Haymarket Wedding wants to share the best wedding tips and inspire you with real-world stories of brides-to-be. We were delighted to talk with Jelia Singleton about her wedding vision. During her interview, she shared some helpful advice for couples and brides during the engagement process. 

Jelia is quite busy with wedding plans, her job, and school work. She is a master’s student and set to graduate in May 2024. She also works on a busy schedule, helping with the suicide crisis line at the Veteran’s Administration. 

Jelia is originally from New York, but moved to New Jersey a few years back. While hesitant initially, she now sees where she lives as a great place to start a family. She and her fiance Keron were engaged in May 2023. The wedding is set for August 2025. 

Special meetings

She and Keron met several years back, initially reaching out to each other online. At first, Jelia was not interested. “He used too many emojis in his conversations,” she joked. But at the end of 2016, they went on their first date and were able to have some genuine time to talk. 

They were out at dinner when he asked her to be his girlfriend. Jelia explained that she and Keron both enjoy great food. On the dessert plate was the question, “Will you be my girlfriend?” Jelia had to check “yes” or “no” with chocolate. Keron continued this sweet idea when he proposed. This time, the question on the plate was, “Will you marry me?” With Jelia’s “yes,” they started wedding planning.

Wedding ideas

Jelia and Keron are looking forward to a great and memorable experience. They are excited to have everyone celebrate with them. They even plan to include their dog, Milo, in the ceremony.

Summer weddings open the door for a whole set of ideas, themes, and color schemes. Jelia said she is excited about how they can truly make the wedding theirs, putting in components that reflect their personalities. 

“We’re going for light and airy. I want to look at it and just automatically think ‘beautiful summery day.’…We’re doing light colors like sky blues and whites…When my guests come in I want them to automatically feel like they’re in a summery garden.”

Their venue certainly reflects this idea: The Marigold in Somerset, New Jersey. Jelia explained that it has a beautiful ballroom and a great outdoor area. Everything felt open, with a lot of space and light. They plan to hold the ceremony outside, but they do have a backup plan in case of rain. 

With color scheme choices set, Jelia gave the bridesmaids some free reign. Jelia picked the color and fabric type; however, the bridesmaids are selecting their own styles. Jelia explained she knows what it is like to be a bridesmaid. She further explained what it is like to have a dress that you do not want to wear again! She wants everyone comfortable but still match each other. She plans on white flowers for the bridesmaids’ bouquets and white and blue flowers for her own. 

She has a soft spot for hydrangeas, which remind her of her grandmother’s house; the plan is to sprinkle these through the decor. 

They hope to incorporate some unique themes that reflect Keron’s heritage and culture. Keron is from Trinidad, so they have been experimenting with ideas that can show off Caribbean flair. For example, they decided that instead of party favors at the end of the night, a food truck will serve Trinidadian street food. 

Finding the dress

For many brides, finding the right dress can take the wedding experience to a whole new level. Jelia prefers online shopping. When she goes to stores, she tends to be a “get in and get out” sort of shopper. But for her wedding dress, she decided to do some in-person shopping. 

Jelia knew she wanted to go somewhere with many options; she brought a whole team of helpers with her: her bridesmaids, her aunt, and her sister. “That helped ground me a little bit,” she recalled. She also planned her dress shopping day on her late mother’s birthday.

Her main goal was to narrow things down to her preferred style. She realized she did not want a slim-fitted wedding dress even though this tends to be her go-to style. She wanted something that was outside the norm. “My fiance will say that I look great in anything, but I want him to remember this outfit, something that I won’t wear any other day,” she explained. 

So, with help from the store’s manager, Jelia narrowed down her choices. The manager listened to Jelia’s preferences and expressions about what she liked and was able to pull out some helpful options. Jelia explained that trying on the dress helped her feel the reality of her upcoming wedding. She found the perfect choice for her special day. 

Special relationships 

We also chatted about the guest list and how they decided who to invite to their wedding. This area of wedding planning can often be a challenge because couples do not want to offend anyone. Additionally, reception venues often have limited space. 

For their wedding, Jelia and Keron plan for about 120 people. Jelia noted they listed people influential in their lives. They asked themselves, “who do we know we couldn’t get married without?” 

They considered people they contacted regularly. Also, they wanted to include mutual friends. While it is difficult, Jelia acknowledged that she expected some hurt feelings. 

“Prepare for people to be upset and people to be mad at you for whatever choices that you make regarding your wedding… Not everybody will accept whatever choices you make,” she said. 

Jelia is thankful for her family and friends’ support throughout the planning process. Many friends brainstormed great ideas. She and her maid of honor determined how to help each other make the wedding a success. Other bridesmaids are supportive, taking on responsibilities and helping her stay organized. 

Jelia is the youngest sibling in her family and is quite close to her brother and sister. She played around with the idea of taking first-look photos with her siblings on the day of the wedding to share a special moment together. 

Communicating and finding time for each other

We also asked Jelia how she and her fiance communicated and prioritized each other during this time. They have crazy work schedules, so finding time to talk is not always easy. But, they have excelled in making decisions together. 

Jelia noted that sometimes it comes down to some trial and error, but they have been working to be open with each other about their ideas. 

“We’re usually are on the same page about things. And if not, we can usually get there. I’ve learned over the years that he’s a very visual person, so he needs to see what it looks like…So usually I’ll show him what it looks like and if he still doesn’t agree, we find a middle ground. I’ll show him what I like and show him what he likes looks like and [we] see if we can incorporate both into this idea.”

They schedule specific times to discuss wedding planning so that it does not become all-consuming. This helped them be intentional about “wedding talk” rather than constantly bringing it up. But, Jelia encourages ways to keep it fun, like meeting deadlines and finding excellent deals into friendly competition. 

Jelia also recommends carving time out to spend with each other away from distractions. 

“Schedule the date nights. Schedule things where no phone is on, when it’s just you and them giving undivided attention…Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our digital world… that we don’t become a priority to each other.”

Thank you so much for sharing your plans with us. We wish you the best with your upcoming wedding!

Jessica Freeborn is a freelance writer based in Western New York. She believes in the power of stories and works to create well-crafted pieces that inspire and follow the facts. She works with a variety of clients, tailoring her style to fit their brands and visions.