“I knew Troy was the one on Election Night 2008,” says the lovely bride. “We had actually been broken up for a couple of months, but we were still friends, so when Barack Obama was announced President of the United States, Troy was the first person I wanted to talk to about it. There was no one I’d rather share that moment with than him.” They soon reconciled and this time it was forever.
Niambi had plenty of natural beauty in Costa Rica to complement all of her wedding day extras.
“I always wanted to get married on the beach, preferably out of the country,” says Niambi “We agreed on a destination wedding. Most of our family and friends love to travel, so we wanted to pick a place that most of them had never visited. Costa Rica kept coming up as an option, so we did some research online, booked a trip to check out the venue we were considering, and fell in love.”
“It took about six months, eight shops, and 12 women to find the one,” says the bride of her wedding dress hunt. “I actually found it when I went shopping on my own, but I wanted to have my mom, mother-in-law, sister, sisters-in-law and close friends to weigh in. It was fun including them in the process.”
“Troy is a strong, intelligent, handsome man who knows exactly who he is and what he stands for, God, his family, honesty and loyalty,” says Niambi.
“I never thought I’d meet my future husband at the club, and certainly not at that one because it was so dead,” says Niambi. “But the old adage, ‘It happens when you least expect it’ certainly rings true to our love story.”
“Niambi is a very beautiful, very hard-working, very dynamic, very smart and very caring woman,” says Troy.
We love it when the photographer catches tender pre-wedding moments this sweet. Cheers to the love from family on your big day.
Niambi's gown was stunning from every angle. We're loving how she brought her chic style to the beach.
Niambi's bridal style was on point. We adore her glittering garter belt!
“Costa Rica is simply beautiful and the spirit of pura vida (loosely translated to living the good life’) can be felt from the moment you land to the movement you leave,” says Niambi. “We knew without question that we had found our wedding location!”
Niambi chose to carry a romantic cluster of white roses for her big march down the aisle. A classic pick for an elegant bride.
Ladies, have you seen a more photogenic bunch of fellas? The bride is a lucky lady. This is what we call dapper done right.
“I chose to make Niambi my wife because she was a very loving person,” says Troy. “On top of that, she’s my best friend. The trip back home to Guyana and living together before we got married – experiencing those day-to-day trials and tribulations together – definitely helped solidify what I already knew.”
“I knew she was the one when we took a trip back to my home country of Guyana, South America to bury my grandmother,” says Troy. “My family accepted her, which was important to me. But what solidified it was when I got a cut on my hand at the burial site. In the middle of nowhere, Niambi pulled out a first aid kit and tended to my wound. That simple gesture showed me that she loved me and would always take care of me.”
“I accepted his proposal because I knew what it was like to live my life with him and to live it without him, and life with him was just better,” says the lovely bride.
Let's hear it for smart and gorgeous footwear choice by the bride. No heels stuck in the sand here.
“What I love most about him is his love for life and his family,” says Niambi.
Niambi asked her father to walk her down the aisle. Their deep connection just shines through this photo.
“I actually wasn’t looking for love at all at that time, but apparently it was looking for me, and I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to,” Troy tells us.
Niambi and Troy picked the perfect place for a wedding. That beach was beautiful!
The bride was all smiles on her way down the aisle. “My father walked me down the aisle because he was the man who set the precedent for all of the other men that I allowed into my life, including my husband,” says Niambi. “It was very special because I’m a daddy’s girl and the baby girl of the family and the last one out of six kids to get married.”
Niambi's father was happy to escort his beautiful daughter to the altar.
“Looking into her eyes at the altar, I felt like I was looking at my purpose in life,” says the groom. Aww!
“We wrote our own vows to make the ceremony more personalized and more us,” says the bride.
“I felt amazing, like I was exactly where I was supposed to be,” says Troy of his big moment at the altar. And, would you look at that backdrop? Absolutely breathtaking!
“We did a scripture reading, a libation and a tree watering ceremony,” says Niambi. “We also jumped the broom.”
The new Mr. and Mrs. seal the deal!
“It was a pretty collaborative process,” Niambi tells us. “Troy and I conceptualized the day, of course, and purchased certain items that we couldn’t get in Costa Rica (e.g. welcome bags), but the wedding package we purchased included the services of the resort’s dedicated wedding coordinator. So, she did a lot of the legwork.”
The Winters had handy photo props ready to make the photo opps more memorable. Yes!
“We had a destination wedding in mind from the beginning to keep it relatively small, intimate and affordable because we would have easily had 400+ guests if we’d done it in the states,” explains the bride. “We were able to stick to that plan because we were determined to do so. It helped that our families were very supportive of the idea as well.”
“I purchased the dress in a size that fit me a little too tight and committed to a strict exercise and diet regimen to ensure the dress fit me perfectly on the big day,” says the bride.
“Our wedding day felt like our own little oasis,” beams the bride.
“The ceremony was on the beach just outside of the resort,” Niambi tells us. “We actually did a symbolic ceremony in Costa Rica to avoid any legal issues or marriage certificate delays. We got legally married at the DC Court House a few days earlier – with just the two of us present, which was pretty special, but of course, the ceremony in Costa Rica, where we committed ourselves to one another in front of our closest family and friends is the one that matters most to us.”
For their first dance song, Mr. and Mrs. Winters chose “Forever Be Mine” by Bitty McLean.
The couple asked their dear friend Fyah Oats to deejay their wedding party. “He and Troy are members of the same deejay group called Global Sound,” shares the bride.
A classic cake for a classic couple.
We just can't enough of Niambi and Troy's wedding glow. Can you?
The Winters leave their mark in the beautiful Costa Rican sands.
Despite all the extravagant beauty of their special day, Niambi and Troy did have a wedding budget to keep to. “Yes, we had one, but we went over it due to some last-minute changes,” she says. “But not by much.”
Join us as we congratulate Niambi and Troy on their romantic "I dos" and beautiful wedding day. Leave the happy couple a little comment love below! Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Email us now.
