. When we entered, our family members turned around, and at that point, I got really excited, nervous, scared, all the feels, and blurted out, ‘What is going on?’ When I turned around, Ofo was on one knee, asking me to marry him. I immediately burst into tears and said yes.”
A little over a year later, they officially said “I do” on October 6, forgoing their original plans to tie the knot with a backyard wedding for a party at a swanky space called Shell’s Loft in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. The celebration was an intimate one that honored their cultures: Ofo’s parents are Nigerian and Bajan, and Tara’s parents are both Haitian. Ofo’s father even officiated the ceremony. There were so many sweet personal touches, from a choreographed dance to a family-made necklace and more; it was an unforgettable celebration of love for the couple.
“Our friends and family really smothered us with love,” Tara says. “It was overwhelming in the best possible way.”
Learn more about their connection, how their special day came to life, and their hopes for the future in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
“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.”
Vendors
Wedding Planner: Statuesque Events
Catering: Day Anaïs
Photography: Durrell Hospedale
Videography: High Quality Lou
Florals: M.Sarah Designs by Doyin
Bridal Hair and Makeup: Danielle Waugh of InHerBeauty
Bridal Styling: Quanasia Graham (Dresses by Kleinfeld Bridal, Pnina Tornai, and RETROFÊTE
Groom Styling: Garçon Couture
Choreography: Ehizoje Azeke
Rings: Fana
Venue: Shell’s Loft