A true Spelhouse love story unfolded as the destinies of Alexandra and Zachary, or Ally and Zach, intertwined in the initial weeks of their college journeys. In 2012, she was gearing up to run for one of her first pageants at Spelman College, and in her campaign for support, she encountered Zach. It wasn’t love at first sight, but things changed quickly.
“So a pageant was like nothing to me. I was like, okay, I’m going to dance and wear my point shoes and whatever, but people don’t see the skill in that all the time. But Zach saw me perform, and to my understanding, he was just like, ‘Oh my God. Wow. Ally Calloway is amazing and I have to have her,” she tells ESSENCE.
“I don’t want to call it a realization, but it was more of, like, I wasn’t looking as closely as I should have,” he says in response. “And then I started getting intrigued and super interested and we built a friendship from there.”
Even though the couple initially began their connection as friends, the then college sophomores secured internships in New York City at the same time, marking the commencement of a summer romance. Upon their return to the Atlanta University Center (AUC), the two officially became a couple and have only grown stronger and closer since. “Zach and I became friends that summer and just started talking, and he made me feel safe and protected. And that’s the guy you end up going after,” she shares.
From there, the two were locked in.
“Once we were together, it was like we were inseparable,” Zach says. “But yeah, it’s so weird. I can’t attribute it to anything other than a feeling I had, and I knew I wanted to be with her. Then I looked up, and 10 years later, here we are.”
In 2021, the couple shared that they bought their first home together in Ladera Heights, where Ally grew up. Once they took that step, their relationship felt more official, and they were ready to take a next big step and get engaged. Ally says, “I was 100 percent ready. I knew it was something I wanted to do and that I wanted for our lives.” (Read more about their engagement here: “Vanessa Bell Calloway’s Daughter Announces Engagement With Gorgeous High Fashion Shoot In The Desert.”)
After he popped the question in February of 2023, the young couple were eager to tie the knot. Together more than eight years officially, they didn’t see the need to have a long engagement with Ally joking, “Well, how fast can we plan a wedding?”
The answer was in less than 10 months. During Thanksgiving weekend of 2023, the couple said “I do” in the First Bank of America in Los Angeles. The theme was Great Gatsby inspired, or, as Ally explains, a “meshing of old Hollywood with dark academia.” Her team leaned into red florals (including plenty of roses), lots of black, and even more shimmer and shine throughout the space. Matching the grand theme was the robust guest list of 300 people, as all their loved ones were ecstatic to celebrate with them. Celebrate they certainly did.
“I remember just looking out around the room, almost as if it was in slow motion. You have people with drinks in their hands, jumping up and down, laughing, screaming. Music is going up, the lights are down,” Ally recalls. “We created the perfect party for our friends and us. It was so lit. And I often look back at videos from that reception just because it was the most lit party we’ve ever had with everyone from all walks of our lives, which was pretty awesome.”
Take a look at some of the images captured of their unforgettable nuptials, including the stacked guest list, in this week’s Bridal Bliss.
The bride and her girls enjoy a toast with champagne before switching into their looks for the big day.
Zach and his entourage struck a pose for a photograph while preparing for their grand entrance.
Ally’s mother, Mrs. Vanessa Bell Calloway, along with her sister, Ashley, assisted her in making final adjustments to her dress before the ceremony.
Ally and her bridesmaids strike a lovely pose in their head-turning looks.
The bride, in a peaceful pose, was dressed in a gown by Michelle Roth. As for Zach, he was suited and booted with help from a tux by Baynes and Baker.
Ally offers a closeup of her strapless gown, veil and bridal jewelry for her special day.
Accompanied by her father, Anthony Calloway, MD, the bride makes her eagerly awaited entrance as dad prepares to entrust her to her husband.
Famous names, including Magic Johnson and wife Cookie, as well as Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon and Star Jones with husband Ricardo Lugo watch as father and daughter walk down the aisle arm-in-arm.
The couple share their first kiss as husband and wife.
The Calloways, dressed in a Gucci tuxedo and a dress by Kevin Maynes, celebrate their daughter becoming Mrs. Prince as they had back down the aisle post-ceremony.
Ally and Zach enjoy their first dance as a married couple, the first of many to come throughout the night.
A sweet candid shot of Ally and her dad on the dance floor as his little girl enters a new chapter of life.
If you think this cake is gorgeous, and that it is, wait until you see the decor.
With a Great Gatsby theme brought to life by William P. Miller, the couple said “I do” in the First Bank of America in LA.
Some familiar faces, including Debbie Allen, Cookie Johnson, Simone Smith and Lela Rochon were on hand to show love to the newest couple on the block.
While the wedding came together quickly, as the bride emphatically shared, it was “the most lit party we’ve ever had,” the perfect way to honor their beginnings as husband and wife.
