Sifau Oladipo didn’t always know if marriage was for her; she did know she would never settle. “I prayed for a faithful man, [someone] loving, kind and understanding, who treats me like his queen while loving me unconditionally,” she says. “‘Sifau,’ my friends would say, ‘you want too much. You may never get married.’” Then, Wale Nubi slid into her DMs. The two chatted via text, phone and FaceTime for hours. Her first impression? “He was a beautiful soul. Perhaps he was the answer to my impossible prayer.” Sifau’s inclination was correct: Despite distance—she was in Texas, he in Chicago—and a global pandemic, a relationship blossomed.
Sifau and Wale celebrated their love story in epic style with a destination wedding, fitting for their global guest list, who traveled from the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Nigeria. The two-night affair in the Dominican Republic began with a Nigerian wedding ceremony. Traditional African cuisine was served, and decor was vibrant. “We wanted a fusion of both their culture and the fact that we were in the Dominican Republic,” says wedding planner and designer Merlyn José. “It was bright and bold, full of color.”
The wedding-day vibe was all romance: white florals and decor and endless candlelight. Guests enjoyed an opulent meal of lobster, lamb and red snapper and danced the night away—but that was only the beginning. “After the reception, guests were shuttled to the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, which is an open outdoor Roman-style theater,” Merlyn says. “They were greeted by hora loca dancers, cigar rollers and fireworks, and danced until 3am.”
Groom Wale is the menswear designer behind Chicago’s own Jojayden, and designed his own custom wedding look. Photographed by IVASH Studio
The couple looked stunning in traditional attire for their Nigerian wedding celebration. Photographed by IVASH Studio
The Western wedding was held at Casa de Campo’s Marina Riverside Center, with a ceremony overlooking the water. Photographed by IVASH Studio
A dramatically lit first dance. Photographed by IVASH Studio
“Sifau and Wale both have a very refined taste, simplistic but with a flair—I wanted the decor to reflect that,” says planner Merlyn José. Photographed by IVASH Studio
The afterparty featured hora loca dancers. Photographed by IVASH Studio
The List
Venue Casa de Campo Resort & Villas, La Romana, Dominican Republic, casadecampo.com.do
Wedding Planner Merlyn José Weddings & Events, merlynjoseevents.com
Bride’s Gown & Veil custom, Gaurav Gupta, gauravguptastudio.com
Bride’s Jewelry Amina Muaddi, aminamuaddi.com
Getting Ready Attire VTABí, vtabi.com
Bride’s Hair & Makeup Hair: Dee Desalu, Salon Olori, salonolorichicago.com; Makeup: Sadé Faladé, instagram.com/shandyy_mua
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Tuxes custom, Jojayden, jojayden.com
Groom’s Watch Rolex, rolex.com
Nigerian Attire His: KochHouse, instagram.com/kochhouse_; Hers: Stiz Couture, instagram.com/stizcouture; Gele: Wesley Duru, instagram.com/thetravellingafrican; Both: Bimms24, instagram.com/bimmms24
Alaga & Nigerian Wedding Officiant Cecilia Peters, Alpha & Omega Events, instagram.com/alpha_omegaevents_
Florals Tres Eventos, instagram.com/treseventos
Entertainment DJ JAY-R, facebook.com/djjayrmusicpage; DJ Kishi, instagram.com/djkishi
Videographers Boyko, boykophotography.com; Yomi Films, yomifilms.com
Photography by: IVASH Studio
