Tag / wedding

by shannonchance

Wedding Weekend with Nigerian-British Flair

Engagement photo of Folashade and Damilola.

My beautiful and intelligent colleague, Dr. Folashade Olayinka (who I traveled to Johannesburg with 1.5 years ago to teach a Master Class) decided to marry her beloved Dr. Damilola Olaniyi last weekend, so on Saturday, November 9, 2019, I headed for the Putney Bridge tube bright and early. It was a cold day, but bright and full of energy.

My own beloved Aongus walked me to the station. Even though the invite was just for one, he wanted to set me off on the right course for the weekend.

At Liverpool Street Station, I met up with my best Plus-None, Dr. Inês Direito, and we head off for Chelmsford by train, excited for a new adventure.

When we arrived in Chelmsford, our room wasn’t quite ready at The County Hotel, but we found space to change into wedding attire–with “Colours of the day” specified as “Emerald Green & Gold” we did our best not to clash!

We taxied from the Hotel over to All Saints Church on Church Lane, Writtle, Chelmsford CM1 3EN, UK for the Church of England ceremony, held in a historic venue and officiated by a pastor who delivered an informative lesson on love, and in quite an interesting way.

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The Nyamapfenes, Abel and Tari, with Inês and me at the church.

Our colleague Dr. Abel Nyamapfene had already arrived with his lovely wife, Tari.

Inês and I had a ball getting to know her. Considering we arrived at 12:20 and the bride marched down the aisle at 1:40, we had ample time to get to know each other–and I assure you we had a delightful time doing that in such a lovely and lively setting. I look forward to seeing Tari again some day.

During the ceremony, from my seat along the outer wall of the side nave, I was able to see the exchange of vows. I had never realized quite how much Neo-Gothic columns limit paritioners’ viewing angles. Thanks to my colleague Dr. Fiona Truscott, and the book she lent me on English architecture, “A Lust for Windowsills” by Harry Mount, I was able to discern that this church is, specifically, “perpendicular Gothic“. A nice treat to be in such a space for a celebration of marriage! I recognized the last song and happily sang along, despite being chronically out-of-tune.

Hylands House, the reception venue. (Photo copied from the couple’s wedding page.)

The reception was held at the beautiful and elegant Hylands House on London Road, Writtle, Chelmsford CM2 8WQ, UK.

 

Graduation pic of Dami and Shade. Doctors of Engineering!

At the reception, we learned many things, and we got to watch video of the wedding ceremony the couple had in Nigeria (prior to this ceremony here in England). Incidentally, the newlyweds were both born here in Britain, of parents born in Nigeria. They have lived here all their lives, but visit Nigeria frequently. I sometimes say Shade is the most British person I know!

During the toasts, we learned that Shade was born at University College London (UCL) Hospital, on the campus where she and I worked together until she moved to Queen Mary University of London. She completed all her higher education degrees at UCL. Her new husband, Dami, also earned his doctorate in engineering at UCL. In fact, the two met at UCL in 2011. Their subjects are slightly different, however, as Shade has a doctorate in Chemical engineer, while I believe Dami’s doctorate is in aeronautical engineering.

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The newlyweds

During the meal, Inês and I had the pleasure of sharing a table with the PhD supervisor for each of the two. Shade’s supervisor, Professor/Dr. Eva Sorenson had attended the SEFI 2018 conference with Inês and me in Copenhagen and I sat beside her at the gala of that event, just after she’d been recognized with the biggest award of the conference. I’m getting used to siting among the stars!

Both supervisors got specific call-outs from the couple and the family during toasts–how cool! It looks like you can make a real difference in someone’s life as their PhD supervisor. I hope that’s me someday. (My first PhD supervisee just passed the final threshold before his PhD viva, slated for August 2020–very excited about all that!)

Following dinner, a grand Nigerian buffet, we enjoyed cake and some dancing.

Eventually we headed by taxi for the hotel for some Zs.

 

 

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With Emanuela and family!

In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast with the happy couple and another of our beloved colleagues, Emanuela Tilley (who is currently away form us on maternity leave) along with her beautiful and energetic family. I get far too little time with Emanuela these days! Making every moment count here in England.

 

In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast with the happy couple and another of our beloved colleagues, Emanuela Tilley (who is currently away form us on maternity leave) along with her beautiful and energetic family. I get far too little time with Emanuela these days! Making every moment count here in England.

After a quick walk to the station and an easy train trip back to London, I made my way back to Putney to meet up with Aongus, who’d had to work Sunday, morning until noon.

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Flowers!

I arrived at the flat first, and when Aongus arrived he brought a lovely bouquet for me! I was delighted to find I’d been missed by this incredible man. It’s a pleasure to be surrounded with so much love and support.

Thanks so very much to Shade and Dami for including Inês and me in this–the biggest day of your lives. You make a lovely couple and you seem so comfortable and happy together. Your families seem so warm and supportive, and it looks like they provide great models for healthy interactions and long-lasting love. Your ceremony was beautiful and touching. The bridal party was full of vitality and was beautifully attired (love those bridesmaid dresses!). The toasts were heartfelt. The venues were such a pleasure to experience. The dancing, rituals, and outfits had a distinctly Nigerian flair that was a treat to behold.

It was all so beautiful and festive! And we were so lucky to be there!

#DaSh2019, 9.11.19

by shannonchance

The Art of Traveling (with a Cat in Every Lap)

In anticipation of retirement, our friend John Baird has decided to learn the art of traveling.  He’s starting small.

On Wednesday he called to say he’d be making the trip to our home in Portsmouth.  It’s a 5.5-hour drive from Blacksburg (my hometown and the place he lives) to our home in the Tidewater region of Virginia.  Dave, the cats, and I were all thrilled we’d get to see him!

John is Dave’s former boss and a groomsman in our 2001 wedding.  We were very happy to hear he was on the way, because we haven’t yet found time to make a trip to Blacksburg.

In anticipation of his arrival, I pulled out our wedding album.  While John was here we took a stroll down memory lane.

Our 2001 wedding ceremony at Hampton University Memorial Church with (left to right) Annie Nichols, Esther Sterchi, Katie Sullivan Booth, Heather Massie, Shannon Chance, Fr. Slovik, my mom Rev. Dr. Cynthia Massie, Mara, Dave Chance, Jay Gallagher, Michael, Chance, John Baird, and Rob Nichols.

Our 2001 wedding ceremony at Hampton University Memorial Church with (left to right) Annie Nichols, Esther Sterchi, Katie Sullivan Booth, Heather Massie, Shannon Massie Chance, Fr. Slovik, my mom Dr. Rev. Cynthia Massie Mara, Dave Chance, Jay Gallagher, Michael, Chance, John Baird, and Rob Nichols.

Memorial Church at Hampton University (Photo copyright Shannon Chance, 2001).

Memorial Church at Hampton University (Photo copyright Shannon Chance, 2001).

Dave and I haven’t viewed it for a decade.  When I received the proof prints the week after the weeding, I was disappointed with the quality of composition.

My mom, dad, and husband have all been professional photographers at some point in life.  I myself served as photography editor for my high school yearbook.  And so I resented the missing feet in our photos — and the fact that the photographer had chosen distracting backgrounds.

But what can you do at that point?  So I doled out photos from one set of proofs (to Mom, Annie, etc.) and placed the second set on a shelf.

From this experience, I garnered some helpful advice for people who are booking wedding photographers:  avoid bait-and-switch disappointment.  Be sure to specify in your contract which person you expect to show up at with a camera on the wedding day.  (Lucy/Matt and Dave/I each had the experience where we met with the owner of the photo business prior to our big day and liked her and her work.  BUT on the day of our weddings, an untrained photographer’s-husband showed up on each scene with not much clue about how to use a camera.  In both cases, the owner of our selected companies had booked multiple gigs. In reviewing our photos last night, Dave and I agreed we’d made out far better than Matt and Lucy.  Our husband-photographer wasn’t great, but also wasn’t anywhere near as bad as theirs.  Perhaps a little editing can alleviate my wedding-album angst.)

In any case, perusing the wedding photos was fun.  I enjoyed seeing much we/things have changed and how much we/they have stayed the same.  I’ve included a photo I took myself of the church where we married, on the campus of Hampton University.

As for our bridal party:  since November, I’ve gotten to see all but one of them!

It’s always a joy to see John.  We wish his wife Wendy would have made the trip, too, but she’s tied up right now, doing the agriculture research she so dearly loves.

John was Dave’s supervisor when they both worked as photographers for Virginia Tech.  For a few months before Dave moved here to Hampton Roads to be with me, Dave lived with John, Wendy, and their kids in Blacksburg.  The group of 5 Bairds took him in and treated him as a member of the family.

I’ve always admired the kids — Caitlin, Gillian, and Logan — for treating Dave like a brother.

Whenever we’ve visited Blacksburg since, we’ve stayed with John and Wendy in the beautiful home John designed and built on the side of a mountain near Ellet Valley.  Today the kids are spread out across the USA.  They live in NYC, Seattle, and DC.  Nevertheless, we’re sometimes lucky enough to be on the mountain when they are there, too.

And that, my friends, is a unique pleasure.  It has a certain feeling that I’ve found no where else and can’t really describe. Except perhaps to say:  it’s like getting to see inside a family that just loves being together.  Being there is something like watching the Waltons. Except in this case, we’re not watching on a TV screen.  We’re members of the clan, accepted almost as if we were Mary Ellen and Jim Bob.

During John’s overnight to the flatlands of Virginia, we went out for sushi and visited Dave’s studio and a company where Dave used to work (Superior Marble and Stone).  Then John hopped into his Honda for the trek home.

Our cats tend to behave like dogs — they follow us around the house and they run to the door to greet guests the moment one arrives.
Last night we had a cat in every lap…
…and sometimes even two.
Sushi at Domo with Dave Chance and John Baird.
Visiting Dave’s new studio.
Pescia kept John company all morning. Although John declined bacon and eggs, he said he’d like one of what I was having… buckwheat groats with ground flax seed, raw pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, strawberries, and blueberries. Yum!