My Two Wedding Dresses Were a Love Letter to My Haitian Roots and New Ghanaian Family

There I was perched prettily on a podium in a gorgeous champagne wedding dress and mantilla veil. My mom and three sisters beamed up at me in between their sips of bubbly, awaiting my enthusiastic proclamation that this dress was, much like my fiancé, The One. A soft violin rendition of an inspirational song slowly crescendoed through the speakers, and it all felt like signs that this was the gown I’d say “I do” in.

I stared at myself in the mirror almost blankly, tilted my head, and asked my family, “Really? This is beautiful but is it me?” I tried to find the words to explain to my heart-eyed audience that there were no butterflies, no fireworks, no cinematic overture, no little voice spelling out yes. I waited, hoping the rush that was supposed to sweep me away was a little off schedule.

Isn't this the part where I’m supposed to burst into tears? I couldn’t rationalize how all of the frenzy and booked appointments came down to this level of underwhelm. I left without a dress that day, and even though my wedding was in a mere two months (yes, really), I wasn't panicked—yet.

I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t it a little late to be wedding dress shopping?” And normally, you’d be right. But after getting engaged in November 2025, my fiancé and I decided to skip the long engagement. There was just one tiny detail: We had two months to plan the entire wedding, which meant finding the dress of my dreams was officially a race against the clock.

Unfortunately, this dress scenario played out several more times. By the time I got to Kleinfeld Bridal, the iconic New York City shop featured on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, I was positive I would find the perfect wedding dress there. I felt confident, primed to cancel future dress appointments, telling myself this day would end with the happy tears and excitement that I dreamt of as a little girl playing dress up.

My mom and sisters were aligned, and kept their eyes open for any “wow” moments. Then my stylist brought out an every-bride-would-love-this custom Pnina Tornai gown that had a compelling backstory. A sucker for some good lore, but not an emotional buyer, I was okay with not having it.