I met my fiancé, Osi Nriagu, at the University of Windsor. We were both on the track team. He proposed Easter weekend in 2016, just before the Rio Olympics. He wanted to have an Easter egg hunt, so my mom and I bought plastic Easter eggs and filled them with mini eggs, his favourite candy. I found this one egg and when I opened it, I found this big, shiny ring. We're getting married on Thanksgiving weekend, at a golf course in Windsor called the Ambassador Golf Club. I would say it's going to be a glamorous, elegant evening.
My personal style is very urban-casual. I'm in workout wear 98 per cent of the time. Trust me, I love dressing up. I love to put on high heels and a short dress and go all out, but that happens maybe three times a year.
Walk-down-the-aisle drama is best left to unexpected dress details. Take, for example, the angular cut-out of Houghton’s ivory gown. Its long sleeves and floor length are classic and elegant, while the bare waist and back is daring and sexy. Houghton dress, $2,680 at White Toronto ( www.whitetoronto.com). Dean Davidson earrings, $290 through www.deandavidson.ca. Ring, $3,650, bracelet, $9,900 at David Yurman (www.davidyurman.com).
I went shopping for a wedding dress with my mom last fall. We started in Ottawa, because that's where we're from, but we knew we ultimately wanted to buy my dress in Windsor, because of alterations and the wedding being down here. It turns out I tried on the dress I ended up buying at two separate stores in Windsor without even realizing it. I put it on at the first store and liked it, but I wasn't completely sold. The next day, I tried it on again at a store called His and Hers, and I fell in love with it.
I'm 5-foot-8, and Osi is just a touch taller than I am. I bought these heels for the wedding when I was at a training camp back in April. I brought them home and said, "Osi, we have to try these on to make sure that I'm not taller than you," because I don't want to tower over him in all the pictures. The heel height is maybe two inches. I usually go higher, because Osi loves when I'm in heels, but my feet can't handle heels all day. So, we're the same height for the majority of the day, and for the reception, I'm going to change into a pair of flats.
Not all brides want to bare it all when they hit the reception dance floor, and recent runway shows have provided many examples of covered up but chic attire. The cutaway sleeves and full skirt of this Sid Neigum dress create a unique sense of movement that is both modern and modest. Sid Neigum dress, price on request at The Room at Hudson’s Bay ( www.thebay.com). Michael Kors Collection earrings, $115 at Michael Kors (www.michaelkors.ca). Sandals, $60 at Aldo (www.aldoshoes.com).
I think most brides would agree that you start with an idea of how you want to look, but then you go out and try on a dress in that style, only to realize it doesn't work for your body. My cousin is getting married next June, and before she went to try on dresses, I said, "Try on every different style of dress you can find, because you really have no idea what is really flattering for you until it's on your body."
An ivory Elizabeth Fillmore gown in a textured textile finds inspiration in a more ancient Grecian version of Olympic attire. Elizabeth Fillmore dress, price on request at Kleinfeld at Hudson’s Bay. Dean Davidson earrings, $250 through www.deandavidson.ca. Bracelet, $2,125, ring, $1,500 at David Yurman.
I don't have much of a figure. I don't have hips or a butt or boobs. I'm fairly straight up and down, and that's just my body type. It works for my job – I mean, it wouldn't benefit me as a runner to have a big ass or big boobs. I wanted a wedding dress that would complement my body type, and that had a sexiness to it without being overly sexy. I thought that maybe a ball gown would be flattering, but it ended being way too heavy and way too much material for me. Don't get me wrong, the ball gowns I tried on were absolutely stunning, but I found that fitted dresses with flared bottoms complemented me more.
Stand out at the rehearsal dinner in a toga-style dress, like this example from Smythe. It hits at an eye-catching length and highlights the arms thanks to knots of fabric at the shoulders. Smythe dress, $595 at Holt Renfrew ( www.holtrenfrew.com). Biko earrings, $55 through www.ilovebiko.com. Bracelets, $5,315 at David Yurman. Stuart Weitzman shoes, $498 at Davids Footwear (www.davidsfootwear.com).
The dress I chose is so far outside my comfort zone, and so different from what I thought I would have chosen. I haven't even shown my bridesmaids or my dad the dress. Without giving too much away, it has a sweetheart neckline and a low-cut back. There is bling, and it has a bit of volume at the bottom. It's certainly not something I see on brides every day. That was the main goal for my mom and me. We said, "Let's choose a dress that I will never be able to wear again, even to a gala or some type of formal affair. Let's have fun with this."
Whimsical details such as bands of ruffles soften the silhouette of a modern, fuss-free sheath. Victoria by Victoria Beckham’s frock features enough embellishment that simple jewellery has greater impact than piled-on baubles, and the high hemline works perfectly for a sophisticated shower. Victoria by Victoria Beckham dress, $1042.80, Elizabeth and James bracelet, $280 at Nordstrom ( www.nordstrom.com). Jenny Bird earrings, $65 through www.jenny-bird.com. Ring, $4,750 at David Yurman.
Although there are other aspects of the wedding that reflect who Osi and I are, my dress definitely reflects my glamorous side. This is my one-in-a-million chance to wear something gorgeous and wild. If you have enough confidence – and every woman should have enough – to put on a pair of shorts or spandex tights and go out there and sweat your ass off, then you have every right to step into a glamorous gown. This is how you're made, this is what you've been given, so freaking enjoy it.
Photo shoot credits
Styling by Nadia Pizzimenti for P1M.ca. Makeup and hair by Sheri Stroh for Make Up For Ever/Moroccanoil/Plutino Group. Florals provided by Quince Flowers. Thank you to the Fairmont Royal York.
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