Bride Of The Week: Janai Victorin
Written By Kaileah Searcy
From emotional tears shared with both her father and stepfather before walking down the aisle, to the moment she finally stepped into her dream gown, Janai’s wedding in Spain unfolded like a heartfelt chapter she had always imagined. Wearing our Anais gown, Janai's wedding day was filled with family, romance, and meaningful details. In this interview, Janai reflects on the moments that moved her most—and the dress she had been dreaming of long before she said “yes.”
“My gown made me feel confident, elegant, and exactly how I always imagined.”
A moment of your wedding day will you never forget?
There are so many unforgettable moments, but one that will stay with me forever happened right before I walked down the aisle. I hadn’t had a single tear all day, but as I stood there with my father and stepfather—one on each side—the emotions finally hit. My stepfather has been in my life since I was six years old, so he truly is my second dad. Just before we started walking, he began to cry, completely overcome with emotion, and that was it for me—I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Seeing him so emotional made me realize how much love and history we were carrying down that aisle together.
One thing you wish you knew as a new bride? What advice would you give to future brides?
One thing I wish I knew as a new bride how quickly the day truly flies by. You spend so much time planning every detail, but when the day comes, it feels like a beautiful blur. I wish I had slowed down even more to take in every little moment. My advice would be don’t stress over the little things. Trust that everything will come together exactly as it’s meant to and focus on being present. Your wedding day will be beautiful and unforgettable, not because it’s flawless, but because it’s filled with love.
A detail that made your wedding special/unique?
I made our table number personalized with a picture of my husband and I at the age of each table # to add a personal touch for our guests.
How did you know your dress was 'the one'?
Ever since the Anais gown was released, I had countless screenshots of it saved on my phone. I’d always loved every Galia Lahav design, but that one completely stole my heart from the moment I saw it—though I never imagined it would actually become my dress. When I found out the Miami flagship store was hosting a trunk show for the new collection,
I told my mom I had to go, even if it was just to finally see it in person.
“Seeing him so emotional made me realize how much love and history we were carrying down that aisle together.”
Everyone always says the dress you picture yourself in is never the one you end up choosing, and I’ll admit—that thought worried me. I saved the Anais for last, trying on different styles first, because deep down I knew that once I slipped into it, nothing else would compare. And I was right. The Anais made me feel so confident and truly like a princess. The intricate lace detailing was everything I had dreamed of and more—perfectly capturing the romantic elegance I envisioned for our wedding in Spain.
How did it feel when you put on your dress the day of the wedding? What was everyone's reaction to the dress?
I felt so confident in my own skin and truly like the best version of myself. The moment I put on the dress that morning, everything finally felt real. When my family and bridesmaids saw me for the first time, the room was filled with gasps and happy tears. My mom couldn’t stop smiling, my friends kept saying it looked like the dress was made for me. My first look with Andrew was priceless, he almost couldn’t hold back his tears and had so much joy when he saw me.
Would you have done anything differently?
If there is anything I would have done differently would be to just let go day of and really soak everything in because it truly flies by and you can’t go back as much as you wish you could.
What was your favorite part of the wedding to plan/you were most looking forward to?
My favorite part of the wedding to plan was working with our officiant who was family to make the ceremony personal to Andrew and I with humor but also making it romantic and about love and our relationship.
How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?
I met my husband through my older brother, he was a friend and eventually his family and my family became friends and his father actually started calling me his daughter in law before we even knew we liked each other. Andrew proposed to me when we took a trip to New York City, it was a complete surprise. He told me we were going to an exclusive speakeasy one night and we got to this building someone had to come down and open the door and then we went into an industrial elevator, so I was completely believing the skit. We ended up at the rooftop overlooking New York with the Empire State Building in the background at sunset. It was incredible.
How did you find working with the team at Galia Lahav?
They were lovely.
How many dresses did you try on before you found it?
Before trying on the Anais I had only gone to one other place to try on dresses and probably tried on around 10 or so in total.
“I knew the Anais was the one the second I saw it—I had countless screenshots saved long before I tried it on.”
Dress | Galia Lahav
Photographer | Sarah Cooper @sarahcooperweddings
Makeup & Hair | Mariana Morales @marliciousmakeup
Venue | Cigarral de las Mercedes @cigarraldelasmercedes
Food | Cigarral de las Mercedes @cigarraldelasmercedes
Florals | Cigarral de las Mercedes @cigarraldelasmercedes
Shoes | Ted Baker