It’s only right that track star Junelle Bromfield was glowing for her “all shades of melanin”-themed wedding to Noah Lyles on April 4th. Naturally, the stunner “doesn’t wear much makeup,” as she tells ESSENCE right before the big day.
That said, for her bridal look, “I’m going for foundation, setting powder, concealer, mascara, lip liner for sure, and lip gloss,” she shares of the glam, done by Tia Codrington of YSBeautyCo, that helped her natural beauty shine through. “I didn’t really have any inspiration, I just am trusting the glam team to do what they do!” Topping it all off? Her silky half-up, half-down ‘do, by Estylez, that featured a face framing side bang. “We wanted more of a softer, angelic, princess look, with a little bit of snatched-ness,” the hairstylist tells us.
Speaking of, her dress was something out of a fairytale. The white, one shoulder-strapped Pantora Bridal gown, which she wore down the aisle, cascaded from corset up top, into a princess-style bottom. Throughout both the dress and veil were crystal-studded appliqué—adding an undeniable touch of elegance. “This dress was just me fulfilling my childhood dream,” she shares. “I grew up watching Cinderella and all the Disney movies,” she says. “You grow up wanting to feel like you’re a princess, you’re a queen. I feel as if ballgowns give off that vibe,” she adds. “I just thought, it’s the one day that I get to be extra and wear the biggest gown ever.”
And for the reception, Bromfield let her hair down, literally, and rocked a long-sleeved gown, by the same designer, for the reception. The look certainly upped the sparkle ante, and was equally as enchanting.
Beyond Disney princesses, her biggest bridal fashion inspirations were definitely Nigerian and African brides. “I’d just be like, ‘oh my gosh, they are beautiful,’” she shares. “So, of course I had to get a dress from an African designer. I wanted to feel Black, confident, and beautiful.” And that she was.
Wedding day or not, her typical getting ready vibe consists of music by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Rihanna, and Beyoncé. Outside of powerhouse singers playing in the background, “I love to have incense burning. I love the scent of vanilla, so I’ll take vanilla and coconut any day,” she adds. “I would say these help me to feel calm because they provide a sense of home.”
When it came to the big day, she was, of course, most excited about “changing my last name,” she says. “I look forward to knowing that I have my forever partner by my side. I’m excited, and, as expected, nerves are normal, too,” she adds.
Keeping her grounded was her “sense of belonging,” she says. “I feel as if God did not place me in a room that he does not believe that I should be in. So I just walk with confidence knowing that wherever I am at, I belong there,” she adds. “When I look back at my life, I see a little girl from Jamaica in the countryside that didn’t grow up with much,” she says. “To see where I’m at today, being a two-time Olympian, there is no room that I will walk in, that I will believe that I’m not meant to be in, because I’ve worked hard and I do believe that I’m very deserving.”
Below, get an inside look at how Bromfield’s stunning wedding day look came to life.
