Because Niya Merius married her high school sweetheart, she didn’t have much experience dating before she tied the knot.
But as sure as she was about her husband, her experience with wedding dresses was the opposite. She visited eight bridal boutiques throughout the course of her engagement, with no dresses fitting her vision.
Eventually, Niya found the perfect wedding dress for her — and it was nothing like she expected it to be.
Niya and Jawon Merius are high school sweethearts.
Niya, 24, and Jawon, 26, didn’t actually meet until December 2015, but they first crossed paths when Jawon photobombed a picture Niya took at her first homecoming in 2013.
Eventually, they became mutuals on social media, and after Jawon wished Niya a happy birthday, they started talking. By April 2016, they were a couple.
“Coming through college and him starting a business, we just grew more and more together,” Niya told BI.
Jawon popped the question in July 2023. Today, the couple lives in Atlanta, where Niya is a nurse and Jawon owns Equity Tax & Accounting.
The Meriuses wanted their wedding to feel like a modern take on a “Great Gatsby” style party.
Niya and Jawon got married at Ventanas, a rooftop venue in downtown Atlanta.
“Our aesthetic was white and gold, a lot of roses, a lot of florals, and also candles,” Niya said. “It was very romantic because it was very intimate.”
The couple only invited around 75 guests to their wedding, so everyone got to soak up the opulent vibe they created to the fullest.
“We wanted it to be the best rooftop party ever with our closest friends and family,” she told BI.
Experience Divine planned the event.
As she started looking at wedding dresses, Niya anticipated loving a ball gown.
Niya said she didn’t think about a wedding dress until she was engaged.
“I always saw myself as a ballgown type of girl,” Niya told BI, hoping she could find a dress that was timeless, sexy, and classic at the same time.
But after trying on ball gowns at eight different bridal boutiques, including Kleinfeld Bridal, nothing spoke to her.
Niya joked that she didn’t date around when it came to her love life, but she did when wedding dress shopping.
“I kissed all the frogs so to speak,” she said.
“Then I was like, ‘Let me try something different,” she added, deciding to give the mermaid silhouette a try.
When she tried on a mermaid gown from Dana Harel, Niya knew it was the one.
The Venice dress from Dana Harel immediately spoke to Niya, even though the silhouette was totally different than what she initially imagined for her wedding gown.
“I was getting to the point where I felt like I’ve looked at every designer from head to toe, top to bottom,” Niya said. “I don’t think it was until I tried her dress on that I was like, ‘Yeah, this just feels like the right move.’”
The mermaid gown cinched at the waist, and it flowed out into a train around her knees.
The corset bodice was one of Niya’s favorite aspects of the gown.
The boning on the corset bodice, which gave the dress its form-fitting structure, was subtly exposed. Delicate, classic lace appliqué adorned the dress, forming a floral pattern.
The bodice also featured a sweetheart neckline, with lace trimming the hem, and it cinched at Niya’s waist.
“It’s delicate, but also very sexy,” Niya said.
She loved that the train made a statement too.
Rather than a traditional mermaid, Niya’s gown flowed out gently around her knees, creating a slightly more natural silhouette.
She said she loved that the train allowed the intricacy of the lace to shine.
“Especially when you fluff out the train, you really see the lace appliqué,” she said. “I really love the detailing on it.”
Niya said the dress gave her the “feeling” she wanted from a gown.
“I really felt like it fit like a glove,” Niya said of the dress. “This is what I was looking for, this feeling.”
She said she bought the dress at Bridal Atelier for just over $8,000, though after taxes, it ended up costing closer to $9,000.
A dramatic veil completed Niya’s bridal look.
Niya accessorized her gown with a cathedral-length veil and Jimmy Choo heels.
She also wore a crystal necklace and coordinating earrings, which she bought at Nordstrom.
The veil flowed in the wind on the rooftop, adding to the glamour of the day.
Glam By Maame was Niya’s hairstylist for the day, while B. Gandy did her makeup.
Jawon also kept his wedding look classic.
Jawon opted to get a custom tuxedo from Suit Supply for the nuptials.
His white jacket featured black lapels and pocket lining. He paired it with black pants and a black bow tie, and black buttons on his shirt gave the look a clean feel.
He also splurged on Christian Louboutin dress shoes.
The groom’s shirt also featured a sweet nod to the wedding day.
Jawon had their wedding date embroidered into the underside of his shirt collar, serving as a memento to the day.
Niya and Jawon didn’t see each other ahead of their ceremony.
Instead of a first look, the couple opted to do a first touch, holding hands and reading private vows to each other.
Niya told BI it was one of the most emotional moments of the wedding for her.
“As soon as I touched his hand, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m getting all emotional,’” Niya said.
Hearing Jawon tell her how much he loved her but not seeing him elevated the moment’s emotional impact for Niya.
“I wouldn’t change that for the world,” she said. “It was really intimate.”
REEM Photography documented the moment, as well as the rest of the wedding day.
But when Jawon finally did see Niya, he got emotional.
“He cried,” Niya said of her husband’s reaction to seeing her in her wedding gown.
Niya walked down the aisle to “Die With You” by Beyoncé, which she said made her entrance to the wedding even more emotional.
“It was a very dramatic and climactic moment opening the doors and him seeing me for the first time,” she added.
Niya wanted a second dress for her wedding day too.
Niya was eager to have a second look for her wedding, but as the big day drew closer, she was struggling to find a dress that would work for the occasion.
“I was a bit frantic about this because I thought I wanted a bridal mini, and I looked at so many brands,” she said.
Less than three weeks before her wedding, Niya fell in love with a sparkly, floor-length gown.
Niya spotted the Lueda dress from Walone online, and she soon forgot all about a mini.
The strapless dress featured a similar silhouette to her ceremony dress, but instead of lace, it was covered completely in silver sequins and featured a thigh-high slit.
Niya said she liked the dress because, “I feel like it can give that party reception vibe, but it’s still elegant.”
The gown was perfect for Niya’s reception.
Niya ordered the dress on April 28, and it arrived custom-designed to her measurements ahead of the wedding on May 17.
She said she spent around $1,000 on the gown.
The dress set the tone for the celebratory vibe of the reception.
Niya and Jawon’s leaned into the party environment for their reception, hiring a fire dancer and a cigar roller to entertain guests. Touches like a saxophonist and a champagne tower added opulence to the event.
Exquisite Sounds Entertainment was Niya and Jawon’s DJ for the wedding.
The Compass Films provided videography for the day, and the Meriuses hired PlanWithLaur as their wedding content creator.
Niya’s favorite moments of her wedding were the ones that broke with tradition.
Niya and Jawon centered their loved ones throughout their wedding, and those moments ended up being Niya’s favorites from the day.
For instance, rather than doing a traditional bouquet toss, Niya passed out roses to the women who attended the nuptials during the reception.
And rather than having a flower girl throw petals down the aisle, Niya’s grandmother served as their “Flower Granny.”
“She’s my last grandparent standing, so it meant so much to me to have that integral part of my wedding,” Niya said.
The newlywed’s helicopter exit was also a standout moment from their nuptials.
Since their wedding was on a rooftop, Niya and Jawon were able to hop in a helicopter to leave their nuptials, putting an elevated spin on the wedding farewell.
“It was really cool to be able to see the city,” Niya said.
Niya wants other brides to know they can trust themselves to pick their wedding gown.
Niya was alone when she found her wedding dress and that made all the difference. She said being alone allowed her to trust herself, which she needed to do when picking a dress.
“I had been to so many bridal shops,” she said. “The first time you drag your mom, the second time you drag your friend.”
“But I think honestly I knew it was for me because I was alone,” Niya told BI. “I looked at myself, and I didn’t need to send pictures. I knew.”
“I didn’t really seek anybody’s opinion,” she added. “I had that full confidence in it.”
Loving Jawon comes easily to Niya.
“I love that I am dating my very best friend,” Niya said. “I can’t think of a thing that I can’t tell him.”
“I have someone that truly understands me and makes love feel easy,” she said of her husband. “He just makes me want to be a better person, but at the same time makes me feel safe in my growing pains.”
“I’m happy to have a plus one until the grave,” Niya said.
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