Skip to main content

Nuptials in Newark: The Wedding of Malinda Williams & Derrick "D-Nice" Jones

We posted about actress Malinda Williams' wedding blog on Essence.com a little over a month ago and this passed Saturday they finally sealed the deal...in my hometown of Newark, New Jersey! The wedding was held at The Mezzanine and Malinda was absolutely radiant in a gorgeous strapless gown with tiers of pleated cascading tulle ("Evita" by Maggie Sottero).

Here are photos and Essence's account of their special day:

On Saturday, August 23, actress Malinda Williams and former rapper and present celebrity deejay Derrick "D-Nice" Jones wed in a quaint ceremony at The Mezzanine in Newark, New Jersey. As Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" played softly, Malinda made her grand entrance, wearing an ivory, strapless, beaded, ruffled-tiered gown by Maggie Sottero, champagne Christian Louboutin satin pumps, and a veil and hair adornment compliments of Lori London, while carrying an eggplant calla lily. The couple's vintage-mod wedding theme was captured by organic décor of tall branches, ivory hydrangea, floating votive candles, and brown, taupe and ivory river rocks.
As her dad, Frederick A. Williams, III, escorted his baby girl to her hubby-in-waiting, Derrick watched his bride intently, his eyes brimming with tears. "When I saw her I lost it, because she was so beautiful," said Jones, who was debonair in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo, shirt, and pocket square, a Brioni tie, and Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. "I'm thinking, This is my wife. I'm marrying my best friend."Malinda echoed her husband's sentiments: "All I kept thinking was, I'm almost there," said the former "Soul Food" series star, beaming now that she can officially be addressed as Mrs. Jones, "just a few more steps and this is it!"The bridal party of thirteen, including bridesmaids and groomsmen were equally chic. Malinda's sis Leslie Dunn served as matron of honor, while maid of honor duties went to celebrity fashion stylist Tiffany Hasbourne.
The bridesmaids included Terri J. Vaughn, Nicole Ari Parker, Vanessa Williams, Malinda's sis Lisa Sorensen, and junior bridesmaid Ashli Jones, Derrick's daughter. All were radiant in taffy, strapless David’s Bridal gowns and chocolate sashes clipped by beautiful broaches. Derrick's best men, Chris Lighty, founder and CEO of Violator Management, and Keith Forte, along with groomsmen Scotty Morris, Anthony Rahsaan and Ryan Jones were slick in black Ralph Lauren suits. During the exchanging of vows, Malinda caused a ripple of laughter among family and friends by proclaiming an emphatic "I absolutely do!"
At the reception, the newlyweds, who have known each other since they were 18, enthusiastically greeted their guests as husband and wife before sharing an intimate first dance to Grover Washington, Jr.'s "Just The Two of Us." Deejays David Berrie, M.O.S. and Kiss alternated on the wheels of steel, spinning classic R&B and hip-hop while guests danced till midnight.As the evening came to an end, the couple walked away, hand-in-hand, but not before sharing their promises to each other. "I just want to spend every day showing her how much I love and appreciate her," said Derrick. "It's the only thing I plan to do for the rest of our days together.""I don't believe in forever," said Malinda. "What I do believe in is living it up every day, because tomorrow is not promised to us, so we can only let tomorrow take care of itself and maybe we'll reach forever. Let's just get through today and make every day a choice to stay married."

Comments

Anonymous said…
Great Post. I am surprised her bridesmaids had on David Bridal. The dresses were nice.

I like the sweetness and simplicity of this wedding.

Lyn

Popular posts from this blog

scam (skām): A fraudulent business scheme

Y esterday, I received my first wedding scam attempt (guess my latest marketing and advertising efforts are starting to work). I received an email from an "Irish" bride-to-be whose fiance was offered a job in the U.S. and needed help planning a small wedding in New Jersey. I vaguely remembered hearing of certain swindle attempts on wedding vendors (especially photographers and videographers), so my radar peaked immediately, however, I didn't jump to any conclusions right away. I responded to the email, drew up a preliminary proposal, quoted cost of service and submitted an invoice for payment. Nonetheless, when it became apparent that the bride-to-be and her French fiance only intended on mailing a cashier's check, I knew right away what I was dealing with ... a scam! I happen to know that international cashier's checks are not fully validated for 90 days. So even though the check may clear at first, if found to be phony, the money is later deducted. I must say, i...

"Farm Sweet Farm" 1st Birthday Party

My husband and I celebrated our baby twins, Jonah & Gia's, 1st birthday with a "Farm Sweet Farm" party last weekend.  The party was held at our home (aka The Anderson Farm ) and our closest family and friends excitedly attended.  Honestly it's still difficult for us to believe a full year has gone by since they entered our lives, but one thing was clear from the beginning --- we had a lot to celebrate and we intended to do just that! Everyone had loads of fun; they would've partied until the cows came home if we let them.  And since the guests of honor LOVE animals, the theme proved to be absolutely perfect for them and their guests.  To most, I'm known for planning amazing weddings and bridal celebrations by means of THE BRIDAL PARTY , so it was really a lot of fun to step outside of my comfort zone and show off my versatility and range.  I can't deny, this was FUN!  I'm still quite "giddy" about it all. * * * * * * * * * * INVITA...

Aidan & Jonathan: Enchanted Forest

We shared snapshots of our Enchanted Forest wedding just four days ago and somehow, SOMEWAY, professional photos became available last night!  (an unbelievable world record ... calling Guinness after the holiday) As mentioned before, we were brought on to plan and execute this wedding just 3 months out, at which time 90% of the vendors and service providers had not been selected.  But I must say, we couldn't have had a better team of professionals bring this event to life if we'd started a year ago.   The ceremony was held in the evening on the outdoor patio of Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, NJ.  On this brisk mid-November night, our teams successfully achieved a loving and warm ambiance by having clear tent wall covered by swags of 21-foot long fabric hung on the outer perimeter of the space.  This treatment allowed for the bride's dream of being married near nature but also kept the couple's beloved friends and family comfortable.  A blo...