Bride: Natasha Louise Edwards, 31, Program Director St. Vincent’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Psychotherapist in Private Practice
Groom: Daniel Donovan Miller, 35, Deputy Executive Director, Board of Education Recruitement
The Big Day: 11/13/16
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Theme: Modern Elegance
“I would describe Natasha as a powerful woman. She is a person that is honest with herself, I think that’s where she derives her power from. Knowing who she is lets her live her best life possible by being true to herself and her needs. She makes everyone she is around better. She feels people deserve good things just because I think that’s a rare quality you find in people.”
“I didn’t believe true love existed until I met Daniel. I viewed marriage as an arrangement or business agreement between two people that simply made sense together, meeting Daniel I know true love is passion, kindness, protection, loyalty, sacrifice, and commitment.”
“Everyone that meets Natasha comes away with the impression how much of a wonderful person she is. She is really everything you would want in a partner: honest, intelligent, beautiful, holds me accountable, kind, caring, the list could on forever. I’m truly in love with the essence of her being. I couldn’t imagine life without her.”
“To the naked eye Daniel is a guys guy; he plays football, he enjoys whiskey, and wears a great suit however there is so much more. He is my gentle giant. He possesses determination, a kind spirit, compassion, desire to make change in the world. He is protective and has an undying love for his family and friends. I always am in awe of his work ethic, his innovation, and never being defeated by life’s challenges. Everyday he goes out to seize the day and always rises above adversity and he challenges me to do the same. He is a feminist, he believes in equality and truly respects and values all women. He is invested in challenging any stereotype of what it means to be a Black man and will not conform to a prescribed gender roles, he cooks, cleans, and cries. He is sensitive, emotional, and in touch with his spirit. To me he is the prototype of a strong, brilliant and resilient man.”
“I love the most about her that she can find humor in any situation. I love the fact that I can talk to her about anything.”
“I love most how Daniel loves his family. Early on I was most attracted to him because of how he often talked about his parent and 5 sisters. He was always involved in family outings and shared so much time with his family when we were not together. It was clear he loved and valued family, which was something very important to me. I love that I now have a large extended family with amazing in laws, full of sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews that make life so fulfilling.”
“I said yes to Daniel because I knew he was my soul mate. Before meeting him I did not believe in soul mates or fate, I thought they were romantic clichés that didn’t exist however I know that God created Daniel only for me and he not only completes me but he balances me. We are an equal team; he respects me and I respect him. We cherish each other and he has made me believe in true love that has the potential to last until death do us part.”
“We decided to do a first look so that we could share moments of intimacy before the ceremony we wanted this to be a time that we could share a intimate message and share a few sacred moments,” shared Natasha. “Daniel cried during the first look. He said he couldn’t believe we were finally here at our wedding day and how beautiful I looked. He was so happy I was finally going to be his wife. He wanted nothing more in the world. It was such a spontaneous bursting of emotion.”
“I knew she was the one on our first date. I actually wrote in my journal the day after we met: “I met my future wife last night.” I just knew she was it for me. I fell in love with her over those first 6 hours we spent together. Time literally stood still when we were together. I was totally enraptured with her. I didn’t want that first meeting to end. I couldn’t believe my good fortune that here was this amazing woman right in front of me.”
“What I love most about Daniel is his desire to grow and learn more about other lenses of the world,” said Natasha. “From that moment on I knew I loved him, a man brave enough to step outside societal norms and challenge himself to learn and grow in equality.”
“Finding the dress was easy,” said Natasha of finding her bridal look. After three trips, she found the dress of her dreams and it was perfect. “I always wanted a traditional ball gown. I always imagined myself being elegant and refined.”
“It was amazing to be a bride,” Natasha recalled with glee. “Being a bride was a moment that I will cherish, having all of the people I hold most dear in one room celebrating love, nothing can top that feeling.”
Natasha’s bouquet was 15 pounds of opulent over flowing flowers of lilies, orchids with an accent of soft pink roses for love and greenery for prosperity! “The florists vision for the over the top bouquet was to make a bouquet as overflowing and abundant as the love I have for Daniel,” she shared.
“Looking into Daniel’s eyes I felt an overwhelming calm,” said the bride. “As I looked into his eyes and he stared back at me I felt such peace and I knew that the rest of my life would be filled with such love, joy, and comfort from the man that stood in front of me. There were many points that gazing upon Daniel I felt as if I were in a dream because he was too good to be true and too good to be mine.”
Natasha and Daniel honored her father on their big day. “I was escorted by my brother Nathan Edwards II who wore my late father’s NYPD badge as a boutonnière in his memory,” recalled the bride. “Although he was an NYPD Detective Lieutenant by trade, he had a true love for horticulture shortly and before I met Daniel my father passed away unexpectedly from cancer.”
“The tiara I wore was Daniel’s sisters from when she got married ten years ago,” said Natasha. “My earrings were my cousin Shetal’s from her own wedding.”
“It felt great,” recalled the groom of how he felt on he and Natasha’s big day. “The wedding day seemed to fly by, it was all a blur. It exceeded my wildest expectations. My wife really planned an amazing event. I wish we could do it again to experience all the memories.”
Daniel popped the question on he and Natasha’s one year anniversary, adn they got married a year later to the day!
“I didn’t believe in true love until I met Natasha, I didn’t think I could find something that I did not believe existed,” said Daniel.
“Daniel designed the cake,” said Natasha. “He wanted to to be sleek and chic, yet delicious. We opted for a rustic look with a textured buttercream topping over fondant because it simply tasted better. The four tier rustic cake was chocolate devil’s food with a decadent chocolate mouse filling. The cake was all white with orchids sweeping from the top down the cake and training on to the floor. We had a custom Mr. & Mrs. Miller cake topper.”
“She looked so beautiful; I couldn’t believe we were finally at our wedding day,” shared Daniel of how he felt seeing Natasha on their wedding day. “I felt completely at peace and filled with joy.”
Natasha’s bridal party consisted of friends from high school, college, and family. Looking good ladies!
Daniel is a Brooklyn native and he and Natasha’s wedding venue is a perfect nod to his roots. “Upon taking the tour and seeing the indoor gardens we were both overwhelmed with emotions that we had found a sanctuary for our love, an enchanted secret garden in Brooklyn,” recalled the bride.
Daniel and his groomsmen look great while celebrating his big day!
For their first dance, Daniel and Natasha shared a moment to “So Amazing” by Luther Vandross. “This song perfect describes our love for each other,” recalled the bride. “I really think we both are amazed this has happened and we are so in love with each other. It is truly a blessing.”
For a fun element of their reception, Daniel and Natasha had stilt walkers help turn the party up a notch!
