Names: Zekeera Belton and Thérésa Obong
Ages: Zekeera Belton is 35 and Thérésa Obong is 34.
Professions: Thérésa is a Psychiatric Research Data Manager and Zekeera is a Marketing Executive.
City, State: Fort Washington, MD
Date of Wedding: August 19, 2017
The Big Day: Our wedding will be held at Martin’s West in Baltimore, MD. The theme of the wedding will be the “Black and Gold Summer Ball.” We both knew that we wanted to have a black tie wedding. If we had to describe our vision for our wedding we would say it will be an elegant and chic soirée. Tuxedos and ball gowns will go perfectly with our venue’s luxurious chandeliers, tall Victorian columns and décor. We will be surrounded by our closest friends and family members. This will be a union of different cultures, so we are excited about the fact that our wedding will be somewhat of a cultural mixing bowl. Zekeera is from Harlem, New York while Thérésa was born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire to a Kenyan father and French-Guinean mother. Needless to say, the DJ has the important task of mixing the different genres of music from Hip Hop and R&B to African music and dancehall.
Planning a wedding is a labor of love, but we are working hard to make sure our vision comes to life. Our guests will enjoy delicious signature drinks and a succulent menu. But we are most excited about having our loved ones witness our union.
The Firsts:
First meeting: We first met at a mutual friend’s house in March of 2015 in Washington, D.C. Our friends were hosting their weekly Scandal night.
First date: Our first date took place May 6, 2015 at La Tasca’s, a tapas restaurant, in Rockville, MD. We talked for hours about various topics until the restaurant closed. If it weren’t for them closing we probably would have been talking all night.
First kiss: Our first kiss was when we both ended up on vacation at the same time in Miami.
When They Knew: Thérésa knew Zekeera was the one when she saw how Zekeera was there for her during the most difficult year of her life. In 2015, Thérésa lost both her mother and father. Zekeera stood by Thérésa’s side every step of the way. Watching the caring manner in which Zekeera assisted Thérésa in taking care of her father and brothers made their love for each other grow even deeper. In February of 2016, knowing that Zekeera was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, Thérésa purchased an engagement ring with the intention of proposing to Zekeera on her birthday in St. Martin. But she was discouraged by her friends who instead advised her to wait until after their anniversary. Little did she know that they were in on the big surprise!
Zekeera knew the first month she and Thérésa met that “T” was the one. Thérésa walked into Zekeera’s life at a time when she wasn’t looking for love, she was jaded by past relationships and experiences and had honestly decided to take a break from the dating scene. However, in their first month of meeting, Thérésa was like a breath of fresh air. Zekeera found Thérésa to be absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. They connected on so many different levels, whether it be music, travel, dance, their love for entertaining, thoughtfulness when it comes to others, etc. Zekeera began thinking about the perfect ring and how she would propose in November of 2015.
The Proposal: Both Zekeera and Thérésa must have been driving their friends CRAZY! They both had been planning for months to propose to one another. Zee reached out to Thérésa’s closest friends to let them know her plans in March 2016. Friday, May 6, 2016 marked the anniversary of their first date and that was the day that Zee planned on popping the question. The couple got ready to go out to celebrate their anniversary. They pull up to McCormick and Schmidt’s on K Street in downtown D.C. They were seated and begun to look at the menu. What Thérésa didn’t know was that this was not just an anniversary date. Zee had coordinated a big surprise with help from their closest family and friends, having people flying in from Seattle, Atlanta, New York, and Cincinnati for the occasion. Shortly after the waiter brought the couple’s drinks he asks them if they would like to dine in a private room. Thérésa smiles and says, “Fancy, Zee why do we need a private room?” We then got up and proceeded to a private room toward the back of the restaurant. When the waiter opened the door, Thérésa and Zee were met by what seemed to be 100s of flashing camera lights. Thérésa was super surprised and had no idea what was going on. At that point, Zee told Thérésa how much she meant to her and that she wanted her to be her FOREVER!
The very next day, Thérésa took Zekeera to the National Harbor. Zekeera, still trying to get over the festivities of the previous night’s surprise proposal was a little reluctant, to say the least, to get out of bed. However, in the spirit of adhering to the saying, “Happy Wife, Happy Life” Zee followed Thérésa to the Harbor. When they arrived, the couple walks towards the Ferris wheel. Thérésa tells Zekeera that she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her last June 2015 when Zee had taken her on the Ferris wheel at the Harbor for her birthday. Thérésa then pulled out a ring and professes her love and formally proposes to Zee. The couple then took pictures in front of the Ferris wheel and then walked the boardwalk with the beautiful sun on their backs holding hands.
The Rings: Thérésa’s engagement ring is a custom designed round diamond with a double halo and a diamond encrusted band. Zekeera’s engagement ring is a diamond band.
Honeymoon: We are still trying to decide exactly where we are going. However, we are leaning toward honeymooning in two to three European countries, including Greece, Rome, and France. We both love the sun and beautiful beaches, so the Greek islands and coastal cities in Europe would be perfect.
Looking into the Future: We look forward to supporting each of our ambitions and goals and nurturing our collective ones. We also look forward to beginning to start a family of our own.
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