This Couple Broadcast a Downsized Wedding Celebration across the World

The pandemic didn't prevent this Dedham bride and groom from having a joyous celebration.


Photo by IMG Artistry

THE STORY

When COVID-19 forced Chinomso Odimegwu and Onyebuchi Ogbo to abandon their plans for an elaborate 390-person wedding, the couple didn’t despair: They got to work designing a smaller (but no less joyous) outdoor fete instead. Hosted at the Villa at Ridder Country Club in September, the tented celebration featured just 50 attendees—in person, that is. With help from Wedfuly, a company that specializes in virtual celebrations, the bride and groom were able to broadcast the festivities to additional loved ones in Europe and Africa. “It was amazing,” Odimegwu says. “It felt like they were there.”

THE DETAILS

DRESS 
The bride found her mermaid-style Allure Bridals gown at Chryssie’s Bridal in Canton, pairing it with a dramatic cathedral veil and adding sheer beaded straps. “I wanted [straps] for that elegant touch,” Odimegwu says.

Photo by IMG Artistry

VENUE
To abide by capacity guidelines, the pair held their ceremony on the country club’s expansive grounds before serving dinner in a
soaring tent decked out with chandeliers.

Photo by IMG Artistry

CULTURE
During the reception, the couple, who hail from the Igbo people of Nigeria, donned traditional attire and participated in an
Igbankwu—a ceremony in which the bride carries a cup of wine to the groom.

Photo by IMG Artistry

GUESTS
For maximum safety, the wedding party quarantined with the couple prior to the wedding, the seating chart was arranged by household, and sanitizer-equipped dinner tables were spaced 6 feet apart. “A lot of this was very intentional,” Odimegwu says. The party favor for all attendants? Masks.

Photo by Tobi Makinde

FOOD
After cocktail
hour and a dinner including lemony salmon with roasted potatoes, guests indulged in a four-tier, champagne-and-cannoli-flavored cake with Hershey’s Kisses tucked inside.

THE FILE

Bride’s Dress Allure Bridals, Chryssie’s Bridal
Bride’s Makeup Roseline
Bridesmaids’ Dresses ODavid’s Bridal
Bridesmaids’ Makeup Merry Christmas
Bridesmaids’ Traditional Tailor Ada Uzuegbu
Cake Montilio’s Baking Company
Caterer Saphire Event Group
DJ DJ Prince
Event Decorator Elite Events
Flowers Sydney Smith Designs
Groom’s Suit Hive & Colony
Hair Pamela Mante
Videographer IMG Artistry
Virtual Broadcast Wedfuly

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