When Tre made reservations for a romantic birthday dinner for Enas in September 2020, she didn’t realize the most memorable part of the evening would take place when they returned home. Enas’ best friend decorated the couple’s apartment while they were out, setting the scene for Tre’s surprise proposal. “When Tre brought Enas back home, she was shocked to find her flat covered in flowers,” says the couple. “When she turned around to thank Tre, he was already on one knee, ring in hand, and asked her to marry him. Thankfully, she said yes.”
Enas, the entrepreneur behind Arabela Beauty, and Tre, a businessman, worked to infuse their wedding day with personal elements and nods to their Libyan and Nigerian heritages. They chose members–only club The Ned London for their 150-guest affair on July 25, 2022, bringing colorful lighting, Brazilian dancers, Arabic drummers, and neutral florals into the traditional space. Groomsmen wore black and white, bridesmaids donned pale pink, and bouquets were made of immaculate ivory blooms. “There wasn’t an overall color palette or theme,” says Enas. “We went for classic and classy.”
A few months before the wedding, the planning process was complicated by Tre’s casting on BBC One’s The Apprentice. Enas enlisted trusted friends with event planning experience to help her pull the final details together before Tre arrived home—three weeks before the big day—and the couple remained focused on the big picture. “Don’t stress—things won’t go to plan anyway,” says the couple. “Make sure you enjoy it and create memories, and plan on having great memories to remember—not on thinking it should be perfect.”
Still, every wedding day has its perfect moments: For Enas and Tre, it was seeing each other for the first time. “Tre laying eyes on Enas for the first time, looking absolutely stunning, still not believing the wedding was happening—it was not an easy road to get as far as [we] did, with initial rejections from Enas’s family, but [we] made it,” says the couple.
The Ned London, located in a former bank building built in 1924, was already one of the couple’s favorite spots. “We went along to a wedding open day at the venue, and just fell in love with the vibe there,” they say. “We most loved the energy of the venue, we are both pretty spiritual, and energy was an important thing for us.”
With help from straightforward shopping partners, Enas chose the Ribelia satin gown from Pronovias for the ceremony; the mermaid shape, pooling train, and draped back fit the “simple, elegant, and refined” look she envisioned for the first part of the day. “Bring friends that you trust, that understand your taste, and, most importantly, will give you honest feedback about what suits your body type,” she says. “It may be brutal, but you will thank them for it.”
She added a gold and diamond choker from Dubai Jewellery and Watches and glittering Jimmy Choo heels—then kept her hair and makeup simple to complement the fashion. As a beauty expert, she relied on Amina's Ultimate Skin Warriors Bundle from The Pharmacist Beauty for glowing skin. “I had some sunburn, but this skincare routine really saved my skin,” she says.
Tre sourced his black and white ceremony suit from local clothier NA Menswear and added his favorite watch—a classic Gucci timepiece.” [I] had my two best groomsmen with me helping me get ready,” he says. “This was great as they also served as a reminder of the importance of the day—to have my wedding witnessed by those whom I loved the most.”
The couple exchanged personalized vows in front of a broken floral arch from Kokocai Events, after Enas’s mother walked her down the aisle in one of the day’s most emotional moments. “[We] had to fight with an army of lawyers to have that happen—she only arrived in London 24 hours before the ceremony,” says the couple. “It was like a miracle. The faces of Enas’ family to see Enas’ mum for the first time after 12 years—they were screaming and crying in tears.”
Enas and Tre fell for the atmosphere of their venue during an open visitation day, and decided to recreate the design—with their own personal touches—for their reception. “The energy was perfect, so we simply replicated most of what we saw on that open day: the LED lights, dance floor, the uplights, the smoke machine, the flowers, and the little creative touches that brought the magic alive,” they say. “We also knew we would bring extra magic, elements that reflected our mixed cultural heritage. Overall we wanted an explosion of color, as we are from such rich cultural heritages, countering the muted towns of the very English venue with its heavy emphasis on wood.”
The venue also designed the couple’s five-tier, textured wedding cake, which was accented with coordinating flowers.
Before donning a traditional Libyan attire, Enas changed from her ceremony into a dance floor-ready, feather-trimmed gown from Taller Marmo.
Choosing the music, entertainment, and cultural elements for their reception was the easiest part of the planning process for Enas and Tre; they included Debka Arabic drummers, Brazilian dancers (a nod to Tre’s Notting Hill background and the neighborhood’s annual street festival); and a dress code that welcomed cultural attire. “Another special moment is Tre performing his hit record—the Architechs’ “Body Groove”—the song that he created with his brother, who sadly passed away in 2020, having never met Enas, in honor of his brother’s memory.” With the performance and an image of Tre’s brother projected on the wall at the reception, says the couple, “It truly felt like Tre’s brother, Ashley, was with [us] throughout the special day.”
During the reception, Tre changed into a traditional Igbo outfit to honor his Nigerian heritage. Enas traded her white gowns for a Libyan wedding gown, paired with gold jewelry. “Her family and friends assisted her in doing the traditional dance that accompanies the attire, with the notable Arabic hollers and screams,” says the groom.