Real Wedding: Tamara Joseph & A.J. Homicil

Draw inspiration from their stylish celebration.


August 26, 2017
Lyman Estate
Waltham, Massachusetts

A.J. proposed in front of friends at the Hawthorne, in Kenmore Square, getting down on one knee with a ring he’d picked out from Long’s Jewelers. / Photograph by BKB & Co.

THE STORY

They were all but destined to be partners. Paired up during a rehearsal dance performance for UMass Amherst’s Haitian American Student Association in 2005, Tamara Joseph and A.J. Homicil quickly bonded over a love of dancing and their Haitian childhoods. Then life, and career aspirations, got in the way—Tamara was studying psychology and A.J. chemical engineering—and they eventually drifted apart.

But for A.J., at least, the love was never really lost. “For a long, long time, friends would always ask me if there was one person I wanted to marry, and it was always her in my mind,” he says now. “When I was trying to find a date after college, I was looking for someone like Tamara—family-oriented, beautiful inside and out.”

So years after that first meeting, he found Tamara on Facebook and sent her a message. Happy to hear from him, she agreed to meet for dinner. “He was so nervous,” she says. “But he was still the person I remembered.” By September of the next year, they were engaged.

Things moved quickly after that—“It just felt meant to be,” Tamara says—and in August, 185 guests gathered to celebrate their marriage. “Family was the reason we wanted to get married and throw a big party,” A.J. says. For all the togetherness, though, both bride and groom cite the wedding portraits—one of the only times “A.J. and I could spend alone,” Tamara says—as a top moment. “Twenty or 50 years from now,” A.J. adds, “we’ll be able to look back and say, ‘Wow, that day was very magical.’”

THE DETAILS

Photograph by BKB & Co.

The strawberry-and-coconut confection from the Icing on the Cake was crowned with a red-velvet top layer—one of the bride’s favorites. 

Photograph by BKB & Co.

The couple worked with M & M Elite and Be Our Guest rentals to create dreamy cream-and-metallic place settings.

Photograph by BKB & Co.

“The bridesmaids’ dresses were harder to find than my dress,” says Tamara, who knew she wanted long blush gowns. Each ’maid chose her own style.

Photograph by BKB & Co.

“I pictured an outdoor wedding with a big tent and beautiful grass,” Tamara says. The 12th venue the couple looked at, the Lyman fit the bill.

Photograph by BKB & Co.

Flowers by Marianne created a romantic archway featuring ferns and more peonies for the ceremony. “We wanted a garden feel,” Tamara explains.

Photograph by BKB & Co.

Flowers by Marianne created a romantic archway featuring ferns and more peonies for the ceremony. “We wanted a garden feel,” Tamara explains.

Photograph by BKB & Co.

Tamara and A.J.’s first dance was to “At Last” by Etta James. “We felt like it told our story in some way,” Tamara says. “And definitely had that magical feel.”

THE FILE

Bride’s Dress Essence, Alexandra’s Boutique
Bridesmaid Dresses Vera Wang, David’s Bridal
Cake The Icing on the Cake
Catering La Bonne Maison
DJ DJ Super Duke
Flowers Flowers by Marianne
Hair Cookie’s Hair Creations at O’Aces Unisex Salon
Lighting and AV Boston Pro Sound
Maid-of-Honor Dress Rina di Montella, Alexandra’s Boutique
Makeup Makeupbyisabelles
Planner M & M Elite Events
Rentals Be Our Guest
Rings Long’s Jewelers
Stationery Minted; Treffen Press
Tent Peak Event Services
Transportation Raffi’s Limousine Service
Videographer BKB & Co.

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.