In 2018, Leah Anyanwu and Rodney Carew matched on Tinder – in Nairobi, Kenya – and bonded over their shared Midwestern and West African roots. Anyanwu grew up in Mequon and her father is from Nigeria. Carew was raised in Chicago and Kenya by Sierra Leonean parents.

“We were long-distance for about a year and a half,” recalls Anyanwu – she in Nairobi and he in Zambia. In March of 2020, sensing borders would be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple moved into a Nairobi apartment. “That was a nice test to see if we were compatible,” says Anyanwu. Carew agrees that “helped us decide that we wanted to commit for life,” he says. 

For his March 2021 proposal at The Cliff, a luxury tented camp in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park, Carew planted a trivia clue at each meal, promising a not-yet-disclosed “prize” at the end: him down on one knee with a pink sapphire ring with a rose-gold band. “Being from Sierra Leone, I felt I could not [propose with] diamonds” because of the country’s fraught history of mining the gems, he says.  

Arriving from a dozen countries, around 200 guests experienced Fourth of July and Summerfest before the nuptials at River Club of Mequon. Anyanwu’s friend from Fisk University, a cast member in Disney’s The Lion King in Hamburg, Germany, sang her down the aisle. The day prior, guests celebrated the couple’s Nigerian and Sierra Leonean cultures at the Igbo Community Center, with a cake topped with kola nuts. Photographer Amanda Evans, who had photographed a West African wedding before, “had great ideas for how to capture such a large group,” says Anyanwu. 

“For a lot of people, it was their first time in the States,” says Anyanwu, who put Sprecher beers and Ultimate Confections’ Wisconsin-shaped chocolates in welcome bags. “People walked away seeing the beauty of Wisconsin.”

Couple’s Questionnaire

Bride’s Dress 

“I wore three dresses on Saturday and three on Sunday. Most of the attire for Saturday was made in either Nigeria or Kenya,” says Anyanwu. For Sunday’s ceremony she chose a traditional white Maggie Sottero wedding dress from Amelishan Bridal in Hubertus.  

Best Advice for Brides-to-Be 

“One thing that was helpful for us was to have a clear objective: Why are we having our wedding? We landed on ‘celebrate and honor our parents’ and ‘a huge focus on tradition,’” says Anyanwu. 

Most Memorable Moment 

“Once the fireworks stopped, I was on cloud nine. I turned around and saw everyone dancing to a brass band. I didn’t know that was happening,” says Anyanwu, who lived in New Orleans for five years and experienced a lot of brass-band music.  

Most Romantic Moment 

“Rodney had ordered this fried chicken from The Dearborn [in Chicago] and it was plated,” says Anyanwu. “There’s a picture of me beaming with the fried chicken. It was a nice gesture, and I didn’t know it was coming.” 

Best Scrimp 

Instead of a full bar, the couple opted for pre-selected wine and beer options, including Spotted Cow. “That saved us a lot,” says Anyanwu.

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