Kadeejah and Oren’s elegant fall Brooklyn wedding was a true celebration of love and chic autumnal style. The couple’s marriage brought together classic romance with modern minimalism, resulting in a wedding that was as stunning as it was charming. From the rich hues of burgundy and gold, to the chic rooftop reception venue, every detail of the day was thoughtfully designed to capture the true essence of the season. The couple’s love story and unique personalities was felt in every detail, making this Brooklyn wedding a truly unforgettable event. Congratulations to the happy couple, may your love continue to shine brightly like the fall foliage!
How did you meet?
Oren and Kadeejah met at Sacred Heart RC Catholic School in Cambria Heights, Queens. As Kadeejah recalls, Oren had the “hots” for her in the 3rd grade but didn’t officially show interest until they were high school bound. Of course, Oren disputes the 3rd grade assertion but does recall asking Kadeejah to be his girlfriend some time after attending her 8th grade graduation party. A couple of days after her party, Oren texted and asked her to be his girlfriend.
What is your proposal story?
After their college and law school graduations, respectively, Oren began his career in private practice in NY as a civil engineer and Kadeejah stayed in Hartford to study for the bar and to begin her term as a law clerk for the Connecticut Superior Court. In March 2020 the coronavirus pandemic reached its peak. With the closure of the court, Kadeejah made the decision to move back to New York. During that time, however, she had no idea that Oren was planning a proposal that got derailed by the pandemic. Date nights during the pandemic consisted of talks on the porch and very long video chats. As scary as that time was, it gave them the opportunity to focus on their future and they were confident that no matter what happened, they would come out of it together. On September 5th, 2020, Oren picked Kadeejah up to take her to a brunch after months of her begging to get out of the house. On their way to the “brunch”, his mother called stating that she had left her wallet in the car and needed it immediately so she could leave. They raced home to return the wallet where Kadeejah found a beautiful brunch set up in Oren’s backyard with close friends and family in attendance. Oren then confessed that he wanted to celebrate her passing the bar since she didn’t get an opportunity to do it during the pandemic. Satisfied with his response and overwhelmed with gratitude, Kadeejah continued her day and enjoyed being surrounded so much love and support. As Kadeejah was eating, Oren stood up and thanked everyone for attending the event. He began to mention the amount of time that they had been dating, how much she meant to him, and that he hoped that they could build a home together. She quickly realized that this was not a brunch to celebrate her passing the bar–he was proposing. Oren’s brother, Joshua, then walked over to him and handed him the ring box. Oren got on one knee and… you know the rest. Photo Description: A generic date, revealed to be an all-white backyard brunch ensemble, disguised as a surprise celebration for Kadeejah passing the Bar Exam, turns into a proposal/engagement party. Oren gets on one knee and proposes to the love of his life and asks her to marry him.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding
We were both born in the city, grew up there, and fell in love there. We wanted our wedding to be a reflection of our love in the city. Right before our wedding, we moved to Brooklyn. Having our wedding there was reflective of many things in our relationship, but most importantly, the foundation to our marriage.
We knew from the start that we wanted a venue that served as a canvas so that we could create the wedding of our dreams. We also knew that we wanted a rustic, but glam wedding that reflected the warm and deep colors of the autumn season. As such, we choose 26 Bridge Street as our venue and rust, chocolate brown, and gold as our wedding color.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Kadeejah–Trends come and go but it has always been important to me to be a timeless bride. Mermaid style dresses have always been complementary to my figure so that was something I knew I wanted from the start. As I looked through bridal magazines, Instagram pages, and websites, I fell in love with pearl and gemstone accessories. I wanted to incorporate them into my wedding style and serve as compliment to my bridal style. I choose a Mikado fabric mermaid style Pronovias dress. The dress had buttons in the back and a structured. My shoes, headpiece, earring, veil and bag all had pearls to give my look the extra pop of glam it deserved.
Oren–My wife insisted that I splurge on a custom suit for my wedding and once I tried on my tux, I understood why. She told me the colors of the wedding and I wanted to be a reflection of the overall theme. My designer was great in explaining the different types of fabrics and pieces that would be complementary to the wedding design. I choose a custom two piece tux with a copper colored jacket. My jacket and shirt had my initials on it and added a unique touch for the day.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The most important thing to the two of us was to stay grounded during the planning. We were excited about all of the special touches and events leading up to the wedding but we didn’t want to loose ourselves in the process.
There were three things we decided splurge on: photography, video, and makeup. Every year on Kadeejah’s parents anniversary, she watches their wedding video. Her mother used to tell her that the day goes by so fast so its always good to be able to look back and simmer in the bliss of it all.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Kadeejah–My favorite part of the day was my first dance with my husband. It truly felt like we were the only ones in the room. Dancing in his arms was total bliss.
Oren–My favorite part of the day was after we said I do. Marrying Kadeejah has been a dream since we’d been together and after 10 years, it finally happened.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
We knew we wanted all white flowers as our wedding flowers for the reception. Lucky for us, our wedding planner extraordinaire also served as our florist and we left complete design control to her.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
To us, wedding cakes serve as a focal point in the reception space. Since our colors were copper and white, we wanted our cake to reflect that. our wonderful cake designer also presented textured options for us to add to the base of the design to add an extra flair. The cake flavor was a strawberry champagne filling.
What did you do for favors?
In the Caribbean culture, black cake is always served at a wedding. Kadeejah’s aunt generously offered to bake black cakes to serve to our guests as favors.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
On the day of the wedding, one of Kadeejah’s best friends and bridesmaids, Hollie, realized that she didn’t have anything borrowed. Hollie and Kadeejah have been friends since they were 3 years old. Over the course of those years, their families became friends as well. Kadeejah affectionately called Hollie’s mom, “Auntie Cheryl” and Auntie Cheryl considered Kadeejah to be one of her other children. Auntie Cheryl passed away in September of 2021. Knowing how much Auntie Cheryl and Kadeejah loved each other, Hollie let Kadeejah borrow her mother’s wedding pearls for her to wrap around her bouquet on her wedding day.
Oren–on our wedding day, My wife gifted me with a gold watch. Engraved on the inside was our wedding hashtag #LovePrevils 10/20/2022. I proudly wore it on ur special day.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their weddings now?
First, put God first. release and fears, anxieties and stresses you may have over the day to him. Second, focus on the both of you. Think about and prioritize each other, your wants, needs and desires. the day is about you, not anyone else. Third, ask for help! Our special day wouldn’t have been what it was without our amazing team. Sometimes, your team may be a hand full of close friends and family and that’s ok. Don’t be afraid to delegate and communicate what you want.