When Natasha, a VP of marketing at BET Networks, first decided to partake in the online dating scene, joining Bumble in May 2019, she was skeptical about how it worked — and admittedly a bit confused.
“I had no idea how to even navigate the app,” she tells ESSENCE.
But with some help, she would finally understand the dating app, and make a life-changing connection through it. “At a friend’s birthday party, my friend’s wife decided to give me a tutorial and show me how to use the app and she swiped right on Michael.”
Soon after, Michael, a senior business development manager at fintech company Marqeta, ended up making quite the impression on Natasha. A year later, amid the pandemic, their bond was solidified by adversity.
“During the pandemic, amidst all of the turmoil and uncertainty in the world, Michael proved to be my safe haven,” she says, as the two crashed together in Brooklyn. “We spent months quarantined in my small one-bedroom apartment, and instead of getting sick of each other, we grew closer together. Michael’s patience, understanding and ability to love my authentic self, flaws and all, made me realize that I found my forever person.”
He felt the same, noting that Natasha’s support of him in one of the most difficult times in his life, the loss of his father during the pandemic, proved to him that she was the one.
“While we had only known each other for a short amount of time, it tied us closer together,” he says. “Unfortunately, it was an experience that she had already gone through. Tasha showed up for me in a way that I didn’t expect for her to and she really didn’t have to. The way she looked after me and the way she interacted with my family it was clear that this is someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.”
With that in mind, Michael would go on to work with “the two Kias” as he calls them (his sister Kia and Natasha’s cousin Kia), to propose to her. On May 25, 2021, during a trip to Jamaica to celebrate Natasha’s 40th birthday, he got down on one knee, in front of 100 of her friends and family on Zoom, and asked for her hand in marriage.
For more than a year after, the couple meticulously planned out what would be their special day with the great help of planner Yodit Gebreyes Endale. As Michael is from the DMV area, they opted to say “I do” at the spacious Salamander Resort & Spa in Virginia in front of 250 to 300 guests on July 16. The day incorporated numerous personal touches, from the waving of Jamaican flags to honor Natasha’s culture, to the playing of go-go music to celebrate Michael’s upbringing in DC. Those personal touches were seen most at the reception. The night ended on the dance floor, where people happily let loose alongside Mr. and Mrs. Hollis.
“While the entire day was wonderful, the reception was what some might call a ‘bashment,'” Michael says. “What an incredible feeling to see so many folks from different phases of our lives come together on the dance floor and have a wonderful time.”
“The pure love, joy and fun in the room was infectious and a memory that I’ll carry forever,” Natasha says.
Learn more about how the couple’s big day came together, including with the aid of Black vendors and minority-owned businesses, the personalized aspects of the ceremony and reception, and the most memorable moments for the bride and groom, all while seeing stunning images from their wedding in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
A better look at Natasha’s bridal gown, her first of two dresses worn on her wedding day.
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A Good-Looking Groom
Michael, all smiles, receives help getting dressed for his big day.
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Showing Love to Those Lost
“My father passed in 2018, and Michael’s father passed in 2020, so we wanted to make sure to honor our fathers and their indelible legacies,” the bride says. “We placed pics of our favorite memory with our dads in a frame with signs in memorial seats reserved in their honor, and I had a charm on my bouquet so that my father was with me as I walked down the aisle as I’ve always dreamed.”
Joshua Dwain Photography
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A True Family Affair
Natasha’s family was involved in making some of the most special moments happen. “My older sister, who was my matron of honor, worked with my younger brother to bring the hat that my dad wore to walk her down the aisle 18 years ago. She presented it to me the morning of my wedding — luckily before I got my makeup done because I broke down in tears,” she says. “My older brother Karl, who has played a pseudo father figure my entire life, walked me down the aisle.” Michael also went to Karl to ask for Natasha’s hand in marriage, so she says, “It only felt right for him to play that role.”
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A Celebrated Sermon
“I absolutely loved our ceremony led by our pastor, Reverend Omari Hughes of New Life Church in Laurel, MD. As we spent 10 months in premarital counseling, his sermon, coupled with the vows we wrote to each other, made the ceremony super personal,” Natasha says. “Many of our guests raved about the sermon and shared that they walked away inspired by his words, whether they were single or married for years.”
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The Looks
“I wore a custom David Yearick gown from Bridal Reflections for my ceremony with a heavily beaded top and off the shoulder chandelier sleeves for a classic bridal look,” Natasha says. “For my reception, I changed into a fun and sexy Pnina Tornai sequined dress that I purchased at Kleinfeld’s sample sale at a heavily discounted price. Michael wore a custom navy suit by one of his favorite suit designers, Articles of Style, owned by his fellow Columbia University alum [Dan Trepanier].
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The Venue
“We fell in love with the Salamander during our first visit,” the bride says. “Between its beautiful location in the blue mountains and VA wine country, the luxurious accommodations and the fact that it is owned by a Black woman, we were sold upon arrival.”
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The First Dance
The couple take a twirl, warming up the dance floor for their guests.
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The Couple’s Favorite Moments
“At the reception, our DJ played one of my favorite songs, the classic R&B song ‘Can We Talk’ by Tevin Campbell as the salads were placed and a majority of our guests hit the dance floor, getting the party started before guests began to eat their meals. That moment kicked off a night of dancing to hip-hop, reggae and Afrobeats music.” DJ Gekko, also managed to incorporate both the bride and groom’s culture into tunes played. “He’s Caribbean and from DC, so he was able to bridge our two cultures with nods to reggae and go-go music throughout the reception,” she adds.
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Jamming for Jamaica
“I am first-generation American, with both of my parents (and some siblings) born in Jamaica. As my culture is core to my existence, I secured over 200 Jamaican flags to pass out to guests during the reception,” Natasha says. “Once the reggae music played, everyone, no matter where they were from, turned into honorary Jamaicans and waved their flags with pride to the beat. It felt like a true joining of families to have Michael’s family, who hail from DC, North Carolina and Georgia, dancing to dancehall music and waving the Jamaican flag.”
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Happily Ever Hollis
The day was a success, and went off without a hitch thanks to a long list of vendors of color. “We chose our vendor crew with the specific intention of supporting Black and minority-owned businesses,” Natasha says. “Our venue, planner, photographer, videographer, florist, decor, bridesmaid dresses, DJ, violinist, lighting & decor vendors are all Black and minority-owned businesses.”
