When entrepreneur Macee first met Trae in 2014, it happened because she slid in his DMs. She wasn’t looking for love, or even a simple good time when she made the move, but rather, to discuss a business opportunity. Nevertheless, they hit it off. A week later, they were doing more than business, meeting up for the first of what would be many dates.
“We literally had one date and we both knew we had found the one,” she tells ESSENCE. “He’s never left my side since.”
Trae decided in 2019 to keep Macee by his side, proposing to her during an annual cookout at her parents’ house. He gathered her whole family as well as friends, with a whopping 200 people present as he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.
“We felt like we were on cloud 9, which is how we came up with our wedding hashtag: #OnCloudCaple,” she says. “It was such a magical moment with our close friends and family there to celebrate our love.”
It would come second only to Macee and Trae’s wedding day, on May 29. The couple said I do in an extravagant celebration at the Sagamore Pendry Hotel in Baltimore. It was only right to go big considering the couple had their plans turned upside down, changing their date twice from a fall 2020 wedding to a spring 2021 bash due to the pandemic. But it was all worth the wait.
“After all the stress, everything that we wanted came together beautifully,” she says.
And she’s not kidding! From the images alone, it’s clear it was a stunning ceremony and reception. Check out all of the photos of their special day and learn more about their love story and what married life is like after the “I dos.”
Want your wedding to be considered for feature in Bridal Bliss? Email us a few wedding photos and the story of your big day, with a few quotes, at bridalbliss@essence.com.
01
Meet the Caples
“Being an entrepreneur, owning a dance school, it was a hard struggle finding a man who could understand my demanding schedule and my very ‘boss like’ nature. But Trae was different,” Macee says. “Trae was always willing to accommodate things around my schedule, and never backed down to my strong personality, unlike others I had dated in the past.”
Terri Baskin
02
The Proposal
“On the day of the cookout, my sister and her boyfriend faked an argument to get me inside the house and away from the backyard where, unbeknownst to me, Trae and our loved ones were setting up the surprise,” Macee says. “I went back outside to the backyard and there was literally no one there. The backyard was empty and at that point I freaked out! I ran to the front door and opened it, and to my surprise there were over 200 people lined up on both sides of the front lawn with their phone lights beaming while the song ‘Sweet Lady’ by Tyrese played. I walked down the aisle, and Trae was standing at the end underneath a beautiful white floral arch. He got down on one knee and proposed to me. And after I said yes, FIREWORKS went off!”
Terri Baskin
03
The Venue
The couple originally were set to wed on October 10, 2020 at the MGM Resort, but due to COVID, they had to not only change their date but also their theme.
Terri Baskin
04
Outdoor ‘I Dos’
“We always knew we wanted to go with a classic white and gold regal look with a modern twist,” she says. “I was originally opposed to getting married outside, however after choosing our new venue at the Pendry, I was taken aback by the courtyard, which swayed me toward an outdoor ceremony.”
Terri Baskin
05
Bring in the Bride
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06
Pandemic Lessons
Macee says the pandemic taught her and Trae how to be patient. “Due to the pandemic we pushed our wedding back three times. We discussed so many times about going to the courthouse instead of having our huge wedding,” she says. “We contemplated many different smaller wedding ideas, but we didn’t go through with it.”
Terri Baskin
07
Time to Grow
“During the pandemic we realized that this was God giving us time to grow closer, redefine our relationship, and understand that as we navigate through life together, everything will not be in our control,” Macee says.
Terri Baskin
08
A Classic Cake
This beauty was created by the DMV’s Couture Cakes by Sabrina.
Terri Baskin
09
The Most Memorable Moment
“The best part was that we finally had a big day,” Macee jokes. “Seriously, with so many shutdowns we didn’t even think our wedding day would ever come!”
Terri Baskin
10
Distinct Decor
“What I remember most is how shocked we were at the room reveal. Due to our venue change we had to make so many last-minute adjustments to the decor. After all the stress, everything that we wanted came together beautifully.”
Terri Baskin
11
Dancing Dolls
Macee owns a dance school, so some of her students performed at the reception, to the delight of guests.
Terri Baskin
12
The Wedding Party
The bride’s tribe and the groom’s guys came together for this lovely shot at the fabulous Sagamore Pendry Hotel.
Terri Baskin
13
Before the Celebration
As her big day unfolded, Macee was captured in her last moments as Ms. Whitehead before becoming Mrs. Caple.
Terri Baskin
14
The Small Details
The gorgeous stationary was created at the hands of By Dami Studios in NYC.
Terri Baskin
15
The Groom’s Parents
Everyone was ready to party, including Trae’s parents.
Terri Baskin
16
The Bride’s Parents
Macee’s mom and dad had the chance to speak to the guests during the beautiful reception.
Terri Baskin
17
The Groom’s Dance
We love a good groom’s dance, and we especially loved this shot of Trae doing his.
Terri Baskin
18
Bouquet Toss
After changing into her second look of the night, Macee was ready to share the love with the bouquet toss.
Terri Baskin
19
It’s a Party!
Terri Baskin
20
Married Life
“We are just enjoying each other and going with the flow of life!” Macee says. “Because we had a huge wedding, we were super exhausted from the planning. We decided that after the wedding we would plan our honeymoon as a spur of the moment trip. A few weeks after we got married, we booked our honeymoon, and traveled to Tulum and Cancun, Mexico, for a week to just relax and regroup. We decided for our first year of marriage we would catch up on some traveling, start investing as a couple, and map out our 5-year plan as The Caples.”
