This could-have-been “local love” started as an international romance! Talin and Omar, both North Carolina natives, meet as teenagers in Egypt. They felt sparks then and knew it had to have been fate that brought them together when they discovered they lived in the same state, just over an hour away from each other! They dated on and off for years until 2018, when things got serious. By then Omar was living in Colorado, so Talin jumped on a plane to go see him, beginning their long-distance relationship. It was during a surprise trip to visit Talin that Omar proposed! He showed up beside her car one day after work and asked her to go on a walk with him. They went to a local park, and as Talin sped ahead of him, Omar grabbed her arm, spun her around and was down on one knee proposing! She couldn’t help but say yes to this long-fated love and began planning their wedding!

Talin went to one shop to try on dresses, New York Bride in Raleigh. She had only tried on a few gowns, but as soon as her mother convinced her to put on our Renee dress, Talin knew it was the one! The second she put on the gown she was overcome with emotion and dreamed of how it would feel to wear this dress on her wedding day. It was all the confirmation she needed! Talin even recalls that at her final fitting the seamstress was awed by her dress when she took it out of the garment bag. Outside of getting to marry the love of her life and having her family there at her 20-person wedding, our Renee dress made the day everything she dreamed it would be!

Talin stunned down the aisle in our Renee dress, and elegant mermaid with crystal beading and delicate lace appliqués! This allover Chantilly lace gown features a classic v-neckline and scoop back with covered buttons leading to a beautiful scalloped train. It’s the perfect blend of sultry sophistication!

Little did the couple know that come the time of their wedding they would get an unexpected twist! Talin and Omar got married in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic; unwilling to sacrifice their dream day, they adjusted. The couple got married at The Sutherland, in Wake Forest, North Carolina, an 18th century estate where history meets southern charm! Situated in a beautiful garden setting with magnolias, oaks, and pines all around, the picturesque scene was the perfect place for them to wed! The couple and their guests were only allowed to stay at the ceremony venue for 30 minutes, so they decided to host their reception at Talin’s family home.

Talin recalls how if you had told her 6 months before he wedding that her reception would have been at her family home she would have thought you were crazy! But looking back she only thinks about how special it was to celebrate her marriage in the house she grew up in. The most memorable part was when her father walked her down the aisle, arm in arm, and she saw her soon-to-be husband staring back at her. She looked around at all of her and Omar’s family and her heart was filled with love. Talin felt like she was floating! She had a tear-jerking moment with both her dad and brother as they realized, for the first time, Talin would be moving away from her family in North Carolina to begin her new life in Colorado with her husband. Despite the fact that Covid interrupted their plans, at the end of the day Talin and Omar got married and their loved ones got to witness it, and that’s all that really matters!

Photographer: Faceinlens Photography | IG @faceinlens

Venue: Sutherland Events | IG @sutherlandevents