Yani & Divinity: Organic Romance at Liberty House

 

Not many couples can say that the world’s biggest superstar brought them together. Yani and Divinity met while touring the world with Beyonce on The Beyonce Experience in 2007. “Divinity was her bass player and I was one of her dancers,” Yani says. Achieving that level of professional-artistic success requires talent and dedication. She continues, “Divinity’s very passionate, focused and disciplined – qualities that I also see in myself. We connected on that level. And she has a great smile.”

We are excited to introduce Yani, our Bride & Blossom Featured Bride for September. Yani and Divinity exchanged vows on a picture-perfect day at Liberty House. Here, she shares the first chapter in their Real BB Wedding story.

Part 1: Proposal & Planning

After having their first date in Osaka, Japan, Yani and Divinity’s relationship continued to blossom. The couple was living in California when they hit the seven-year mark. Not a planner by nature, Divinity woke early one morning to pack for a day together at Matador Beach. Once they found a spot and set up, she put on the couple’s favorite album, Bittersweet by David Ryan Harris. Yani looks back and says, “Divinity turned around with the ring box in her hands, and just looked at me like she had forgotten how to speak. Little did I know that she was recording the whole thing. After about three seconds of looking at each other, I finally ask, ‘Are you going to say something?’ She responds, ‘Awww man, the video is ruined!’ We still laugh about it to this day and joke how we should make up a better story. But it’s our story and I love it!”

 

 

 

 

As the couple began looking at venues, they had their hearts set on an outdoor ceremony amidst a picturesque setting. The Liberty House in Jersey City met their criteria, but Yani’s first walk through happened on a cold, dismal day in January. “I went by myself. It was just disgusting out, you couldn’t see the city across the river. I left really disappointed thinking ‘we’re never going to find our place.’” The couple decided to visit it together, exactly one year later. Yani recalls, “It was still January, but the day was sunny and beautiful. We love nature and being outside. We could really sense that Liberty House had a natural ambiance about it. And the view of New York City from the Ballroom was very similar to the view from our apartment. It felt like a comfortable and familiar space in which we would be having our family and friends over for dinner.”

 

 

 

Located in Liberty State Park, Liberty House is surrounded by the Hudson River and overlooks the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. In addition to the magnificent backdrop and two ballrooms, beautiful gardens, a patio, and award-winning, farm-to-table cuisine round out the unforgettable wedding experience here.

 

 

When it came to décor, Yani knew exactly how she wanted her wedding to look. “I had plenty of reference images when I met with Rachel. I instantly felt like she understood our vision and loved all of her suggestions, from the flowers needed to make our dream wedding come to life to guiding us on aspects that could be adjusted to help stay on budget without compromising our ideas.” Featuring a classically neutral palette, florals were organic and voluminous with lots of greenery. Focal points like a romantic wedding arch, tree-inspired centerpieces, and a floral canopy over the dance floor transformed the venue into a captivating garden. Yani finishes, “Everything we chose had meaning and represented us and our experiences together. We wanted to share all that we love and tell our special story.”

 

 

Stay tuned next week for Part 2: Wedding Dress and Personal when Yani shares all the details about her showstopping custom gown by Lee Petra Grebenau.

Couple’s Vendor List
Venue: Liberty House
Photographer: Studio A Images
Videographer: Jay Lim Studio
Planner: Two Kindred Event Planners
Brides’ Dress: Lee Petra Grebenau for Spina Bride
Bride’s Suit: Lee Petra Grebenau for Spina Bride
Brides’ Shoes: Sophia Webster (Yani) + Nicholas Kirkwood (Divinity)
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo Collection
Groomsmen’s Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse
Hair: Lindsay Block (Yani) + Janice Brown of Tar Baby Hair Design (Divinity)
Makeup: Kat Nejat (Yani) + Toni Acey of Aced Faces (Divinity)
Cake: Palermo’s Bakery
Rings: Ring Concierge 
Wedding Stationery: Penn & Paperie (Invitations) + Whisker Kisses Designs (Place Cards)
Music: DJ Amore of Intlx Productions + Ivan Llanes Cuban Band
Lighting: Pegasus Productions