Danielle and Justin‘s love story is your sign to get dressed up, give yourself a pep talk, and go to that event — even when you don’t want to. You just might meet your husband.
The two met each other on June 23, 2013, while hanging out at a popular party in Brooklyn called Saturday Morning Cartoons. “It was a party we were both on the fence about going to for different reasons, but the moment I walked into the venue, our eyes met across the room,” she recalls. After giving each other the eye, the nonverbal cue that you look good, I look good, and we can look good together, Justin approached and introduced himself. “From there, we spent the rest of the night talking and dancing,” she says. “We exchanged numbers at the end of the night, went on our first date a few days later, and the rest is history. That night felt serendipitous in so many ways.”
Soon after, it was love. Dani felt it shortly after they started dating. “I’d never felt so at ease with another man. He made me feel safe, comfortable and secure,” she says.
For Justin, it was a series of experiences that made his heart smile. From her support of him to her ability to make him laugh, she changed everything with her presence. “She continuously spoke life into me and encouraged me to be better, every single day. Since day one, it was the way Dani listened when I talked, remembered the little details, checked in on me, and cracked jokes about the Dallas Cowboys after a loss (too many times to count) because she knew it would make me laugh even when I didn’t feel like it. It was the way she showed up for me consistently without me ever having to ask. Little by little, I noticed how comfortable I felt with her, how easy it was to just be myself, and how good it felt to be with someone who was truly on my team.”
Their love was further solidified by a move together from Brooklyn to LA, a decision made for Danielle’s career. Justin decided to make it official by proposing in 2023. He pulled a fast one on her. Both parties had to briefly travel back to NYC for work at the same time, and a week later, they planned to go to Turks and Caicos for a vacation. She overheard him planning things with the hotel, “making sure every little detail was perfect.” She was sure he was going to propose during their island getaway. So sure in fact, that she was a little saddened because she felt it wouldn’t be a surprise. She was wrong.
“Turns out, the whole thing was a decoy to distract me from the fact that he was actually planning to propose in NYC, specifically in Brooklyn, where we first met and spent the early years of our relationship,” she says. “He proposed at Brooklyn Bridge Park, surprised me by having my family fly in, and then we celebrated with an amazing dinner at Tatiana. And then a few days later, we left for Turks and got to spend the entire trip celebrating our engagement. It was absolutely perfect.”
Now, how to plan an “absolutely perfect” wedding? The couple talked about Jamaica, where Danielle’s family is from. But nerves about having the actual wedding ceremony in front of a sea of loved ones made her rethink things. All of a sudden, a new idea came into view. “I pitched the idea of an ‘elopement’ with just us and then a separate party for
our loved ones, and Jus was surprisingly open to it! It also didn’t hurt that the budget to do the wedding in Jamaica the way we wanted was getting out of hand quickly,” Danielle says. “Once we decided to elope, we said, ‘Well, if we’re going to do this, we might as well do it somewhere really romantic and tie it into our honeymoon.’ That’s how we landed on Italy.”
The couple fell for Lake Como, its stunning mountainous views, and said I do in September in front of just their parents and her sister. In October, they celebrated their love with everyone else. No sentimental ceremony, just joy. “We threw an amazing party for our friends and family that was just focused on fun,” she says. “We got to focus on
each moment being exactly what we wanted, and it really extended the whole celebration.”
The two moments, one for them, one for their loved ones, were the perfect way to kickstart their future as husband and wife. The celebrations were wonderful, but what comes tomorrow, and the day after, the everyday, is what they are really excited about.
“I’m looking forward to more early-morning workouts, discovering new quirks of Dani on our walks with our dog Monroe, and continuing to find joy in the simplest moments,” Justin shares. “Simply put, I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.”
See moments from their special days in Lake Como and LA, learn more about their love, and hear more about the moments that will stay with them from their celebrations in this week’s epic Bridal Bliss.
“There was never any doubt about what we meant to each other,” Danielle says. “He’s the kindest, most charismatic person, and we have so much fun doing literally anything, or absolutely nothing together.”
“One moment that has stayed with me forever happened when my father was in the hospital battling lung cancer. He asked me about Dani and said, ‘Do you see yourself marrying her one day?’ I said ‘yes,’ and he followed with, ‘Bring her to meet me.’ It was the only time they ever spoke, but they talked for hours and instantly connected. That’s when I knew, without a doubt, that she was my person.”
“Though I’d never been before, I fell in love with the backdrop of the lake against the mountains in Lake Como, so we decided on there,” Danielle says.
It’s giving swag and sultry, all at once.
“We had our ceremony with only our parents and my little sister, and went straight into our honeymoon throughout Italy.” The couple tied the knot at the venue, MUSA Lago di Como.
The couple posed on some classic Italian wheels after putting a ring on it.
Danielle was a show-stopping beauty on her big day.
“It rained our entire wedding day,” she says. “We had to move our ceremony from the lakefront to inside a restaurant, and we got rained on several times. But we didn’t let any of it stop us from having the most magical day.”
“I remember thinking that despite all the planning, all the expectations, and the fact that the weather had been absolutely perfect the day we arrived, it actually felt symbolic,” the bride shares. “Married life isn’t perfect, but if you can still find joy in each other, and see the bright side, then you can get through anything together.”
When asked what his favorite moments were from the Lake Como celebration, Justin says, “When I walked into our ceremony, I was surprised to see framed photos of my father and sister, who aren’t with us anymore, and that brought me to tears. It was something my wife had worked on with our wedding planner to ensure they were with us in spirit. Dinner was warm, full of laughter, and ended with us spontaneously jumping into the pool together, me still in my tux. Rain couldn’t have ruined a thing.”
For the party in Los Angeles, florals from Justin Payne of The J. Madison were placed throughout Short Stories Hotel.
The couple highlighted their travels via colorful postcards at the event.
We can’t get enough of this shot of Danielle and her beautiful mother.
More of the fun decor, executed wonderfully by Black woman-owned production company The Elle Empire.
The couple enjoyed some quality time, and fun, before they partied with guests.
I know what you’re thinking: Who made the dress!? Danielle stunned in a look from Marcia Lucia Hohan.
“The moment I knew he was my husband was when he was willing to move from NYC to LA for my career,” says the bride. “It was a big, unexpected change, but it reinforced how committed he was to building a life together, and that no matter where life took us, that we would choose to do it together.”
“The best part of our LA wedding was our entrance,” Justin says. “We entered to Jay-Z’s ‘Public Service Announcement,’ and we flipped the iconic line to: “Got the hottest chick in the game wearing my ring.’ It was very Brooklyn, which was fitting considering I call home Brooklyn, California!”
Cameras were flashing as the couple danced their way into the party.
“It was amazing to see so many people from different chapters of our lives all together in the same room, mixing and mingling,” Danielle shares.
“We’d always talked about having a big destination wedding in Jamaica, where my family is from, but early in the planning process we had an ah-ha moment,” she says. “We took a step back and really asked ourselves what we wanted, without the pressure of what friends and family might expect. For me, the idea of a ceremony in front of so many people made me anxious, and deep down I wanted that moment to be private and intimate.” It was the perfect idea, because the couple were able to comfortably celebrate with their friends in a big way with their LA shindig.
Warning: You may go blind from all this beauty in one frame.
Sharp suits, good company.
How cute is this shot of Danielle and Justin’s moms in a joyful embrace!?
“Every day that led up to our wedding has been full of love, laughter, and moments that make us…us—including Dani testing my patience when we spend an hour trying to pick a movie or decide on takeout (again, haha),” Justin jokes. “I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”
Danielle wasn’t the only one in a spectacular gown for the party.
“At the end of the night, my wife had an idea to surprise everyone with a play on McDonald’s ‘Happily Ever After Meal,’ that read ‘The McMullens,’” says the groom. “Seeing everyone’s excitement and surprise when they were rolled out was unforgettable. We had such a good time!”
“We orchestrated a ‘shot-o-clock,’ which is very us, and after that we spent the rest of the night on the dance floor, dancing and singing our lungs out, which is really all I wanted to do!” Danielle says.
After two epic events to say “I do,” Danielle and Justin look forward to settling into married life this holiday season, and evolving as a team in the years to come. “I’m most excited to keep growing deeper together, both as individuals and as a unit, to travel, and to continue creating beautiful memories,” Danielle says. “And to hopefully expand our little family.”
Vendors
Lake Como photographer: @kristinegrinvalde
Planner: @luxexbillyfolchetti
MUAs: @sabrinemakeups @dawnartists
Wedding bands: @saintjewels
Dress: @katherinetash via @loho_bride
LA event production: @elletheartist
Florals: @thejmadison
Dress: @marialuciahohanofficial
Makeup: @shanicenjones
Haircut: @rlamb_chops
Hair Stylist: @adriannaprofit
Photographer: @maddiecordoba