The Black Bride Is Getting Her Flowers: The Cultural Revival of the Black Bride

WRITTEN BY TYLER ‘KENZIE’ PHARR, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Show of hands: how many of us have been personally victimized by the wedding industry? The nuptial complex has infiltrated almost every part of our lives. From viral proposals with Adele to almost every Jennifer Lopez movie ever, women are almost forced to think about this day down to the specific details. (I know about your secret Pinterest boards!)

The business of weddings comes with a billion-dollar valuation. Couture dresses and tropical vacations have long been a part of the romance, but this fantasy has long been skewed – largely because brands weren’t auctioning this fairytale to Black brides.

Lately, the wedding bell has tolled, and the Black bride has gotten her due shower of love. Recently, Black women designers and influencers have been on an unapologetic conquest of hopeless romance, giving Black brides the space to imagine that perfect day for themselves.

With Fall Bridal Fashion Week’s recent conclusion, Black women were given the sweetest fashion gift, courtesy of the DMV’s very own Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa.

Debuting her couture bridal collection at the Black-owned Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia, Hanifa’s bridal collection was a full wedding wardrobe from pre- to post-ceremony.

Featuring her signature ostrich feather adornments and corseted bodices, Hanifa Bridal is an impeccable balance of grace and sensual allure. The collection is bursting at the seams with bridal shower mini dresses, ceremonial gowns, and spicy lingerie for after-party rendezvous.

Aspiration is a part of the Hanifa fantasy, and in Mvuemba’s world, she dares us to dream. A renowned master of designing accessible luxury, she said,

“When brides see these gowns come down the runway, I want them to see themselves in them.”

The early-aughts of Hanifa began with designing bridal gowns, and this experience revealed how exclusive and flat the industry was. Very few were designing for curvier women nor were they concerned with selecting fabrics that complimented different skin tones. With this collection, Mvuemba is making a testament that she will continue to disrupt this. In more ways than one, this collection is for every bride – especially, the Black bride.

Historically, the Black bride has been left out of the wedding fantasy. Speaking with Mary Chatman, CEO and editor-in-chief of Black Bride, she said our country’s history gives us insights into why this gross underrepresentation even exists. The simple answer: racism.

Until the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and ratified in 1865, most Southern states did not recognize marriages between enslaved Black people. As generations have passed and cultural movements have moved society forward, the Black bride is finally getting her shine.

Established in 1998, Black Bride was the first company to highlight and uplift the wedding journeys of Black women. Chatman said,

“Our work is organic. We work very intentionally to showcase Black brides from all backgrounds.”

Representation has long been a quintessential pillar for this magazine. When Black brides see other Black brides, in all of their glory and allure, it does away with the harmful stereotypes about Black marriage and Black women’s desirability.

A shift is underway. With viral bridal designer Oluwagbemisola Okunlola of Alonuko entering the global bridal scene, we have seen how fashion and media platforms are now centering on the needs of the Black bride.

Dressing celebrities like KJ Smith Black, Anika Noni Rose, and Danielle Brooks, Okunlola is known for her illusion mesh matching for dark skin. Amassing over 4.6 million likes on TikTok, Alonuko is the internet’s Black bespoke bridal designer of choice.

Black women are no longer the token of the wedding industry with stock photo generalities and subsections in the depths of bridal websites. Platforms like Black Bride and designers like Mvuemba and Okunlola are doing intentional work to showcase Black women’s journeys into marriage.

In hopes that Black brides around the world can feel treasured on their wedding journey, Chatman said,

“Black women have a natural attrition to being seen.”

So, let us shine! Though the bridal industry at large remains focused on one type of bride, there are gradual changes at play that are affirming the need for diversity and giving the Black bride the fantasy she’s so long been denied.