Raquel and Jahlell made a pact that their wedding would be royal and regal, but that the reception would be far from formal and stuffy. They wanted to have fun on their wedding day, and by the looks of it, they accomplished that. After selecting the perfect location, a cute little country club called St. Ives nestled 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, every granular detail was pulled together with the help of the matriarchs in their families.
As we know, the devil’s in the details. Thanks to an ultra-exclusive florist who’s only promotion
Take a scroll through for Raquel and Jahlell’s beautiful wedding moments.
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01
Meet The Owens’s
Venue: St. Ives Country Club
Day of Coordinator: Bob Cooper and Monica Jackson
Florist: Jose Viera – Atlanta Flower Man
Cake: Perfect Wedding Cake – Ramona Oskirka
Photographers: Sophia Barrett
Makeup Artist: Christian Alexander @geishaboii
Hairstylist: Shawon Pinder
Wedding Dress: Winnie Couture
Alterations: TK Bridal & Alterations
Bride Shoes: Tom Ford
Reception Dress: Linda Bezuidenhout
Alterations: Lawana Nelson
Junior Bride Dress: Pantora Mini
DJ: MixmasterDavid – mixmasterdavid.com
Stationery: Papyrus
Tux: Armani
Groom Shoes: Louis Vuitton
02
Stress-Free Bride-To-Be
“It felt amazing to be a bride; it was the one-day where I could have everything my way with no complaints. Everyone treated me like a queen.”
03
The “B” Stands For Bestie, Not Bridesmaid
“I chose not to have bridesmaids. I had a maid of honor who is my first cousin and best friend. I wanted her in something stylish and classy as well, so I chose an off the shoulder white dress, similar color to mine.”
04
How They Met
Raquel and Jahlell started off as co-workers at the same car dealership. Eventually, their work relationship blossomed into something more. Raquel admits she had a major crush, thinking the feeling wasn’t mutual. Then one day, Jahlell made a confession at work. “[He told me], ‘I really like you. And I want to be with you. I need you in my life. Do you feel the same?!!’ I couldn’t believe it.”
05
The Proposal Was Inspired By Someone Special
“As crazy as it sounds Jahlell asked me to marry him during our first few months of dating. I, of course, deemed this as a joke. But Jahlell’s grandmother at the time had become terminally ill with stage 4 cancer. One of her dying wishes was to see her only grandchild get married. He proposed in front of her as she laid down in her bed smiling and filled with joy. He thought, ‘I don’t know if my grandmother will be here to see the wedding, so she has to be part of something.'”
06
She’s The One
“I knew Raquel (I call her Rockie) was the one when she gave me a book…Many females have given me things but not one has ever given me a book. She also would bring me fruit because at the time I didn’t eat healthy. This showed me a love I’ve never witnessed. She was investing in me. And to me this was real love, and nothing to play with.”
07
Tweaked To Perfection
Raquel’s wedding dress search was quite the journey. “I couldn’t find the dress I was looking for, and so I decided to get it made. (BIG mistake!) The dress did not come out as I had envisioned and I wanted to die. With my wedding day a month away, I had to think on my feet. I went back to a dress I fell in love with and made some tweaks. The dress was from Winnie Couture and they totally saved my life.”
08
The Groom’s View
“It felt amazing to be a groom, although I never dreamt about it, it was exactly what I thought it would be. – I received a lot of love and it was just amazing to see my beautiful bride on her big day.”
09
First Look
“After meeting with my husband for our first look, he reminded me that this is our day and no one else’s. It doesn’t matter what happens, just have fun and bask in the moment. And just like that, all my stresses were put to rest.”
10
Just The Two of Us
Raquel and Jahlell said their first look was the most memorable part of their day. “It was the best!,” Raquel says. “We got a moment to ourselves. We got to admire each other’s look. We prayed, cried, laughed. It was a great moment to share between the two of us before we saw our guest.”
11
The ‘Perfect’ Walk
“I chose to walk down the aisle with my Dad to “Perfect (Duet)” by Ed Sheeran ft. Beyonce.”
12
Heartfelt Vows
“With my husband being Muslim and I, a Christian we said our vows on the outdoor patio of the St. Ives Country Club, my pastor preached a small sermon to join us as one. And a month later we had a small outdoor Islamic wedding with just close family.”
13
Tight Knit Crew
“We had 120 guests attend our wedding, a decent size. Neither of us wanted a big wedding, we only invited those who meant a lot to us. Everyone at our wedding was family with a few close friends.”
14
A Dapper Mrs. and Stunning Mrs.
How fab is this couple?
15
Clean And Simple
“I wanted everything to be Gold and ivory,” Raquell says. “My floral arrangement and centerpieces consisted of white hydrangeas. No greenery, because I wanted a clean look. In the vase of the centerpieces were clear marbles that gave the arrangement a little personality. “
16
One Stop Shop
“St. Ives Country Club was the perfect location. It didn’t require the guests to leave the premise. Immediately after the outdoor wedding ceremony was the cocktail hour in the Mayfair room with an outdoor balcony. Then we opened the corridors to the reception room.”
17
Plan B
“As I reflect on my wedding day, one lesson I’ve learned is always have a back up plan,” Raquel says. “Something is going to go wrong but it wont be as big as your wedding day. So let it roll off your back, it’s a small thing to a giant.”
18
A Sweet Ending
“Our wedding cake was all white/ivory with gold detailing. As party favors, we gave out cups filled with M&M’s with our faces on them.”
19
Emphasis On The Party
“My husband and I made a promise to each other that we would have fun on our wedding day. We wanted it to be a party. So when I felt like it was time, I went up to everyone’s table and they immediately went to the dance floor. “
20
Pictures Say It All
Raquel says one of the best decisions she made was choosing a top notch photographer. “My photographer was Sophia Barrett with Sophia Barrett Studios. In my opinion, she is simply the best. To all future brides, I must say… if you have to splurge on anything, please let it be the photographer!”
21
Eurotrippin’
A week after the wedding, Raquel and Jahlell went to Europe for their honeymoon – stopping in Amsterdam, Paris and Venice, Italy.
