An Intimate Elopement in Tulsa
photography : Monica Burgess
An Intimate AirBnb Elopement in Tulsa
Alexis and Benjamin-Ariel met during a University trip to Israel in July of 2017. She asked him what type of camera he had, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Alexis could see herself marrying Ben the day after they first met. She says she fell fast but hesitated admitting it because she’d previously told herself she was finished dating. She fell so fast, she purchased her wedding dress before
Ben had even asked her father’s permission to marry her. Ben told us he knew after just a few days as well. They’d had a conversation about what qualities each were seeking in a spouse. “I remember thinking oh man that sounds like me,” Ben recalls.
Three months after they met, Ben proposed on West Hampton Beach in New York. A Long Island Native, Ben took Alexis to visit during fall break and led her to the beach to watch the sunrise. As they walked to the shoreline, he took her hand and walked her to the proposal spot : an area of sand with a heart made of sunflowers (Alexis’s favorite) and wrote “Marry Me” with rose petals. Little did she know, Ben’s sister would be there to surprise her with engagement photos.
They were married six months to the day after they met.
Alexis tells us of the day prior to the wedding : “[t]he night before our wedding we celebrated a traditional Pakistani wedding ceremony known as Mehndi. It is used to prepare the bride and groom for marriage. We were adorned with oils, lavished with flowers and henna, and our families were given the opportunity to speak blessings into our lives. At the end of the night, we celebrated by enjoying Pakistani food and dancing to Desi music.”
The ceremony and communion they took together were “full of God’s presence,” said the couple. “We were both crying” said Ben. “Alexis could hardly read her vows.” After the ceremony, they enjoyed a family dinner prepared by the father of the bride.
Something Alexis will always remember is a moment with her best friend. Her best friend was unable to attend, so they briefly FaceTimed just prior to the ceremony. Through tears, Alexis told her she was about to walk down the aisle. Her best friend sent her luck and well-wishes. What Ben and Alexis say they won’t likely forget is how intimate and peaceful their wedding was. They only had 11 people present, plus the florist and photographer. “The people at our wedding were those closest to us that we know support us and are for us. It was stress free, full of God’s presence, love, and laughter,” muses Alexis.
“Six months seems to be a theme in our family,” suggests Alexis. "Six months after we met, we got married, six months after we got married we found out we were pregnant, and six months after that we moved to New York.”
Alexis and Ben no longer reside in Oklahoma, but when they are in town, they frequent Shades of Brown, All About Cha, Nordaggios, and Lone Wolf.
On February 14, 2019, the couple welcomed a 7lb 2oz baby boy to the world, Hezekiah Joseph.
FEATURED VENDORS :
Photography : Monica Burgess
VENDORS :
Venue : Airbnb, Columns Mansion Tulsa OK
Florals : Flowers by Ford
Cake/Desserts : Antoinette Baking Co
Gown Designer : Blush Fashion
Menswear : Express
