Real Richmond Weddings: Sonia and Brian at Shirley Plantation

Sonia and Brian tied the knot amidst a setting of beautiful decor perfect for their culturally rich love story.

Brian and Sonia first met in 2015 at a restaurant in Germany that was hosting a Facebook get together. Sonia had been using Facebook to connect with other English speakers. Sonia elaborates, “I am German-Moroccan. I grew up speaking French and Arabic and moved to Germany at age 19…so I liked the idea of practicing my English and meeting native speakers.” Growing up watching Hollywood films, it was a dream to fall in love with an American, and once she met Brian, her dream came true.

But it wasn’t until 2016 when they started dating. Brian messaged Sonia and they agreed on a first date in Mainz, Germany. They took a bus to a wine festival, where during an amusement ride, Brian took Sonia’s hand. Sparks flew immediately.

Brian and Sonia were engaged on December 23, 2017, in New York City. It was Brian’s plan to propose in front of the Statue of Liberty, but the ferry wasn’t going to get them there in time. Onto plan B. “All of a sudden Brian started talking about how great it was for him to be with me on this boat…I didn’t understand he was proposing to me until he pulled out a ring box!” Sonia said yes right away.

Brian and Sonia live in Germany, and with the help of their planner, Debbie planned the whole wedding remotely.  “We only got to the United States one week before our wedding…and without Debbie, it would have been impossible to organize such an amazing wedding from abroad!”

While the couple didn’t have a specific theme, they wanted their big day to reflect German, Moroccan, and American cultures, giving snippets into their life through food, entertainment, and music. “The decor was only inspired by our wish to have a summer and colorful wedding.” Their colors were bright with magenta, poppy, and yellow creating a warm and welcoming vibe while keeping the integrity of their unique cultures.

They played musical chairs, danced, and even had an auction for Sonia and Brian to do crazy dares! Their July night was an impressive celebration, bringing together a variety of cultures on a beautiful, warm summer night.

“The most emotional part was at the ceremony when we were pronounced husband and wife and when we said our own vows, I was very nervous and feeling emotional! We were also very nervous about our first dance, but we made it!”

“The biggest challenge was not living in the country where the wedding took place! Organizing the wedding from Germany wasn’t easy and without our wedding planner, it would have been impossible to organize such a great wedding from abroad! We only got to the U.S. one week before the wedding. In that one week, we had the chance to go to a cake tasting, but everything else was decided before we got to the U.S., so the decor, food, etc. was a total surprise to us and it was a real success!”

“Organizing a wedding can be very stressful. A lot of couples will fight over all kind of little differences regarding the wedding (The guest list, the money invested, etc). Don’t let little fights ruin this special day, afterward you’ll just remember the magic of this day! My only regret is that the wedding day passed too quickly and we spent all year organizing this event! I would like to celebrate it again!”

Info Provided by Real Richmond Weddings, Courtesy of Marissa McCormick.

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Thanks to Melissa McCormick at Real Richmond Weddings for writing this interview, Brian & Sonia for sharing their big day, Awesomesauce Photography for these gorgeous photos, and all our friends at Party Perfect for helping us make it happen.

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