After Keith Quinntarus Jefferson and Constance Chinyere Ejismekwu matched on Tinder in December 2018, it didn’t take long for them to realize they had something special. They initially communicated via FaceTime on New Year’s Eve and went on their first date the next day.
It was a Tuesday night. They bonded over tacos at Three Sheets Bar and Grill, a karaoke spot in Houston.
“We’ve literally hit it off since then,” said Ms. Ejismekwu, 35, whose inner travel bug quickly rubbed off on Mr. Jefferson, 38, as they spent more time together.
She was the adventurous jet-setter. He was the one trying to keep up with her passport stamp collection.
“She was going, ‘Oh, I went to Greece, I’m going to Iceland,’” said Mr. Jefferson, a client executive at Verizon in Houston. “I don’t know any of those spots, so that whole year in 2019, we traveled. And I’m glad I took that risk.”
Their first trip together was to Denver in May 2019. There, they had what Ms. Ejismekwu described as their “first remote weed experience.” They booked an Airbnb along a steep cliff in Denver and went on a cannabis spree.
“We loaded up with all of this weed, all of these different products, and went up this hill,” said Ms. Ejismekwu, a speech language pathologist with a private practice in Houston. “Mind you, it is dangerous to get down and up, so we barricaded ourselves there for the entire weekend.”
Despite being stuck in one place, the experience was “extremely memorable” and kick-started a whirlwind series of back-to-back trips. But all the traveling came to a halt in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Barely a year into dating, the couple was faced with another major milestone.
As lockdowns loomed, was it time to move in together?
“Honestly, no, because my whole thing was, I was always going to keep my separate place until I got married,” Ms. Ejismekwu said. “However, the pandemic definitely taught us that, hey, you can live with the person, get to know them, and it will be just fine. I mean, the pandemic forced everybody to be vulnerable.”
They decided to move in together, and by December 2020, Ms. Ejismekwu had learned she was pregnant, news that Mr. Jefferson called “my Christmas gift.” The following March, they held an intimate gender reveal party where, as it turned out, another big surprise would be revealed.
“That’s when he popped the ring,” Ms. Ejismekwu said, referring to a princess-cut engagement ring with a dual band.
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About 15 to 20 friends and family members were gathered for the occasion. “Since so many close people were there, I decided to propose that day,” Mr. Jefferson said.
Their son, Jackson Keith Ejismekwu Jefferson, was born in August 2021. The couple had considered several destinations for their nuptials, including Jamaica and Denver, but ultimately settled on Los Angeles after an online search led them to what would become their chosen venue: Kim Sing Theater in Chinatown.
“The layout alone was perfect for a weed wedding,” Mr. Jefferson said. “The multiple chill areas, combined with the courtyards and easy access to the weed bus parking spot, were exactly what we needed.”
The theater also included six suites that could be booked for overnight stays. They took advantage of the space’s relaxed feel, hosting less of a wedding and more of a soiree-meets-sleepover on May 6, 2023. Ms. Ejismekwu’s stepfather, Clarence Madison Ayers, who is ordained by the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, officiated.
A taco truck provided snacks well into the evening, a nod to their first date more than four years ago.
The event was child-friendly until around 7:30 p.m., when the adult-only portion of the wedding festivities began. All 75 guests were encouraged to change into their pajamas and participate in a number of cannabis-themed activities, from prerolls and edibles in a mobile cannabis lounge parked outside the theater to THC- and CBD-infused massages.
“All we heard from people was, ‘This is the best wedding I’ve ever been to; I don’t even feel like I’m at a wedding, I feel so relaxed,’” Ms. Ejismekwu said. “We provided an entire vibe of relaxation and just letting loose.”
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