1. Real Weddings

Tiffany & Calvin: A Formal Wedding in New York, NY

Tiffany and Calvin gathered with 600 friends and family for a wedding that celebrated the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. The Bride Tiffany Elli

Tiffany and Calvin gathered with 600 friends and family for a wedding that celebrated the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. The Bride Tiffany Ellis, 33, director of marketing and public relations The Groom Calvin Otis Butts, IV, 33, advertising copywriter The Date November 27 Following a midnight Mass on New Years Day, Tiffany hosted a party at her home for around 20 close friends and family eager to celebrate the prospect of a prosperous new year. It was there, in front of all their guests, that Calvin surprised Tiffany with a ring.

The Centerpieces
Tiffany wore an ivory strapless organza ball gown.
The party, which nearly 300 guests attended, kicked off with cocktail hour that included 1920s jazz and viewings of famous Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee's work. As guests made their way into the ballroom, a warm and inviting color palette (copper, bronze, and other colors reminiscent of a fall harvest) became evident. Amber, red, and golden theatrical lighting warmed the space from above; four-foot-tall copper-wire candelabra were bursting with roses and calla lilies; and copper-color gobo lighting reading Tiffany & Calvin playfully punctuated the dance floor.
Imani Winds, an Afro Latin-influenced chamber group that includes the bride's sister Monica, a bassoonist, helped usher guests down the long aisle and to their seats. Once everyone was settled, the church organist, accompanied by the renowned jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis (he's also Tiffany's friend and former boss), set the tone for the Vera Wang-clad bride's big entrance.
The Couple
There were 600 people in attendance -- including Andre Leon Talley, editor at large of Vogue -- to witness Tiffany and Harlem-raised Calvin exchange wedding vows in a beautiful ceremony conducted by his father, Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III. The Abyssinian Baptist Church, which is located between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Malcolm X Boulevards (named for two of our country's most prominent civil rights leaders), reverberated with sweet and sultry music.
I had a very clear vision of what I wanted my wedding and reception to entail, says Tiffany, who earned an MFA in Theater Management from Yale School of Drama. The result: a dazzling celebration that was equal parts earnest and engaging. At the reception, there were heartfelt toasts (including one by New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, that encouraged Tiffany and Calvin to embrace everlasting love with, May today be the day that you love each other the least); Southern traditions (a red velvet cake for dessert); and a performance-filled evening (the escort cards were crafted to look like theater tickets, and invited guests into a production titled, Tiffany & Calvin's Harlem Jam).
The jam session got underway almost immediately, beginning with a clip of I Remember Harlem, and followed by poetry readings from Harlem Renaissance writers Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson. There was a dance segment to Baby (You've Got What it Takes) by Brook Benton and Dinah Washington, which was partly performed by Matthew Rushing, principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Then, the Wynton Marsalis Quartet took center stage, and Tiffany and Calvin stepped out to Embraceable You. Later, a DJ, who in true New-York-City-That-Never-Sleeps form, spun tunes into the early hours of the following morning. Performers and stage help provided by a number of the couple's friends: production Manager Candace Jackson; actors Kyle and Kim Rivers; choreographer Felicia Swoope; dancers Matthew Rushing and Ebony Ruffin; and host Marta Effinger-Crichlow.
The Bridal Bouquet
The cake featured original wedding portraits of Tiffany's parents, Calvin's parents, and Calvin's grandparents.