Jessica Da Rosa and Jeremy Mensah wanted their wedding to be an outward reflection of who they are both individually and as a couple. They met in Portland, so they knew they wanted to get married in the City of Roses and show their family and friends the beauty of summertime in the Pacific Northwest. The theme “City Meets Nature” emerged for their wedding weekend, an homage to their roots with Jessica having grown up in London and Jeremy in Oregon.
Starting with a traditional Ghanaian celebration where guests were encouraged to wear African attire or clothing that honored their own cultures - the crowd forming a rich cultural mosaic. Chef Oui at the Hoxton Portland prepared an authentic Ghanaian menu with kelewele, goat meat soup, suya spiced lamb chops and fried fish. The electrifying drum and dance performances, heartfelt speeches and musical performances set the tone for the wedding weekend to be lively and unifying.
The following day, a sophisticated palette of black, sage green, forest green, gold, champagne and stone created a garden oasis in the middle of the city. The enchanting décor included ferns, towering bamboo and Ficus trees, disco balls and lounge seating. Guests were encouraged to walk around and try different types of foods that represented the places Jessica and Jeremy had travelled to at different staffed buffet stations, providing a unique and playful dinner experience. Their evening of revelry had everyone dancing into early hours of the next day which was celebrated with a special cake and toast to the bride on her birthday.
The couple was involved in every detail of their wedding, including the custom stationery elements, hotel welcome bags and beyond—giving everything a highly personal touch. Jessica recalls: “Beyond our stated wedding theme, love was the other, and we felt so much love around us across the entire weekend. We would give the same advice we got: stay as present as possible and don’t sweat the small stuff.”
