Real Weddings: Michele & Kalu

While at university, Michele made the decision to work at Target to make some extra money in between. It was there she met Kalu, who had already been working there for a couple of years, and still does today. The couple spent their shifts being coy and flirtatious with one another. It was beginning to be clear to them that there was chemistry. A few months later, they took the next step and began dating. Five years into their relationship, Kalu planned a memorable proposal for Michele, a graduate of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, who now works as a Research Regulatory Associate at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. First he surprised her with five bouquets of flowers in her room and then he took her for a spa day. After this they enjoyed a delicious dinner and movie date night, where they ended up being the only two patrons in the theater, so it was like a private showing. Kalu had family and friend volunteers setting up their apartment, and he was told to stall for time. He took Michele to pick up their favorite cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, and then he whisked her off to hang out at a friend’s house to kill time, unbeknownst to Michele. Finally everything was in its place and Kalu drove home, where he then asked Michele to put on a blindfold and led her into the living room. There, he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. Just as Kalu removed the blindfold, their favorite song started playing. Michele looked around the room in admiration to see it had been decorated with candles, rose petals, and flowers, and her family was there to cheer them on. In September of 2021, the couple wed before 52 of their most treasured guests.

Wedding Details

LOCATION: Cambridge, MA

TIME OF YEAR: Fall

WEDDING STYLE: bright, cheerful, traditional

CEREMONY: Le Meridien Boston Cambridge

RECEPTION: Catalyst Restaurant

MENU: To begin, Haitian fish and vegetarian patties were offered along with cucumber cups, fried chicken sliders and French fries topped with a lemon aioli. Next, a summer corn soup with truffle cream and local mixed mesclun greens with Persian cucumber, fennel, shaved carrots and a herb vinaigrette were introduced. For the main course, guests’ options were a coconut curry chicken with carrot, potatoes and cassava root mash, a red snapper with a Jamaican mango salsa, lime, cilantro, pickled onions and fried plantains or a vegetable lasagna as the meatless choice.

DESSERT: Cake as well as chocolate torte with graham cracker-flavored ice cream, red wine infused cherries and marshmallow strawberry shortcake, olive oil cake and vanilla ice cream, and finally a strawberry rhubarb sorbet topped with a honeycomb.

FIRST DANCE SONG: “Spend My Life With You” by Eric Benet and Tamia

INSPIRATION: lots of colors infused throughout the palette

COLORS: