Tashira & Nakish

Occupations Tashira is an attorney and content creator; Nakish works for the government

Wedding date September 20, 2025

Number of Guests 100

How You Met We met online, in a very innocent way. Neither of us was looking for anything serious or even anything specific. We were open to connection, interesting people, good conversation, shared energy—platonic or otherwise. What began as playful banter on the dating app slowly deepened. Messages turned into sweet texts. Texts turned into phone calls and somewhere along the way, ease gave way to intention. We connected over our love of travel, our families, and if we’re being honest, a mutual appreciation for a good ass time. There was laughter, curiosity, and a rhythm that felt natural. Our connection was palpable and undeniable.And in that way people say you’ll know—we just knew.  We knew we would be in each other’s lives; whether this would become an incredible friendship or a life partnership, we didn’t yet know. What we did know was that we had found our person, and that whatever this was, it was worth leaning into.

The Engagement The plan was always to propose on a hike in Joshua Tree. We were vacationing in Palm Springs, and I convinced Tashira to go on a sunrise hike. It took a bit of convincing to get her up that early (3:30am) but renting a vintage Mercedes Benz for the drive helped. We drove through the desert chasing the sunrise. During the hike, we stopped to take a photo, something I rarely do and while we were getting into position. I asked her to turn to look at me and that’s when I popped the question. It wasn’t overly planned which made it perfect. Just us, our friends, the quiet desert air, and a moment that felt entirely ours.

Wedding Design Inspiration The concept “Harlem Nights meets Harpo’s Juke Joint” was not just our theme, but a declaration of heritage. It celebrated resilience, elegance, and the creative legacy of Black storytelling through design. Our goal was to always create a space and experience that represented who we are individually, but also as a couple. An experience that evoked the five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound. We used those two concepts as the foundation for creating the vibe and wedding experience for ourselves and our guests. We worked very closely with our wedding planner and the venue stylist to realize our vision. The goal wasn’t to check boxes or recreate something we’d seen before. It was to create a day that felt honest, liberatory, and deeply ours.

Marrying at a BIG age (over 40) we knew what mattered to us, what didn’t, and what we weren’t willing to compromise. That clarity became the focal point of the day. We were never interested in a wedding built around typical traditions. Instead of trying to fit ourselves into a mold, we shaped the day around who we are, our values and our joy. Every choice was intentional from the energy we wanted in the room to the way the celebration unfolded.

What Was Unique and Special About Your Wedding Day What made our wedding feel especially unique was how intentionally we incorporated all five senses into the experience. More than anything we wanted the day to feel authentically like us, immersive, layered and memorable from the moment our guests arrived.

Guests were first greeted by the lingering scent of burning copal incense outside the venue as they stepped off the shuttle buses and were handed a glass of champagne. They were ushered on an elevator. Once the elevator doors opened, they entered a world deep in jewel tones, layered textures, florals, plants, and the unmistakable scent of Santal 33-one of Tashira’s signature fragrances.

Taste was equally important to us, with caviar bumps, elevated heavy hors’d’oevres by Chef Cat, and signature cocktails by The Go Bar that represented each of us individually, plus one signature couple cocktail.

Visually, we transformed the industrial loft venue into what we described as “Harlem Nights meets Harpo’s Juke Joint” layered with velvet, wood, leather, florals and greenery to create warmth and depth.

And of course, the sound carried the night from the live cellist, Benjamin Harper to DJ Ty Alexander keeping the dance floor jumping all night. People definitely sweated their hair out, and their shirts were stuck to their back at the end of the night.

Favorite Details One of our favorite details from the wedding was our ceremony itself. Our vows were deeply intimate and reflected love and care. Being able to openly declare our queer love in front of our family and friends meant everything to us. Our officiant, Dr. Bettina Judd, led guests in a beautiful call-and-response to the reading of Nikki Giovanni’s poem, “Resignation,” while Pastor Taylon E. Lancaster led the room in prayer, asking everyone to “touch and agree.” It created a ceremony that felt deeply personal, emotional and rooted in love and community.

Other fave details | Tashira Giving Kish her wedding gift which was similar to the one she rented for our proposal in the desert. She loves vintage cars, and we hoped to rent one for the day since it would perfectly align with our theme. A lightbulb went off after receiving a few quotes that it would actually be the perfect wedding gift. I worked with friends and family for months to find the perfect car—a  1987 Mercedes 560SL—and hid it from Kish. I gave her the keys immediately after the ceremony when we went downstairs to take photos. She’d assumed the car was rented. The look on her face the moment she realized that it was hers was priceless.

Nakish First look. I know it’s cliché but seeing Tashira in her dress for the first time truly took my breath away. I had never seen anyone more beautiful or a dress more perfect for them. The joy on her face, the way she looked at me, and the quiet intimacy of that moment was everything. Those moments together are so sacred and something I’ll hold on to forever.

Most Unexpected Event On Your Wedding Day The most unexpected moment from our wedding day was definitely being late to our own wedding. The driver who was supposed to take us from the hotel to the venue accidentally picked up the wrong people; other wedding guests instead of us. Meanwhile, we were in the hotel looking at each other like, “What is happening?” After a frantic call to our wedding planner, we learned the car service thought “the brides” were already in the car. By the time it was sorted out, we ended up stuck in Baltimore Orioles game traffic—the exact traffic we had carefully planned to avoid. Apparently, the wedding guests did not notice our tardiness or delay. Stressful in the moment, but now it’s one of our favorite stories from the day.

Piece of Advice Two things: 1. Keep the bigger picture in mind. As important as the day is, it’s almost guaranteed that something will go differently than planned. But the wedding is only one moment of a lifetime of moments. Let everything else go and have a good ass time! 2. Ignore traditions and create moments that reflect what you love. Love doesn’t have a rulebook, and neither should your special day.

AFTER PARTY AND GOODBYE BREAKFAST Hotel Ulysses CATERING Chef Cat at Our Time Kitchen CAVIAR Caviar Dream CELLIST Benjamin Gates CHARCUTERIE The Charcuterie Cutie LIVE ART Dina’s Doodles LOCATION & PLANNING Collective Spaces MOBILE BAR Mobile Go Bar MUSIC DJ Ty Alexander OFFICIANT Dr. Bettina Judd PHOTOGRAPHY Marissa Rose Photography  RENTALS Something Vintage SOUND & LIGHTING Elyte Event Professionals STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Indigo Envelope STYLING Kimberly Sumner WEDDING OUTFITS Tashira: Elegance By Roya gown, Magda Butrym shoes); Swarovski crystal earrings for ceremony. Khoi gold earrings and Scorcesa suit for the reception. Nakish: Bindle and Keep suit.