“After seeing The Langham, it was a no-brainer that was the venue I had to have,” Lanita says. They held both ceremony and reception in the Devonshire Ballroom.
AT THEIR 14-YEAR anniversary celebration at Floating World Gallery, Lenard Coleman had a surprise in store for Lanita Braggs. “We were having an intimate dinner with close family and friends,” she remembers. “As the evening dwindled, I began thanking our guests for celebrating our special day; I assumed the night was coming to an end. Wrong!” Instead, Lenard led her into an adjoining room, where marquee letters spelled out “Marry Me.”
Nine months later, she did just that at The Langham, Chicago. At the ceremony, the duo jumped the broom. “It’s a tradition in African groups in the Americas, used to strengthen marriages during slavery among their communities,” Lanita says. Lenard’s goddaughter served as flower girl and the couple’s youngest son, Cade, was ring bearer, making the occasion a true family affair. “Although this may sound cliche, my favorite part was seeing my husband’s expression as I walked down the aisle,” the bride remembers.
For the reception, the hotel’s Devonshire Ballroom was draped and carpeted in all white for a look that oozed modern elegance with a nod to the winter season. Blush and neutral flowers and tall candelabras created a romantic atmosphere, and The Hiplet Ballerinas Company performed during dinner.
Guests were surprised and delighted at every turn—and there was even one surprise for the bride. “Our planner and Lenard arranged meetings to surprise me with a new BMW X7 the day of the wedding,” she says. “It was the most unexpected surprise ever.”
Centerpieces starred blush- and neutral-hued flowers and tall candelabras, and an incredible white floral installation hung over the dance floor.
The Hiplet Ballerinas performed during the first dance and throughout dinner.
The invitations set the black and white color scheme.
The couple’s Tiffany & Co. rings
Lanita’s bridal party donned black satin one-shoulder dresses with a high slit.
The List
Venue & Catering The Langham, Chicago, langhamhotels.com
Wedding Planner Kia Marie Events, kiamarievents.com
Bride’s Gown Leah Da Gloria, Dimitra’s Bridal Couture, dimitrasbridal.com
Bride’s Shoes Tom Ford, tomford.com
Bride’s Hair & Makeup Hair: KeyStylist Salon, keystylist.com; Makeup: Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks, instagram.com/ashuntasheriffbeauty
Groom’s Tux Agriculture, shopagriculture.com
Groom’s Shoes Christian Louboutin, us.christianlouboutin.com
Rings Tiffany & Co., tiffany.com
Bridesmaids’ Dresses David’s Bridal, davidsbridal.com
Florals Siblana Events, siblanaevents.com
Cake Flourish Cake Design, flourishcakedesign.com
Invitations KME and Ijorere, ijorere.com
Calligraphy Nadjea Evans, instagram.com/jea_jots
Signage Design35ny, design35ny.com
Carpet & Draping LD Events Decor, ldeventsdecor.com
Entertainment DJ flo, djflo.net; The Hiplet Ballerinas Company, hipletballerinas.com
Videographer Bridges Cinema, instagram.com/bridgescinema
Photographer Imagery by Jules, imagerybyjules.com
Photography by: Imagery by Jules
