Seven years after matching on Bumble, Ali Zigami proposed to Marilyn Baffoe-Bonnie on the rooftop of XIX Nineteen in Philadelphia. “When Ali and I started planning our wedding, we knew immediately that one celebration wasn’t going to be enough,” Marilyn says. “We come from two cultural backgrounds—mine, Ghanaian, his Persian—and we have family spread across the globe. We didn’t just want to get married; we wanted to honor where we come from, include all of our loved ones, and make room for the multiple identities and traditions that make us us. So, we had three weddings.”
First up was their cultural engagement, a Ghanaian tradition. “In many ways, this event was the emotional anchor of our entire wedding journey,” Marilyn says. “In Ghanaian culture, the traditional engagement is where two families come together, formally and joyfully, to bless a union. It’s vibrant, it’s ceremonial, and it’s deeply communal.” They chose their favorite Philadelphia restaurant, Zahav, as the venue, and booked Citrine Event Décor and Asya Photography to bring their colorful vision to life.
The bride and her mother traveled to Ghana to select fabrics for their traditional attire. “The fabric for both of my dresses was handwoven Kente from Terra Bonum, and the design was done by JemAfrik Creations,” Marilyn says. “Ali wore traditional clothing as well—the traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth and a white kaftan set that had subtle detailing to match my dress.” It was an energetic celebration: The groom’s family entered to Afrobeats bearing traditional gifts like fabrics, drinks, and the engagement ring, then Marilyn and her bridesmaids processed in to Ghanaian drumming.
There was a vibe shift for the second celebration, a civil wedding and intimate backyard reception—also planned by Citrine and photographed by Julia Soniat—held eight years to the day after the couple’s first date. “The civil wedding was held at my childhood church, then we went back to my parents’ house for barbecue from our favorite restaurant,” Marilyn says. “The aesthetic was minimal and summery, with bud vases with soft pink florals…Our parents gave toasts, and Ali’s family gifted our family Iranian gold coins.” Marilyn wore a classic wedding dress made from fabric sourced in Ghana, and Makaya Jamillah did her makeup.
Six months later—“we’ll call it a half-birthday for our civil wedding,” Marilyn says—it was time for the big show: an extravagant Persian wedding in Dubai planned by The Purple Chair and photographed by Ratta Studio. “We chose Dubai because we wanted a location that was easily accessible for our global family,” Marilyn says; they had guests coming from Iran, Ghana, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. “We wanted a timeless yet playful vibe that honored our cultures and felt like an extended family vacation. Melia Desert Palm, a lush polo estate nestled in the Dubai desert, embodied that effortlessly.” The resort became home base for a weeklong celebration that included a welcome beach party, rehearsal dinner, photo shoot, dune day, and more.
The wedding itself was a fashion moment. “For the wedding in Dubai, I let myself fully play with fashion; I had three different looks throughout the day, and each one captured a different mood,” Marilyn says. It began with Viktor & Rolf’s Feathered Flower dress. “It was sculptural but romantic with cascading organza florals and layers of tulle. I paired it with matching organza gloves and a delicate lily of the valley bouquet that didn’t compete with the drama.” Beauty Matterz and Keren Nicholas gave Marilyn ethereal glam to match the mood. “For dinner and the reception, I changed into the Watters Belle dress, a fluid silhouette with subtle beading that felt modern and effortlessly glamorous,” the bride says. “And for the after-party, I went full fashion bride with a minidress by Danielle Frankel, the Estelle. It had a bubble hem and drop waist that let me dance freely and have fun with the look.”
On January 9, 2025, the wedding began with a traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd ceremony in the Melia Desert Palm’s olive garden. “The Sofreh Aghd is a table laid with different symbolic elements like honey, mirrors, candles, and fruits that represented sweetness, protection, and light,” Marilyn says. She walked down the aisle to a harpist playing “Canon in D,” and her brother officiated, while Ali’s cousin translated the ceremony into Farsi. There were various rites, such as the sugar cones and the honey exchange. “I was also asked three times if I would marry Ali,” Marilyn shares. “This was reminiscent of my dad asking me three times if I wanted to marry Ali at the Ghanaian traditional engagement. It was amazing to see how our two cultures aligned in ways like that.” They exchanged vows and sealed them with a kiss.
“The reception in Dubai was surreal,” Marilyn says. “DJ Karim Barkouki did an amazing job blending all of our cultures through the music. From the second we entered the reception, everyone started dancing. We had to have the DJ cut the music to remind everyone to eat!” There was a live saxophonist, a perfume bar, an Arabian dance performance and even an all-white bouncy house.
They partied until late into the night and then went back to a villa for more cake (“Did I mention I love cake?” Marilyn says.) But the party wasn’t over yet. “We did a buddy-moon before and after the wedding,” Marilyn says. “The day after the wedding, we organized a trip to the Dubai desert with our friends and family to ride ATVs, dune surf, and bash.”
