Wedding Party
Taye Egunsola
Maid of Honor
I am Taye, Kemi’s immediate younger sister. Therefore, I am her oldest confidant, co-conspirator and best friend. A fond memory of my Adekemi is when she showed up to a college math final exam 20 minutes late without a calculator. Upon finding out I didn’t have an extra one she shrugged and said, “I’ll make it work”. That has been my role model and I wouldn’t trade her for anything!
Sewa Egunsola
Maid of Honor
I am the (“co”) maid of honor extraordinaire and the bride’s little sister and best friend. I had the pleasure of being present for the proposal and I look forward to being present at the wedding standing by Kemi’s side.
Lawrence (Larry) S. Essien
Best Man
My parents are originally from Nigeria. I used to live here in New York in Queens, but currently live in Washington DC where I work as an Economist with the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Kwaku and I have been like brothers for roughly 11 years now since we first met as students. When we first met and had not spoken to each other yet, I thought he was a Nigerian. Meanwhile I did not know he also thought I was a Ghanaian because of my name. Kwaku is truly a stand-up guy. He has always been known as a very likable person and easy to get along with. I look forward to being up there with my brother.
Justice Kwansa
Groomsman
I’m a staff pharmacist at Montefiore and I’m from Ghana like my “brother” Kwaku. We both happen to live at the same complex here in New York but that isn’t how we met. We met at a mutual friend’s birthday party and have been friends ever since. He's a very nice and caring person. I like going to him to share ideas and asking his advice whenever I need it because he always gives his candid opinion. I'm honored to be part of this special journey and to be able to share in the joy with him.
Vivian Wang
Bridesmaid
Vivian and Kemi met as interns in the Emory general surgery residency, eventually becoming neighboring desk best buddies as Chief residents. During this time, Vivian was instrumental in ensuring that Kemi stepped foot (aka dragged her) outside of the hospital and her house - at least once a blue moon - to eat and explore the city of Atlanta. Sadly, they parted ways after graduating, and Vivian is now a minimally invasive and bariatric surgeon in Portland. Thankfully, their bond and communication is still strong across the country (also often because Vivian likes to ask Kemi various questions about colorectal 😁).
Lori Little
Bridesmaid
Kemi and I met during the first few months of her surgical residency at Emory. She had a kind way of nudging me in the right direction or just downright bailing me out when I needed help. Friend Kemi has been with me for many memorable life events, most notably being the first person (other than my husband) to hold my daughter therefore the name "Auntie Kemi" came to be. She nearly won the race again when my son was born, but both grandmothers rushed to elbow her out of the way. I can honestly say I have never seen Kemi let life get her down, no matter how grim a situation may be. She finds goodness even in dark times and lights up the space around her with her smile. All my love to Kemi, and to Kwaku who makes her heart complete.
Prince Kwame Takyi
Groomsman
Though I am also from Ghana, I didn’t meet Oppong till his first day here in the U.S. We lived in the same building back then and so we are like family to each other. My mom and dad are like parents to him and so we spent time together in each other's houses. We later went to the same undergrad, University of Buffalo, where I studied Social Science and Oppong studied Biomedical sciences and Psychology. I still live in Buffalo where I work as a business analyst for Verizon. Oppong has always been like a big brother to me and I am honored to have the privilege to share this special moment with him.
Ayomipo (Ayo) Adeyemo
Groomsman
I am a US Army officer (originally from Nigeria), soccer enthusiast and player. I love to take life easy. Kwaku is my brother, friend, confidant, advisor, and running mate. He is my go-to man for complex issues and he is always there. You can trust him with any secret and you can be sure it will be well kept.
Maggie Diller
Bridesmaid
We met in residency! During the latter half of our training, I had Kemi with me at almost every hospital I rotated at. We were rotation sisters! I remember her making me dinners and sharing her food with me (I cannot cook), seeing consults with me (even though they weren't her consults to see), and going dancing with me (I am not a good dancer). During fellowship we experienced some of the worst of a global pandemic...and even though she was in NYC and I was in LA, her friendship was a frequent and much needed source of comfort and stability. Surgical training (and life) has brought me to my knees so many times... Kemi’s friendship keeps putting me back on my feet.
Steffi Romano
Bridesmaid
Kemi and I have been endearingly making each other laugh, critically think, grow, and embrace life since our college years. Leading by example, she has shown me how strength, compassion, and faith in the journey can brighten even the most difficult moments. We have been on one-a-many adventures together, including a trivia event that will undoubtedly remain ingrained in my memory for better or for worse, and I am honored at the opportunity to help her embark on this next magical adventure with Kwaku. Congratulations!
Tyson Fung
Groomsman
Kwaku, Lawrence, and I met in Massachusetts as students. Our relationship developed over the years as the 3 of us formed a very strong friendship. We all shared similar interests, backgrounds and enjoyed having fun together. My favorite memories are when we would all meet up in New York to catch up for a guys night out. Despite being the “quiet one” of the group, Kwaku is extremely funny and always capable of making everyone laugh. Just get to know him well. I always known Kwaku will make an excellent husband and father. Kwaku has always been an excellent friend and it is an honor to stand by him as a groomsmen at his wedding. I expect his wedding day to be full of fun and dancing, and I cannot wait to celebrate this momentous occasion in his life with him and his wife to be.
Idris (Ahmed) Alhassan
Groomsman
Kwaku is my brother, my confidant and my go-to person when I have questions about important matters. He can be counted on to give you his candid opinion or advice and he is trustworthy with any secret. He is also my supporter who pushes me to higher levels. I have known him for almost 10 years ever since we first met in a class we took together and since then we have been like brothers. He is very humble, respectful of everyone and is someone that you can count on to be there whenever you need him (as he knows he can count on me). Kwaku is always willing to go all out to help without expecting anything back. I am very happy for him on this occasion and feel like I am the one getting married. I know he's going to make Kemi very happy and wish them a successful marriage ahead.