1 of 42
When we opened our stationery for the first time, we were obsessed. It came out even better than we imagined, with the dried roses and the custom castle illustration as the sweetest touches.
2 of 42
Right before our welcome party at Nobu, we felt like celebrities snapping photos in the hotel bar. We couldn’t wait to kick off the weekend.
3 of 42
I wanted to feel girly, chic, and timeless in my getting-ready robe. This lacy number did the trick.
4 of 42
My bridesmaids and I were still full of energy despite being up since 5 AM for glam. We toasted to the big day.
5 of 42
My mom surprised me with her dress, and it was sooo fabulous. I loved how her glasses matched perfectly.
6 of 42
Arriving at the castle, I truly felt like a princess. The dress, the glam, the setting—everything hit at once.
7 of 42
My first look with my dad had us both in tears. My sisters had bets on whether he’d cry, and I honestly didn’t think he would. It was one of my most precious moments of the day.
8 of 42
Our photographer had a vision for this bridesmaid shot, and she delivered. It felt like it belonged on a magazine cover.
9 of 42
My husband, Scott, looked like a model while getting ready. He surprised me with my initials embroidered on his cuffs.
10 of 42
Scott wore a custom tuxedo from Michael Andrews Bespoke and looked so handsome.
11 of 42
I asked my dad to walk me to my first look with Scott to recreate that emotional aisle moment. We were bursting with anticipation.
12 of 42
I originally found this dress in pink at Designer Loft in Manhattan and had it custom-made in white. I cried the moment I tried it on and imagined walking down the aisle to Scott in it.
13 of 42
We designed the ceremony space with B Astonished Events, who made the setting feel soft, dreamy, and breathtaking —exactly how we hoped it would.
14 of 42
Right after cocktail hour, we entered the reception singing “Me & U” by Tems to each other, with our bridal party surrounding us. That was when the party truly started.
15 of 42
I grew up seeing my parents’ classic bridal party photos around the house. I was ecstatic to finally create our own version.
16 of 42
Hand in hand after saying “I do,” we walked down the aisle as my niece tossed dusty rose petals into the air.
17 of 42
This was the moment I looked forward to the most. Walking down the aisle with my dad to Scott, while the live orchestra played “Dangerously In Love (Renaissance Tour Version).” Tears streamed down my face. It was magic.
18 of 42
Scott tried to hold it together, but the moment my dad and I appeared at the top of the castle stairs to “Do 4 Love” played by the orchestra, every emotion came pouring out.
19 of 42
This drone shot captures the fairytale essence we envisioned. We chose this venue to surround our loved ones with awe-inspiring beauty.
20 of 42
My sister Kim officiated the ceremony. She knew how important it was to us to stay present, and she built intentional pauses throughout, including this moment when she encouraged us to look at the crowd and take it all in.
21 of 42
Our favorite part of the ceremony was when Kim told us to have a conversation with our eyes. Time slowed down, and it felt eternal.
22 of 42
Exchanging rings, we were completely present in every second.
23 of 42
Scott was just waiting for Kim to say, “You may now kiss the bride.”
24 of 42
Because we had an unplugged ceremony, this was the moment when our guests could take pictures.
25 of 42
Jumping the broom is a tradition in many African American weddings. My mom, sister, and brother all did it. This was our turn.
27 of 42
I rented my diamonds from Verstolo, who helped style my bracelet, necklace, and earrings. Funny enough, Scott surprised me that morning with the same diamond bracelet.
28 of 42
We finally felt like we could breathe once the ceremony was finished.
29 of 42
Our reception was a dream. The arched chandeliers wrapped in florals were the pièce de résistance.
30 of 42
BestDayEver designed the florals with our planner, and the tablescape felt dainty, elegant, and romantic.
31 of 42
We were nervous before our first dance. We practiced our choreography, but forgot to practice with my VERY long dress. We improvised, and I just trusted Scott and enjoyed the moment to “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur.
32 of 42
We chose to sit at a long table with our bridal party rather than having a sweetheart table. We wanted to be surrounded by our people.
33 of 42
Our planner worked with Mericakes to create our beautiful wedding cake. Scott chose the perfect song for cutting it, “Peaches” by Justin Bieber.
34 of 42
We picked unique cake flavors we had never seen at other weddings. The bottom tier was “A Clockwork Orange,” a mimosa cake with white chocolate and raspberry jam. The top tiers were “Life in Rose,” a champagne velvet cake with raspberry cream and jam.
35 of 42
Time for an outfit and hair change!
36 of 42
I changed into my second dress right after dinner to make the father-daughter dance easier and to take my hair out of my face.
37 of 42
Our niece and flower girl, Allison, turned 10 at midnight, so we sang “Happy Birthday” to her. She still says it was her favorite moment of the whole weekend.
38 of 42
Scott’s mom was radiant before the mother-son dance. They danced to her favorite song, “Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross.
39 of 42
My dad and I danced to “Your Joy” by Chrisette Michele, the same song we danced to over 10 years ago at my cotillion. He was so happy I changed dresses.
40 of 42
Because my dad is the coolest, we added a surprise dance break. The DJ switched to “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy,” and we threw on sunglasses. The crowd went wild.
41 of 42
Before the night ended, Melissa’s team brought us snow globe cocktails so we could capture some final romantic shots. We were in absolute bliss.
42 of 42
Scott and I met dancing in a club. So of course, we had to recreate that moment on our wedding night. And yes, I was absolutely drooling over him in those tux suspenders.
