Multicultural Manager at Netflix Jaleesa Diaz, and Eric Leite, Assistant Basketball Coach at Beverly Hills High School officially became Mr. and Mrs. Leite on August 27th, 2023, and said “I do” at the top of Rockefeller Center with a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception held at 620 Loft & Garden Rooftop! How did the couple pull it off?
Intentionality and a whole lot of Black-excellence. “We opted for a non-traditional wedding and really did things our way,” said Jaleesa. Their way it was indeed as the big day featured no formal bridal party and instead, friends of the bride and groom were invited to walk down the aisle freely; no speeches but there were audiobooks for the couple to listen to later with messages by their loved ones, and they ditched the sit-down dinner, they created an elevated buffet-style set up in the garden with their Chef Coconut Cup! In addition to the location of all locations, the couple focused on Black-owned vendors for their special day, which isn’t an easy task because of the lack of representation in the wedding industry, but with younger couples committed to circulating the Black dollar back, even on their special day, the wedding industry is learning that Black-owned vendors, dressmakers, and venues are here to stay.
The Black-Owned Wedding Vendors Used:
Wedding Coordinator: Waverly Coleman Events
Videographer: Donjai Gilmore
Social Media Assistants (Social Recap Videographers): Skylar Marshai and Temitope Ibisanmi
Catering: The Coconut Cup
Bar Services: Habanero Papi
Rentals: Dash 2K Events
Photo Booth: Remember The Time Foto
Sounds by: DJ Omen
Bride’s Makeup: Lexus Vance
Bride’s Hair: Akealia Davis
Event Ambassadors provided by: Priceless One Management
Officiant: Tokunbo Olajide
What makes this union more remarkable than their wedding venue and dedication to working with Black-owned businesses? Had it not been for the pandemic, a cross-country flight, a family loss, and a little help from their mothers, this couple might never have met.
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Mrs. Leite shared exclusively with Black Love how this union came to be with a trip back home during the Pandemic to care for her Grandmother.
“While I am originally from the Bronx, I hadn’t lived in New York since I was 18 years old, and during the pandemic, I moved from Los Angeles back home to New York to take care of my grandmother while she was sick. I wasn’t taking any man seriously as my time was occupied with caregiving for my grandmother, and it was my first time single in New York City. My grandmother transitioned in December 2020, and it was a tough time for me. New York felt so different to me after losing my grandma that I decided to go back to Los Angeles. The week that I was scheduled to go back to Los Angeles, I received the unfortunate news that my mom’s dear friend, who had been an aunt to me, lost her son. At the funeral, a mutual friend of my Aunts mentioned she had a son that I should meet. With a flight back to LA in two days, I jokingly told her she shouldn’t bother because I live in L.A. and ‘I’m trouble.’ She responded that we could be cousins then, and when I saw a picture of him, my first reaction was, ‘That is not my cousin,’ as I found him attractive. She ended up giving him my number.”
In their first text exchange, Jaleesa told Eric: “Hi Eric. This is Jaleesa. Your mom is trying to put you on, but I told her I’m trouble,” and his response was, “What kind of trouble?”
The best kind, as the couple has been together falling in love, attending therapy to ready themselves for marriage, and building a life together ever since! Following their ceremony, which felt like a big New York party, they toasted their love with champagne and custom cocktails that paid homage to their neighborhoods named Hollis Ave for Jaleesa and Boogie Down for Eric. In true NYC fashion after the ceremony, Jaleesa and Eric walked back to their hotel and grabbed some pizza on the way.
Talk about a New York love story! Congratulations to the happy couple!
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