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When we got engaged, our vision was simple: a courthouse ceremony followed by a nice dinner with loved ones. No big production. No elaborate plans. Just something small, meaningful, and stress-free. But as we quickly learned, wedding planning has a way of evolving—especially when you're navigating cultural values and the dreams of the people you love most.
One of the early turning points came from Justin's mom, Deborah. Back in January—months before we committed to a full wedding—she encouraged Shadi to go out and find a wedding dress. At the time, we were still leaning toward a courthouse ceremony, but that one suggestion planted a seed. When we later decided to carry on with the wedding despite the challenges, her encouragement helped us embrace something more meaningful.
We set our wedding date for July 13, 2025. It was warm, not too in-demand, and gave us enough time (we thought) to plan something simple. But as it turns out, the path to that day would be anything but straightforward.
Love, family, and distance
Though we were content with a courthouse ceremony, Justin's mom encouraged us to go bigger. She felt we deserved a proper wedding celebration. At the same time, Shadi expressed one deep desire: for her parents in South Africa to attend and for her dad to walk her down the aisle. That moment was a deal-breaker for her.
Her parents applied for U.S. visitor visas twice. Both times, they were rejected due to "lack of strong ties to South Africa." Each application cost about $800, and the second rejection hit especially hard. Shadi was devastated. She had held onto hope and prayed for that moment with her father.
"It felt like something precious had been taken away from her. There were many sleepless nights, and at one point, she didn't think she could move forward with the wedding at all."
But her parents gave her their blessing to go ahead without them. It wasn't easy, but it helped us turn a page.
The search for the right setting
Once we accepted that her parents couldn't attend, we shifted back to a smaller idea: a court wedding with a nice restaurant afterward. Still, Shadi made it clear that she didn't want to get married indoors. In South Africa, outdoor weddings are the norm—sunlight, warmth, fresh air.
She wanted something outdoors or full of natural light—a place that reflected how she feels when she's in nature: happy and free. We started looking at restaurants in Detroit and Birmingham:
- The Whitney (beautiful but costly)
- Shinola Hotel (great light, but not the right vibe)
- Besa (too expensive)
- Eddie V's (took over a month to respond)
- Parc (not the right size)
- Oak & Reel (beautiful food, but didn't like the interior)
We made a spreadsheet and added an "outdoor option" column to narrow things down. With just two months left, we were running out of time and hope.
Enter cafe cortina
In a last-ditch effort, we used generative AI to help us find outdoor wedding venues in our price range. It recommended Cafe Cortina in Farmington Hills.
The space had everything we needed: a modern, minimalist aesthetic, beautiful greenery, an intimate elegant layout, incredible cuisine that would appeal to both our family and friends, and a reasonable price point. We called, unsure what to expect. Miraculously, July 13th was available.
Two months. One wedding. A crash course in coordination
From the moment we booked Cafe Cortina, the real planning began. And fast. With zero prior experience, we had to figure out everything—from logistics to design to timing. We handled most of the planning ourselves, but we weren't completely on our own. We received helpful advice along the way from friends, family, and our day-of-wedding coordinator, which gave us fresh perspectives and helped us make smarter decisions. On the big day, the coordinator stepped in fully—managing vendor arrivals, timeline logistics, and last-minute details—allowing us to be fully present and stress-free.
We even learned a choreographed first dance in just three days. That moment ended up being a highlight—not just because it looked great, but because it reflected us: hands-on, thoughtful, and collaborative.
The music: ceremony, cocktail hour & reception
Music was one of the most meaningful parts of our celebration. As a musician himself, Justin was intentional about curating distinct musical moods for each part of the day—classical and spiritual for the ceremony, and jazz, soul, funk, and R&B throwbacks for the reception.
Ceremony
For the ceremony, we entrusted the entire musical direction to the Walls family—Amos Walls (keys), his wife, Candace Walls (violin), and Candace's son, Cameron Barnes (viola). They performed all of the music, including our special request: Kenny G's Forever in Love for Shadi's walk down the aisle. Their trio brought such grace and class to the moment, closing the ceremony with a joyful and energetic Canon in D as the recessional, creating a serene and moving atmosphere that set the tone for the day.
We also featured a classical violin solo by Joshua Cisneros, a student at the University of Michigan. Joshua is a truly gifted violinist, and we sincerely anticipate great things from him in the future. His performance of Edward Elgar's Salut d'Amour added elegance and depth to the ceremony, leaving a lasting impression.
Reception
At the reception, we shifted the energy toward rhythm and soul. Our jazz quartet, led by Allen Dennard on trumpet, brought serious chops, finesse, and groove to the evening. The group—featuring Noah Jackson on upright bass, Caleb Robinson on drums, and Wyatt Forhan on keys—performed timeless classics like:
- "What's Going On" – Marvin Gaye
- "Cantaloupe Island" – Herbie Hancock
- "Red Clay" – Freddie Hubbard
They played during cocktail hour and the first 30 minutes of dinner, creating a laid-back yet sophisticated vibe that eased guests beautifully into the evening.
Two months prior, Justin—whose hobby is playing jazz piano—attended a jam session at Eat at Bert's where he ran into Allen, an old acquaintance. They caught up, and Justin showed Allen their engagement video. Curious about the wedding, Allen expressed interest in being involved. A month later, when planning began in earnest, Allen was the first person Justinthought of when putting together a band. His enthusiasm and reputation as one of Michigan's top musicians—having performed at the DSO just two days before our wedding—made him the perfect fit. Allen's deep jazz foundation, combined with his wide-ranging musical taste and versatility across styles, elevated the experience.
Our DJ and MC, Shaun Drone (DJ Drone Life), brought taste, refinement, and the kind of experience that elevated the entire evening. Justin knew Shaun from Stellantis, where he works as a professional engineer by trade, and had seen him DJ at several resource group functions as well as outside of work. Beyond his talent as a DJ, Shaun proved to be an exceptional MC with strong coordinating, technical, and logistical skills. We couldn't have asked for a better DJ.
He curated a music selection that reflected not only Shadi's personal favorites but also the types of music our guests love, based on the demographics we shared with him. It was a set that felt inclusive, dynamic, and entirely in sync with the room's energy.
Shadi and Justin set up a livestream for both the ceremony and reception so that family and friends, especially Shadi's parents in South Africa, could be part of the day from afar. About an hour into the reception—around 2:30 AM their time—we realized they might miss our last dance. To make sure they could see it, we decided to move it earlier in the evening.
What made Shaun stand out most was his adaptability and calm leadership. He adjusted instantly and made the transition feel seamless. Later in the evening, we also chose to say our vows after the toasts since we hadn't done so during the ceremony. That impromptu moment turned out to be one of the emotional highlights of the night, and Shaun helped guide the timing and flow with ease.
Shaun worked closely with both us and our wedding coordinator, Surae Johnson, to make these changes seamless. His flexibility, communication, and professionalism helped keep everything ahead of schedule—and most guests didn't even notice the timeline had shifted. If anything, it all flowed even better than the original plan.
Empowering our vendors: trusting the experts
One of the most effective decisions we made during planning was to empower our vendors instead of micromanaging them. We empowered each vendor to lead in their area of expertise—and they exceeded every expectation.
Floral design & venue layout
For florals, we worked with Corrina Kulhanek Petit Fleur Events—but we didn't agree right away on who to go with. Shadi leaned toward an abundance of flowers with minimal greenery, while Justin preferred more balance and contrast. In the end, we went with the florist Shadi felt most connected to—because, as Justin puts it, "she's the bride," and he understood her vision and mission for the day.
The floral design was shaped primarily by Shadi's aesthetic and Corrina's expertise. Justin contributed by applying principles he learned from Dan Mall's design systems course on Dribbble—using the wedding's color palette (eucalyptus green, blush pink, peach, buttercream yellow, and white) consistently across the florals, fashion, and print materials, and leveraging Figma to map out a comfortable and intentional table layout.
Because we mistakenly ordered the flowers before finalizing the table setup, we had to rethink the space from the ground up. We measured the venue ourselves and, prioritizing guest comfort, came up with our own spacing guidelines—48 inches around each table and 60 inches between tables. Justin then mapped out the venue in Figma, creating twelve layout options by hand. Corrina wanted at least two large round tables and two long tables to support her floral arrangement vision with the flowers we had already ordered. After reviewing the options together, we refined the design until it supported her vision while maintaining comfort and flow.
Special thanks to Kelley VandeSande, the coordinator at Cafe Cortina, for working closely with us and our vendors to ensure smooth setup and logistics. Her support was invaluable.
The floor plan designs (both Cafe Cortina's original suggestion and our custom layout) can be viewed in the Custom print designs section.
Photography & videography
All of the photos featured in this article were taken by Penny Ralene Photography, whose calm presence, artistic eye, and attention to detail made us feel completely at ease. She captured our day with such warmth and elegance, and we're so grateful for the beautiful memories she preserved.
We also had the pleasure of working with Timothy Scott Films for our wedding videography. Tim's passion, professionalism, and creative direction were evident from the start, and we're thrilled with the sneak peek film he delivered. We can't wait to see how he brings our full story to life through film.
Cake design
Our cake was designed and baked by Karen Williams of Artisan Buttercream. Shadi was drawn to a minimalist white ripple design, and Karen worked with us patiently through every detail. We initially considered edible white lilies, but after further thought and design review, we decided to use fresh flowers that matched our floral scheme—creating a more cohesive look across the event. Justin's background in design systems helped ensure that even the cake design felt intentional and aligned perfectly with the wedding's aesthetic.
When it came to flavors, we wanted something familiar yet elevated. Inspired by the crowd-favorite Neapolitan trio (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), we simplified it down to two flavors to reduce complexity and risk:
- Champagne (a refined take on vanilla) for the bottom tier
- Lemon (a bright, citrus-forward alternative to strawberry) for the top two tiers
Originally, we planned to go with an 8" x 6" x 4" tiered cake, which would've been just enough for our 40+ guests. But once we visualized the scale, we opted to increase it to 12" x 9" x 6". The result was not only more visually striking—it gave us delicious leftovers we were very happy to take home and enjoy.
The story behind justin's suit
Staying true to our theme of empowering our vendors, we let the experts lead on the suit—trusting their guidance from color to fit.
We explored multiple suit vendors before settling on SuitSupply. In June, Justin's brother and best man, Abe, recommended checking them out. That Saturday evening, Justin spent time researching SuitSupply options using AI—looking into color, fit, fabric, and what styles felt most aligned with his personality. The next morning, we headed to Chicago for an appointment.
At the store, we were assisted by a style advisor whose expertise and confidence put us at ease. We didn't ask many leading questions—we trusted him. He brought a thoughtful, well-paced energy to the fitting experience, letting Justin try on a variety of suits—including tan and mid green—without pressure. In the end, Justin chose mid green, a bold but refined color that felt true to his creative side.
Toward the end of the appointment, we ran a little over time while configuring the custom suit online. Fortunately, thanks to Justin's earlier research, he was able to quickly make the final selections—buttons, lapel, jacket style—without hesitation, ensuring the customizations aligned with his vision.
After placing the order, Justin realized the jacket didn't fit quite how he'd imagined. So, less than two weeks before the wedding, we made a second trip back to Chicago for a refit. SuitSupply tailored it on the spot, completing the adjustments in less than two hours, and it fit his frame perfectly.
Justin purchased his tie and shoes separately, selecting a deep brown that paired well with both his mid green suit and the groomsmen's tan suits. He made a deliberate choice to avoid browns with yellow undertones (like chocolate), opting instead for tones with blue and red overtones—similar to burgundy—for a richer, more elegant contrast. He also gravitated toward the mid green suit because it reminded him of eucalyptus greenery—a nod to the floral palette and a color he felt was both creative and wedding-appropriate.
Music direction
We approached music the same way we approached every other vendor relationship: with trust. Each performer was empowered to lead in their area of expertise.
- Joshua Cisneros, our violin soloist, was encouraged to choose his own piece.
- The Walls family, who played the full ceremony, were given complete freedom—aside from one request for Forever in Love by Kenny G.
- Allen Dennard, who led the jazz quartet, was trusted to select both the band members and the set list for cocktail hour and dinner based on the mood and audience.
- DJ Drone Life received a curated playlist from Shadi to serve as inspiration. From there, he was given full control over the flow of music, transitions, and MC responsibilities throughout the night.
Coordination & support
While we handled the majority of the planning ourselves, we worked with our day-of wedding coordinator, Surae, who played a key role not only in managing timeline logistics, vendor flow, and transitions throughout the day, but also as a trusted advisor leading up to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, her presence was instrumental in keeping things smooth and allowing us to stay fully present and relaxed.
We also received valuable advice from several friends, family members, and vendors throughout the planning process. Their insights helped us refine our approach, ask the right questions, and avoid costly missteps—like where to go for a custom suit, how to troubleshoot livestream logistics, how early to finalize the floral designs, and how to structure the day's timeline for a smooth, stress-free flow.
By trusting our vendors and giving them the space to do what they do best, we created an event that felt thoughtful, intentional, and entirely our own.
Custom print designs
Our print philosophy was to create materials that felt both personal and professional—elevating the guest experience while reflecting our story and style. From large display signs to our coordinated wedding program and tabletop signage, every detail was intentionally designed to feel cohesive and meaningful.
Shadi initially considered hiring someone for design, but we realized Justin's background in UX design gave us the tools to bring the vision to life ourselves, including the website. This approach saved us hundreds of dollars and allowed us to craft a unified design system built around our color palette, typography, and layout.
As part of this system, we used Malicute Script for subtle accents, Legitima for elegant headings, and Proxima Nova for clear, approachable body text—applied consistently across all print pieces and the website.
Justin initially considered a trifold program. He even folded a sheet of paper, sketched it out, and showed it to Shadi —only to realize it wasn't what she had envisioned. That led to an 8-page saddle stitch booklet, which elevated the presentation and provided space to elegantly include all the day's details.
Each piece was crafted to balance elegance and clarity—welcome signage, seating charts, table numbers, menus, and stationery—all part of a cohesive visual system. Our full collection is now showcased in a compact mosaic view—click any design to see it in detail.
Wedding program (8 pages)
Display signs
Tabletop signs
Floor plans
Additional materials
Honoring south african roots—and celebrating through dance
Though Shadi's parents couldn't be there physically, we found meaningful ways to include them in the day. We invested in live-stream equipment, tested internet connections at both venues, and even worked with Justin's brother Everett to ensure the ceremony could be viewed from South Africa. At Victoria Wedding Chapel, the owner Mary even upgraded the internet to help support the stream.
Just a few days before the wedding, we learned an Argentine tango for our first dance through two private 1-hour lessons at the end of the week. Our instructor, Amanda Accacia, guided us with care and clarity. Though we were initially concerned about dancing a tango to non-tango music, Amanda quickly noticed that our chosen song—You by Jesse Powell—matched the tempo beautifully. Together, we adapted the choreography to fit both the music and our energy, creating a heartfelt and elegant way to open the dance floor.
Our traditional South African attire arrived less than a week before the wedding. Justin's traditional South African outfit fit well, but Shadi's dress didn't fit at all at first. She visited three different tailors—two turned her away. Thankfully, the third, a tailor who specializes in African traditional clothing and owns a local African store, took it on. Shadi dropped it off on Tuesday and picked it up on Friday—just in time for the big day.
Interestingly, the outfits chosen by Shadi's parents in South Africa naturally aligned with their design system—featuring the same green and yellow palette seen in the florals and print materials. Even the circular patterns in both Shadi's dress and Justin's shirt mirrored each other, creating striking cohesion that visually tied their looks together and symbolized unity between their styles and cultures.
We then incorporated a Tswana dance and music as part of the celebration, filling the evening with cultural pride and family spirit, and making it one of the most memorable highlights of the day.
"This was Shadi's dream wedding—it honored her roots, our love, and our families."
What went wrong—and what went right
No wedding is perfect. Even with all the preparation, a few things didn't go as expected—but many things went beautifully right.
One of the biggest challenges was that the livestream cut out just as Everett—Justin's younger brother—was walking down the aisle. We had put him in charge of the stream because of his passion and drive for video content creation—he's been pursuing it seriously and has over 19K YouTube followers (well over the 1K threshold for livestreaming access). This was his first time managing a full wedding livestream, and he was also serving as a groomsman, which made it a lot to juggle. We had tested everything ahead of time, but for reasons we still don't fully understand, the stream failed right at that moment. We believed in his talent enough to let him keep the livestream equipment afterward as a way to support his growth. Thankfully, the livestream for the reception worked perfectly and allowed Shadi's parents to witness the most meaningful moments of the evening, including our last dance and vows.
Justin's suit didn't fit properly at first. After the custom suit was delivered, it became clear the jacket wasn't fitting the way he'd hoped. We first went to a local tailor, but they told us they couldn't alter a custom suit. For a while, we weren't confident in how to fix it. Eventually, we decided to drive back to Chicago—less than two weeks before the wedding—for a proper refit.
Shadi's traditional dress also didn't fit when it arrived—just days before the wedding. She went to three different tailors. The first two turned her away. Thankfully, the third tailor, who specializes in African traditional clothing, agreed to help. She dropped the dress off on Tuesday and picked it up Friday—with only a day to spare.
We also ordered our floral arrangements before finalizing the table layout at Cafe Cortina. Once the floral design was confirmed, we realized none of Cafe Cortina's traditional table layouts would support the arrangements we envisioned. So, we had to invent a completely new layout—one that deviated from the norm and required us to create multiple floor plan variations. In the end, it came together better than expected. It supported the floral design, improved the flow of the space, and (we like to think) even helped revolutionize how events might be set up at the venue moving forward. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.
That said, a lot went right—starting with the weather. We planned everything outdoors and didn't love the indoor backup options at either venue. By the grace of God, the weather on our wedding day was perfect: 81°F in the afternoon, 70°F in the evening, and mostly clear skies.
We also had the right people in the right roles. From our coordinator to our DJ, florist, musicians, and vendors—everyone adapted to challenges and brought their expertise with grace. Trusting them allowed us to stay present and enjoy the day.
And finally, our own flexibility helped turn stress into creativity. Whether it was reworking the venue layout, adjusting our first dance choreography to fit our chosen song, or even saying our vows during the reception after missing them in the ceremony, those moments of improvisation became some of the most meaningful highlights of the night. What could have felt like setbacks instead made the wedding feel even more personal, authentic, and unforgettable.
Would we do it again? Absolutely.
We had one shot at this, and it worked. Not because it was perfect—but because it was real, intentional, and personal. Along the way, we realized we had more strengths than we gave ourselves credit for. We leaned into:
Tech and design (building a site, designing print materials)
Spreadsheets and organization
Sourcing and negotiation (thanks to Shadi'sdetermination and eye for detail)
Clear vision and aesthetics (Shadi brought the vibe, Justin brought it to life)
A quick generative AI search helped surface Cafe Cortina, but from there, it was all intuition, coordination, and follow-through.
We now believe we could actually pursue wedding coordination as a business. We've been through it: the stress, the joy, the tears, and the triumph. And we created a wedding that felt like us from start to finish.
"At the end of the night, with candles flickering and music playing, we looked around and felt completely at peace"
Advice for other couples
If you're planning a wedding in a tight timeframe or under tough circumstances, here's what we'd say:
Stick to your strengths
We didn't know everything, but we knew what we could figure out.
Block out the noise
Well-meaning voices can cloud your vision. Trust your gut.
Use what's available
Spreadsheets, design tools, AI—even YouTube—can help you go far.
Be honest about limits
Know your boundaries financially, emotionally, and logistically.
Make it meaningful
Don't try to make it perfect—make it meaningful to you both.
Trust the process
We had this wedding once, and that's all it took.
Request wedding coordination
If you're planning your own wedding and want someone who's been through it—every surprise, every spreadsheet, every soul-filling moment—we'd love to help. Reach out below.
Ready to plan your perfect day?
Get in touch with us to discuss your wedding coordination needs. We'd love to help make your dream wedding a reality.
Want to see more?
Explore our photo gallery and engagement video—relive the moments from our engagement and wedding day.
