A Match Made in Heaven at The Briarcliff Manor
Joanne and Neish are truly a match made in heaven. Walk through their journey of first meeting at their church and how they ended up getting married here at The Briarcliff Manor exactly one year after their first date! These two love birds truly are perfect for each other.
Question: How did you two first meet?
Answer: We met at a young adults’ prayer meeting at our church.
Question: What was your first impression of each other?
Answer: Neish: I saw a young lady with regards for God, She is fountain of cold water, A breath of fresh, clean air, and my favorite teacher.
Joanne: I perceived him to be quiet and reserved. He seemed very serious about his faith in God and I really admired that about him.
Question: What was your first date?
Answer: After church service one Sunday afternoon, Neish asked me out and he took me to Just Salad in midtown Manhattan. We really got to know each other since prior to our first date, we barely interacted.
Question: Who said ‘I love you’ first?
Answer: Neish said I love you first. It was on FaceTime!
Question: What is the most memorable date that you two shared?
Answer: Our most memorable date was a Brooklyn restaurant called Miriam in downtown Brooklyn. This was where we really started feeling comfortable with each other, sharing the deep and dearest things in our hearts.
Question: What are your nicknames for each other?
Answer: Neish calls Joanne Gingerbeer. We went on a missions trip to Jamaica in summer 2018. Joanne enjoyed this soda called “gingerbeer” and drank it almost every day. So the nickname stuck. Joanne calls Neish “Bay!” She is really trying to say babe…
Question: Is there a favorite spot you two share?
Answer: Sundance Deli, Lakou, 12 chairs, Bread and Honey
Question: Who met the in-laws first?
Answer: Neish met Joanne’s parents first. They really got to know him and it was then when they gave him their blessing to move forward in marriage!
Question: What are your favorite things about each other?
Answer: Neish: likes Joanne’s hair, that she is his favorite teacher, that she is punctual and strong
Joanne: He is selfless and family-oriented. He’s resilient and is a man that prays.
Question: When did you know that you were going to propose to her?
Answer: When she finally decided to join me at the place where my heart was: working with kids.
Question: What was your proposal like? Where was it?
Answer: I proposed to her on the choir loft at our church. We had just finished a premarital counseling session and were on our way to choir rehearsal. Joanne was hungry and I had a Starbucks paper bag with something sweet in it, “or so she thought…” It was the ring!!! I gave her the bag, her eyes widened as she was taken by surprise. I went down on one knee and asked her if she would marry me… we later went to a nice restaurant to have dinner.
Question: How did you feel when he proposed?
Answer: I was completely shocked but also excited at the same time.
Question: How long have the both of you known each other?
Answer: We’ve been serving in the choir for about 4 years but have only started speaking about a year and a half. We got engaged 3 months after we started dating. Exactly one year after our first date, we got married.
Question: What was your favorite part of your wedding day?
Answer: Neish: the first look and exchanging our vows
Joanne: The first look and our first dance together.
Question: How would you describe the style or theme of your wedding?
Answer: It was elegant and simple.
Question: What did you look most forward to? The wedding day, the ceremony, the honeymoon?
Answer: Neish: I really looked forward to spending the rest of my life with my favorite teacher.
Joanne: Spending the rest of my life with my best friend.
Question: What was the most fun detail of your wedding to plan?
Answer: Neish: creating the processional and recessional charts.
Joanne: The taste testing for our food menu and wedding cake! Yum!
Question: What was the most unique detail at your wedding?
Answer: Neish: My wife’s attire and features. I felt truly special that such a unique person chose me.
Joanne: I think it’s just having our closest family and friends there. We didn’t want a big wedding with over 300 guests. We wanted the people who attended our wedding, to be the people who would last in our marriage.
Question: What was your something borrowed, something new and something blue?
Answer: Neish: something new: dancing the way I did.
Joanne: something new:…. The headpiece my sister gifted me.
Question: To the Groom: What were you thinking when you saw her walking down the aisle?
Answer: God has given me my heart’s desire and has not withheld the requests of my lips.
Question: To the Groom: What is the first thing you noticed about the bride when you did the first look?
Answer: I noticed the confidence in her eyes and the radiance on her face.
Question: To the Bride: What is the first thing you noticed about the groom when you did the first look?
Answer: An answered prayer.
Question: Is there anything from your wedding day that you will keep as memorabilia?
Answer: Bridal Bouquet, shofar, Communion set and of course pictures!
Question: What is “your song” and why?
Answer: The mailman song: nothing could ever change this love that I have for you by Sam Cook. I relish the fact that the author highlights/implies that every marriage will have rain, sleet or snow but a man must never stop loving his wife.
Question: Who was your maid of honor and why?
Answer: My maid of honor was my older sister Syvah. She has been in my life since age 8 and has been a major part of my upbringing. Till this day she is still supportive of me. My Matron of Honor was my closest friend of 10 years Anjelica. We met in college and we’ve remained a constant in each other’s lives. She is the Johnathan to my David (best friends in the Bible). I also had the privilege to be her Maid of Honor at her wedding in 2017.
Question: Who was your best man and why?
Answer: Zachary James was my Best man. Zachary has just always been there. When others leave because the ground got shaky, Zachary stood by as a rock.
Question: Did you have your honeymoon yet? How was it? Where was it?
Answer: Yes. How was it? Amazing!!!! Where was it? On the night of the wedding, we went to the Baker’s House in East Hampton New York. It’s a pretty cool Bed & Breakfast. Then a week later we traveled to Jerusalem, Israel.
Question: How would you describe your wedding day in one sentence?
Answer: Neish: That was the day that the Lord had made so that we could rejoice and be glad always.
Joanne: Two have become one because of the faithfulness of God.
Makeup – Amala Rowe
Hair – Beauty for Ashes Salon in West Nyack, NY
Dress Designer – Jaclyn Jordan
DJ/Band – Tommy Lee
Photographer/Videographer – Spike Li
Florist/Décor – Décor By Vincenza
Bakery – By the Way Bakery
