Kyani, 35, met Lynell, 39, during happy hour. She was attracted to his kind eyes, so she walked over to his table and asked if she and her friends could join them because there were no other seats. They were instantly drawn to each other and on their second anniversary, Lynell asked Kyani to be his wife. On September 15, 2012, they exchanged vows in Mitchellville, MD. Share their love!
Kyani’s close friend Natasha Holmes did her makeup on her wedding day, and her stylist, Shenee MC Rae of National Motions Hair Salon, created her special updo. “I was worried about how a lot of things would turn out, but my hair was not one of them,” says the proud bride.
Kyani and her girls smile big for the camera in the bridal suite.
Kyani wore coral and silver heels by Miu Miu to match her wedding colors.
Even the little guys wanted to look their very best on Kyani and Lynell’s big day.
“I didn’t have a timeframe for true love,” Kyani insists. “I knew it would come when it was time.”
Kyani prepared custom (and super cute!) gift bags for each member of her supportive bridal party. How sweet!
“Lynell is a country boy, yet he is a Renaissance man,” says Kyani. “I love that he was raised on his grandparent’s farm and certain values were instilled in him from that experience. After college he held onto those values and chose to see the world and try new experiences that many wouldn’t dream of.”
Kyani found her beautiful Enzoani trumpet gown for a great price at sample sale. She then had her personal seamstress alter the gown instead of having it done at the boutique where she bought it. Both tricks helped her to achieve this fabulous look for (way!) less.
Kyani gets a little help slipping into her wedding gown.
Kyani’s gown was stunning from every angle. We adore everything about this breathtakng bridal portrait.
Kyani carried a bouquet of David Austen roses on her big day. Although her favorite bloom is the peony, she had to compromise because they’re extremely hard to come by in September. “The David Austen roses look amazingly like the peony,” she tells us. “So much so, that my bridesmaids actually thought they were peonies.”
The bride and groom hold hands inside the doorway so as to not break tradition and see each other before the ceremony.
Davinci Florist not only provided all of the beautiful blooms for their wedding day, but the lovely tulle-draped chuppah they stood beneath during their ceremony as well.
“The color scheme was coral and gray,” Kyani says. “I picked coral because every woman, no matter her skin tone, looks ravishing in coral. And, I picked grey because it was an afternoon wedding and I thought black would be too formal.”
When it came time to select a ceremony venue, the couple had no trouble at all. “Lynell has always loved Newton White Mansion and I have always wanted an outdoor wedding,” says the bride. “It didn’t hurt that it was five minutes away from our home. It made me feel secure that if anything was left behind, it wouldn’t be a problem to go home and retrieve it.”
“I love the natural light,” says Kyani. “If I could rely on the sun for all of my energy needs I would. When people are sick, I say, ‘Go get some sun!’ So, it was only fitting that I have an outdoor garden wedding.”
What a sweet way to make sure everyone’s ready for the bride.
Kyani walked down the aisle to Amel Larrieux’s “Make Me Whole,” which was performed live by her good friend Alison Miller. “When I first heard the song, one line stood out to me: ‘I find myself thanking your mother for giving birth to a Saint.’ Before I’d ever even heard that song I always thanked his mother for him.”
Kyani’s two sons had the pleasure of walking their beautiful mother down the aisle. “That was a moment that I will never forget,” she recalls. “The sun was so bright that there was a moment that I couldn’t see through my veil. Both my boy’s responded, ‘Mom, you don’t need to see. We have you and we won’t let you fall.’ I was so proud at that moment and I let them guide me the rest of the way.
The bride’s uncle, Minister Donald Isaac Sr., had the honor of marrying the happy couple on that beautiful day. After exchanging vows, they lit a unity candle to signify the joining of their families. “I love his family so much,” Kyani admits. “Since our engagement, I always said I was excited to marry Lynell, but equally as excited to have his family as my own.”
“At the altar, I really felt like God was watching me through Lynell’s eyes,” Kyani says. “I wanted him to see through me and to see that the promise I was making was to him, our families and God. I really wanted him to see how deeply my words were coming from.”
1, 2, 3, JUMP! Kyani and Lynell conclude their ceremony by jumping the broom.
“One of the reasons Lynell and I got together was because of how touched I was by the love he had for his grandmother,” Kyani recalls. “She passed early in our relationship and I never got to meet her, but I have always felt her presence. To use as my something old, borrowed, and blue, I carried a handkerchief his grandmother gave his cousin almost 40 years ago. I wrapped it around my bouquet in her honor.”
When the time came to bring their wedding fantasy to life, Kyani and Lynell shared the planning duties equally. “Lynell hates to see me upset, stressed or overwhelmed, so he was integral in planning the wedding,” she says. “He’s very detail-oriented so he covered all of the logistics.”
When they were dating, Kyani says she paid close attention to how Lynell treated those around him and how they treated him. From those observations, she was certain she’d found “a good man.”
“My mother always told me that whenever I could sit with a boyfriend in somewhere like a cabin in the woods with no cell phones, internet, or TV, and be totally content, I’d know he was the one for me,” says Kyani, who remembers many quiet and blissful moments shared with Lynell.
The groom steals a tender forehead kiss. This portrait session looks like it was so much fun.
Introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. Dennis. Don’t they make a lovely couple?
“I planned to have a wedding that the whole family would thoroughly enjoy,” says Kyani. “It wasn’t just about Lynell and I, but about the people that made us who we are, which is what ultimately brought us together.”
For their first dance, Kyani and Lynell swayed along to the beautiful sound of “It’s A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Excellent choice, guys!
After the ceremony, a buffet-style dinner was served in the atrium of the mansion.
Kyani and Lynell used his and her childhood portraits to make their wedding chairs extra special.
“I love how God shines through Lynell,” says Kyani. “There is so much goodness in him that it just inspires everyone around him to be a better human being.”
“I love simple, elegant and timeless beauty,” says Kyani who chose a travel theme for her big day. “Each of our reception tables were named after a city or country that we traveled to together. Our floral centerpieces sat on top of stacks of books about different countries and travel. ” Guest were able to take them home as party favors.
By holding the reception at the same site as the ceremony, the couple were able to save the guests travel time and allow more time for everyone to party – and that they did. As you can see here, they even got a Soul Train line going. (We love it!)
“I am very into teas and English gardens,” Kyani explains. “All of our female guest knew this and came dressed so beautifully appropriate.”
Kyani’s uncle manned the DJ booth during the couple’s reception party and really kept their guests (and them!) on their feet.
Did you enjoy Kyani and Lynell’s garden wedding style? Tell us your favorite detail and leave your well wishes for the happy couple below! Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss too? Email us now.
