Ewemade Erhabor Emokpae, founder of Shakara Couture, and Olubode Banjoko have one of the deepest love stories we’ve ever shared on BellaNaija Weddings!
The groom proposed on the anniversary of her mother’s death, and changed the significance of that day to her. The entire love story is quite a lengthy read, so for all the pre-wedding photos and their proposal story, please click here.
~ Pre-Wedding Shoot: Isaac Emokpae Photography
The couple’s pre-wedding shoot was inspired by their long distance relationship.
How We Met
From Ewemade
From Ewemade
We first met over Christmas four years ago. Bode was visiting and I was out with my friends at the Radisson Blu Hotel and then went on to Likwid for like ten minutes, where a fight broke out and my friends and I beat a hasty retreat. Somehow, Bode and his friends had been at the Radisson and then went on to Likwid from there. So, yeah, right place(s) at the right time(s) I guess. Lol!
Well, like I said, he was from out of town. I would come to find out that he lived and worked in all kinds of strange places, so we ended up in the one situation I had sworn, I would never be in, a long distance relationship. However, because of the nature of his job, I could never visit him on site, we would have to travel to be able to see each other. So basically, when we were not having to journey, we would be struggling to keep up with each other’s time zone and would literally be talking from the moment we woke up, till we slept. Every day. It was not easy, but it was well worth it.
Anyway, finally after a year and some months Bode asked me to marry him and now we are those people that have pre-wedding pictures taken #sideeye #whataretheyfeelinglike #I’msorryIwon’thashtagagain.
From Bode
When I saw her for the first time, Ewemade looked a little sad and was not talking. I later got to find out she had recently lost a loved one. My boys and I went out to Radisson and she was there with a group of her friends in a black dress…yeah, I remember. Well, I noticed her but she was gone before I could speak with her and I let my blessing slip away, but God had other plans…LOL! Later on that night I ran into her at Likwid and I took advantage of this last opportunity.
When I saw her for the first time, Ewemade looked a little sad and was not talking. I later got to find out she had recently lost a loved one. My boys and I went out to Radisson and she was there with a group of her friends in a black dress…yeah, I remember. Well, I noticed her but she was gone before I could speak with her and I let my blessing slip away, but God had other plans…LOL! Later on that night I ran into her at Likwid and I took advantage of this last opportunity.
With all my confidence, I have to say it was not easy oh! The shakara was real (I mean her behaviour, not her brand) but I made it! Lol! Once we started talking, we just wouldn’t stop and I knew soon after that, that she was “The One”.
At the time I proposed to her, we’d been discussing marriage and I had made a few trips back home for her to meet my family and for me to meet hers. But I had to wait until I met her father and ask for his blessing. When I finally got to meet him and he approved, I asked for her hand.
She said Yes!
The Proposal (See the entire story here! We promise it’s worth it)
from Ewemade
Finally ‘sure boy’ arrives and we start our day. It is a day like any other … save for the fact that this is the day Matilda left us twelve years before. This casts a bit of a pall on the day, but a great deal of time has passed and tears, once so easy to summon..have now dried up and given way to cautious optimism, I am always hopeful but constantly aware that what I love can be taken away from me without so much as a moment’s notice. We spend the day together and are finally done with our day by 11:00 p.m. I go into my room and fall into my mattress (No, not “on”…”into”). There is tired and there is TIRED! I am TIRED. Sure boy offers to get me a drink, I don’t want a drink but I want something nice and healthy … you know, I am watching my weight and have told sure boy over and over that I want him to be my personal trainer so I can look EXACTLY like Beyonce. Not a pound more, not a fraction less. I think for a while and finally announce to him, at this eleven o’clock midnight, in this very dead of night, that I shall be having a bowl of Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream, garnished with full-fat marshmallows and generously doused in strawberry sauce.
The Proposal (See the entire story here! We promise it’s worth it)from Ewemade
Finally ‘sure boy’ arrives and we start our day. It is a day like any other … save for the fact that this is the day Matilda left us twelve years before. This casts a bit of a pall on the day, but a great deal of time has passed and tears, once so easy to summon..have now dried up and given way to cautious optimism, I am always hopeful but constantly aware that what I love can be taken away from me without so much as a moment’s notice. We spend the day together and are finally done with our day by 11:00 p.m. I go into my room and fall into my mattress (No, not “on”…”into”). There is tired and there is TIRED! I am TIRED. Sure boy offers to get me a drink, I don’t want a drink but I want something nice and healthy … you know, I am watching my weight and have told sure boy over and over that I want him to be my personal trainer so I can look EXACTLY like Beyonce. Not a pound more, not a fraction less. I think for a while and finally announce to him, at this eleven o’clock midnight, in this very dead of night, that I shall be having a bowl of Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream, garnished with full-fat marshmallows and generously doused in strawberry sauce.
Ordinarily, this announcement, like ALL my meal choices, would have sent sure boy into a sleep inducing lecture about health and all such things, but today he simply says “okay, go and get it from the kitchen”. Hmmmmm….I am elated to be having two treats tonight no lecture from sureboy AND a bowl of ice cream?? and it’s not even Christmas!? Things are looking up! I walk into the kitchen and for some reason the lights have been switched off. I turn them on and there in front of me is a box opened up and something in it sparkles. I stand there for a minute trying to understand what is happening. It takes a while for me to process that I am being proposed to! My mind is FULL of questions. I think to myself,- “Does this mean I am now engaged?”
- “Can I still have my ice cream?”
- “Wait oh! But does this mean I am engaged?”
And then I start laughing and laughing and laughing and I haven’t stopped since. Its a new September, the 14th is a new anniversary, this day means a whole new thing now. My mourning has literally been turned into dancing because my adornment has adorned me.
Jo, E ba mi pa te wo fun oko mi atata!
Watch their pre-wedding video, also by Isaac Emokpae Photography!
Watch their pre-wedding video, also by Isaac Emokpae Photography!
Inspired by silent movies of the 1920s, as the bride always wished she could be in one 
… continued it was, with their fabulous wedding in Lagos!
Here’s their fab wedding teaser by Slick City Empire
~ White Wedding Photos by Isaac Emokpae (additional: Emmanuel Oyeleke)
Ewemade founded Shakara Couture, so of course she made her three wedding dresses! She says the decision and process was tough but definitely worth it!
… continued it was, with their fabulous wedding in Lagos!
Here’s their fab wedding teaser by Slick City Empire
~ White Wedding Photos by Isaac Emokpae (additional: Emmanuel Oyeleke)
Ewemade founded Shakara Couture, so of course she made her three wedding dresses! She says the decision and process was tough but definitely worth it!
“The dress…the dress! Kai!
The dress was Shakara Couture. I knew it was ‘the dress’ because I slaved over it for half a year. There was really no choice. I mean, I had wanted to make the dress with someone else, but nobody else seemed to understand me and the ones that did understand, understood TOO well, how much work would be involved in the beading and charged accordingly!
I figured, if I was going to spend that much, I wanted to be there breathing down the neck of the person that was working on the dress…soooo yeah! But I LOVED my dress in the end so it was well worth it.”
Editor’s Note: *Gasp!* the beading …!
Editor’s Note: *Gasp!* the beading …!
“My second dress or my performance dress, as it came to be known, was ummm…hmm. It was heavy! Lol!
The material used to make it was completely plastic so the entire dress had to be hand-sewn. That took us a month to finish.”
After a thrilling performance by a dancing troupe, everyone ‘aww’-ed when the bride sang for the groom before their first dance.
“My third dress was actually my favourite by a mile. I designed it as well and it was exactly what I wanted.”
~ Traditional Wedding Photos by Isaac Emokpae (additional: Emmanuel Oyeleke)
The traditional wedding was a fusion of the bride’s Bini and groom’s Yoruba cultures – but they added a twist – it had Arab and Indian elements as well!
After a thrilling performance by a dancing troupe, everyone ‘aww’-ed when the bride sang for the groom before their first dance.
“My third dress was actually my favourite by a mile. I designed it as well and it was exactly what I wanted.”
~ Traditional Wedding Photos by Isaac Emokpae (additional: Emmanuel Oyeleke)
The traditional wedding was a fusion of the bride’s Bini and groom’s Yoruba cultures – but they added a twist – it had Arab and Indian elements as well!
From the decorative pieces to the bride’s sari veil, Ewemade & Bode truly made the day their own.
“The Bini traditional wedding held at Yetunde’s Apartments and was set up so the families were face to face for the transaction. I wore the Bini okuku and velvet wrapper for this occasion. This outfit is typically worn only by the royal family but on special occasions, the honour is extended to non-royals. The Bini okuku is a crown built with hair and coral beads.
“The Bini traditional wedding held at Yetunde’s Apartments and was set up so the families were face to face for the transaction. I wore the Bini okuku and velvet wrapper for this occasion. This outfit is typically worn only by the royal family but on special occasions, the honour is extended to non-royals. The Bini okuku is a crown built with hair and coral beads.
In our culture, coral beads (Ivie {red corals} and Ekan {dark corals. almost brown in colour}) are very precious. coral is our own version of gold and shows that the bride is from a home that has taken care of her and places great value on her.
So the Bini bride is typically laden in corals so she looks rich and regal, but also so there is no confusion as to who exactly the bride is :D”
‘Fake’ brides (played by the bride’s friends) were brought in to tease the groom!
Then the bride was placed on his lap, according to her tradition.
***
‘Fake’ brides (played by the bride’s friends) were brought in to tease the groom!
Then the bride was placed on his lap, according to her tradition.
***
Photography & Pre-Wedding Video: Isaac Emokpae Photography | 08023413191 emokpaeisaac (at) gmail.com
Additional Photography: Emmanuel Oyeleke
Wedding Video: Slick City Empire
Wedding Info – Dates | Venues | Colours
Traditional: September 4th 2014 | Yetunde’s Apartments | Bride’s family: Wine and Gold.
Groom’s Family: Purple and Gold
White Wedding: September 6th 2014 | MUSON Center, Onikan | Sisters: All white
Friends of Parents and Groom’s side: Fuschia
Aunties: All Sapphire
Friends of Siblings and Cousins: All Amber
Bride’s Friends & Siblings: All Emerald
Groom’s Family: Purple and Gold
White Wedding: September 6th 2014 | MUSON Center, Onikan | Sisters: All white
Friends of Parents and Groom’s side: Fuschia
Aunties: All Sapphire
Friends of Siblings and Cousins: All Amber
Bride’s Friends & Siblings: All Emerald
Wedding Attire
Bride’s Three Dresses: Shakara Couture
Bridesmaids Dresses: Shakara Couture
Hostesses’ Hats: Debenhams
Little Bride’s Dress: Shakara Couture
Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal of BM|Pro
Hair: Hair by Mikki
Bouquet: Flower Shop at Lafayette Mall
Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Gucci
Second Outfit Tuxedo: Boggi
Bride’s Three Dresses: Shakara Couture
Bridesmaids Dresses: Shakara Couture
Hostesses’ Hats: Debenhams
Little Bride’s Dress: Shakara Couture
Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal of BM|Pro
Hair: Hair by Mikki
Bouquet: Flower Shop at Lafayette Mall
Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Gucci
Second Outfit Tuxedo: Boggi
Bride’s Bini Wrapper: Shakara Couture
Coral Beads: Bride’s Sister
Earrings: Accessorize
Golden Necklace: BCBG Max Azria
Slippers: Guiseppe Zanotti
Okuku: Bride’s Sister
Coral Beads: Bride’s Sister
Earrings: Accessorize
Golden Necklace: BCBG Max Azria
Slippers: Guiseppe Zanotti
Okuku: Bride’s Sister
Buba and Wrapper: Shakara Couture
Earrings: Oscar De La Renta
Cuffs: BCBG Max Azria
Shoes: Louis Vuitton
Third (Indian) Outfit: Shakara Couture
Shoes: DVF
Jewellery: BCBG Max Azria
Earrings: Oscar De La Renta
Cuffs: BCBG Max Azria
Shoes: Louis Vuitton
Third (Indian) Outfit: Shakara Couture
Shoes: DVF
Jewellery: BCBG Max Azria
Makeup: Banke Meshida-Lawal of BM|Pro
Groomsmen’s Attire: Kimono Kollection and Bunniebees Fabrics
Bridesmaids and Hostesses’ Wrappers: Shakara Couture
Groomsmen’s Attire: Kimono Kollection and Bunniebees Fabrics
Bridesmaids and Hostesses’ Wrappers: Shakara Couture
Vendors
Wedding Planner: Trendy Bee Events | bisola (at) trendybeevents.com
Lighting: Mr. Mark (bride’s note: HIGHLY recommended)
Decor for both trad and white (bride’s note: both also very highly recommended):
I Jacobs Bella Casa: 08028335544
Nwando’s Signature: 08060000519
Wedding Planner: Trendy Bee Events | bisola (at) trendybeevents.com
Lighting: Mr. Mark (bride’s note: HIGHLY recommended)
Decor for both trad and white (bride’s note: both also very highly recommended):
I Jacobs Bella Casa: 08028335544
Nwando’s Signature: 08060000519
Food: The Hot Pot | 08055008008, 08033068906
Drinks: Bella and Baroni
Aso ebi: Bunniebees Fabrics
Invites: Minted.com
Canapes: Cactus
Drinks: Bella and Baroni
Aso ebi: Bunniebees Fabrics
Invites: Minted.com
Canapes: Cactus
Photo Credit: Bella naija
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