Pierre and Ronald Varnado, a sweet Southern couple living in New York City, knew they wanted their New Orleans wedding to be fun, reception-focused and on budget. Like magic, they pulled it off without a hitch.
Pierre, a makeup artist and founder of the luxury eyelash brand Sixteen88, threw a launch party for her brand in January 2019. The event was attended by 20 of her closest friends, but a special guest (her now hubby!) popped up to asked if she’d be his forever. Of course, she said yes!
True to their Black excellence theme, Pierre and Ronald hired a team of Black wedding vendors to handle food, decor and everything in between. Their 150 guests partied like rockstars (complete with an entire band) and the newlyweds looked amazing every moment of the day.
Scroll through the gallery to see photos of Ronald and Pierre’s NOLA wedding, and watch their story unfold in this week’s episode of Behind Bridal Bliss!
01
Meet The Varnados
Bride: Pierrereyon Ellis, professional makeup artist, 32
Groom: Ronald Varnado, infrastructure support engineer, 32
Venue: The Cannery, New Orleans, LA
Theme: Black tie
Design and Decor: B. Sherrie Designs
Floral: B. Sherrie Designs
Photographer: Conrad with Nola Hitch Photography
Videographers: Britney Brand with Crownyb and Franklyn Grant
Photobooth: Ellis and Company Photobooth
Nails: Nydia with Nydia Nails
Hair: Kentrice Collins
Makeup: Pierre with Beauty By Pierre
Dress: Kleinfeld
Second dress: Tomeka with DENYM and diamonds
Tuxedo: Nordstrom
Barber: Ike at Wecutnup Barber Shop ( 507 W. Bank express Gretna, Louisiana)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo & Saconey x Politics Nola
Music: DJ Jess
02
All Hail The Queen
Pierre rocked custom loungewear embroidered with her nickname as she got ready on her big day. How adorable!
03
High Stepper
Pierre’s feathered Jimmy Choo pumps stole the show.
04
Dressed To Impress
“My mother helped me get dressed for my big day,” says Pierre. “Luckily things went pretty smooth that day, so we didn’t have any unexpected crises.”
05
Wedding Dress
Pierre luckily found her dream wedding dress on her first try. “I saved on dress alterations which I was extremely happy about,” she tells ESSENCE. “Also, my best friend made me a BEAUTIFUL custom veil which I legit kept on the entire night.”
06
Like A Dream
“Being a groom felt great,” says Ronald. “I never really dreamed about it to be honest, but the wedding came and went so fast.”
07
You Give Me Butterflies
Pierre was walked down the aisle to “Butterflyz” by Alicia Keys. “Marriage was always something I wanted,” Pierre says. “So to finally have my day it was so amazing.”
08
True Love
Ronald was overcome with emotion seeing his bride walk down the aisle.
09
God Bless This Union
“On our wedding day, I was at peace and somehow my nerves didn’t get to me at all,” says Pierre. “I prayed to have peace on our big day and God really blessed us.”
10
Unity Is All About “U and I”
“The tradition we decided to have during our wedding ceremony was the lighting of the unity candle.”
11
Circle Of Love
“The circle at our altar represented wholeness and being complete. “It was also a full-circle moment because we got married a few days shy of our 10-year anniversary.”
12
Black Excellence
“We had a black-tie wedding theme were our guest wore all black formal attire,” says Pierre. “Let’s just say, EVERYONE LOOKED AMAZING!!”
13
The Squad
Pierre and Ronald chose not to have a bridal party, but certainly didn’t lack in love and support from their tribe.
14
Love Of My Life
“What I love to most about my husband is his willingness to love me unconditionally regardless of my shortcomings,” says Pierre. “I also love how family oriented he is.”
15
An Epic Love Affair
Pierre and Ronald’s romantic centerpieces were created by New Orleans-based event planner B. Sherrie. “We chose red roses, candles, and circle centerpiece to match circle backdrop at the altar,” says Pierre.
16
Glam, Girl!
Pierre’s reception dress turned every head in the room.
17
Turn Up Queens
Pierre and her friends took plenty of pictures as they partied the night away.
18
Follow The Leader
The Zulu Tramps were a huge hit at the reception.
19
Second Line Time
The newlyweds jammed out with the second line, the Sporty Brass Band.
20
Dance Partners For Life
There’s nothing like having the spotlight on just you and bae.
21
Like Mother, Like Son
There’s nothing like a mother’s love.
22
Pierre’s Advice To Brides
“Whatever you set as your budget make sure you stick to it! In reality, weddings are very costly and real life is still happening. So you don’t want to get caught up in overdoing it, because you still have to live and survive after the wedding is over.”
23
Peace And Love
Pierre and Ronald didn’t throw an official after party. However, their reception was so lit, the majority of their guests headed to the club afterward to keep the celebration going. The partied out newlyweds headed home to rest up instead.
