SarahKay’s wedding vision was never about following tradition. It was about creating something entirely her own.

“I’m a DIY girl,” she shares. “I love building things from scratch. I didn’t want my wedding to feel like I just picked everything off a shelf.”

That mindset shaped every part of her celebration, from handcrafted invitations made of Korean and Jamaican spice blends to moss installations she spent months creating by hand. So when it came to her wedding dress, it had to be custom and collaborative.

Finding NK Bride

SarahKay, who has a background in event production, planned her wedding. During her research, she came across NK Bride and Nathalie Kraynina on a TikTok reel.

Their first meeting took place over Zoom, but it quickly became more than a consultation.

“She really wanted to get to know me: my personality, my vision, what I was imagining,” SarahKay says, adding that Nathalie didn’t just want to learn her vision and run with it. “She wanted to understand it with me.”

That approach stood out immediately. For SarahKay, who values connection just as much as creativity, the decision felt natural.

“I’m a big personality person. We just clicked,” she reflects. “Nathalie has this cool-girl vibe. I was obsessed. I knew I wanted to work with her.”

A Fantasy Vision

From the start, Sarah had a clear aesthetic direction for her dress: ethereal, romantic, and rich with detail.

“I was obsessed with that fantasy, almost otherworldly look — corsets, basque waists, intricate detailing,” she says, referencing designs that felt reminiscent of Game of Thrones-inspired collections. “I wanted something that felt handmade, vintage-inspired, but also really elevated.”

She came to Nathalie with references and images filled with texture. She mentioned beading, sparkles, layered embellishments, and regal silhouettes.

The final gown brought that vision to life through both craftsmanship and collaboration.

Nathalie designed a dress in an off-white duchess satin, with a soft square neckline and a structured corset bodice. The dropped basque waist sculpts and elongates the silhouette. Over-the-shoulder straps and a softly rounded back creates balance, while a flowing gathered skirt moves effortlessly, finished with a subtle train.

The bodice is the focal point, adorned with golden floral motifs composed of crystal jewels, glass beads, and pearls, all meticulously applied by hand.

“I wanted gold, but not in a tacky way,” SarahKay explains. “Gold can go wrong so easily.”

Finding the right material became a defining moment in the process.

“Nathalie found this incredible fabric,” she reflects. “It had this vintage, almost silver-toned base, but inside were these gold crystals and pearls. It gave me that glow without being overpowering. It was perfect.”

The look was completed with a custom two-tier mantilla veil crafted from gold sparkle tulle, with matching crystals framing the face, bringing softness to the entire ensemble.

For SarahKay, the process was about more than aesthetics. It was about feeling confident and fully seen.

“I don’t have sample-size proportions,” she shares. “So it was really important that the dress was made for my body.”

The corset became central to that process. She says Nathalie spent time making it precise. That level of attention resulted in a flawless fit.

“It fit like a glove. I didn’t need a bra, no wiring, nothing,” SarahKay says. “It was just structured perfectly. When I got try the dress on, it was absolutely breathtaking. It was exactly what I wanted.”

What began as a professional relationship quickly evolved into something deeper.

“I was in the studio all the time,” Sarah says. “We talked about everything: our lives and our experiences. It just felt easy. I loved her team so much and they were so invested in the dress.”

The Love Story

SarahKay and David met on Hinge, where their shared faith quickly became a bonding point.

“We had a call where he quizzed me on the Bible to see if I was really Christian,” she reflects.

Their first date was at Saga in Manhattan.

“The rest is history,” she says. “It's just been a dream since then.”

A little more than a year into their relationship, David proposed on a rooftop. They had an intimate courthouse wedding followed by the larger celebration with friends and family months later.

The Wedding Vision

Sarah’s wedding reflected the same creativity as her gown.

“I wanted it to feel magical, ethereal, and whimsical,” she says. “Almost like a little escape from the city.”

With a focus on greenery and organic elements, she transformed her Brooklyn venue into a lush, dreamlike setting filled with orchids and handcrafted moss installations. She did all the decorations, florals and moss by hand. She also adorned her bridesmaids with jewelry she picked out on the morning of the wedding.

“It was a labor of love and a hot glue gun,” she says. “Being able to design and plan my own wedding has been such a gift.”

On the morning of the wedding, Nathalie arrived early, before Sarah was even fully ready, to help bring the final look together.

“I actually invited her to the wedding,” SarahKay shares.

Instead, Nathalie chose to be there in a more intimate way. She carefully placed the custom veil, sewing it into SarahKay’s hair, and helped her into the gown she had spent months creating by hand. As the final details came together, the moment became unexpectedly emotional.