Even though Nicole had a clear vision of what she wanted, finding her wedding dress wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped. After visiting several bridal salons in New York and feeling overwhelmed by the process, she went to Mark Ingram. “Supporting a Black-owned bridal atelier was important to me, and working with Mark and his incredible team made the experience even more meaningful,” she explains. “When they brought out the Isolde gown by Ines Di Santo, I knew instantly it was the one. It felt timeless, regal, and graceful.” Nicole also wanted to incorporate a bit of home into her wedding day, so she had her veil custom-made by a seamstress in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was cathedral length and lined with French Chantilly lace that she hand-selected. She also tied a handkerchief that belonged to her late grandmother around her bouquet. “I suppose that was my ‘something old,’” Nicole says. “But more than anything, it was a way to keep her close and feel her presence with me on a day I know she would’ve loved.” As Featured in Vogue Weddings