Nothing Screams Romance Like A Wedding Inside An IKEA In Newark
Gothamist- Shirley and Berkely Smith originally met at an IKEA in New Jersey over seven years ago. The two tied the knot this past weekend, and they did so at the most romantic place they could think of: IKEA.The two met in 2005 at an IKEA in Elizabeth, N.J.—their meeting was facilitated by Shirley’s then 14-year-old daughter Jashirele Stewart: “My daughter had gotten suspended from school so we were in there doing some shopping,” Shirley Smith told Good Morning America. “He was in there. I saw him right when he came in, and I checked his finger to make sure he wasn’t married. I followed him for about an hour.” Jashirele approached Berkely on her behalf: “He said to her, ‘I don’t give my number to little kids,’ so she brought him over to me,” Shirley Smith said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh, my God. I’m going to have a heart attack.’ But we’ve been best friends ever since.” When they decided to get married recently, they knew they wanted to at least get a photo in the aisle where they met. “I called and explained we wanted it to be just him and I in that section, and just take a picture and that’s it,” said Shirley. “I didn’t want to distract the customers or cause a big fuss, but they said they’ll do it even better.” So in the end, IKEA was the location for the wedding, and they gave the couple a heap of gifts as well. “It came out to be so beautiful,” Shirley Smith said. “It was better than I ever hoped.”
Some little girls dream of a wedding on the beach. Some dream of a beautiful church. And then there’s Shirley and Berkley who just wanna get hitched in the As-Is Section of IKEA. Thats the new dream wedding for every little girl in Newark. Every Shadynasty and Laquanda on the block will be dreaming about the day they are the lucky one in the white gown riding up the escalator with the smell of monkey and meatballs wafting in the air. When you’re from Newark, thats about as “fairytale” as it gets.
People from Camden are just happy if they can get married in an abandon Caldor’s.
PS – Jashirele is a top notch, top tier black chick name.