By Charli Penn ·December 28, 2020December 28, 2020
Love was definitely not cancelled in 2020. Brides still found a way to make it official at the altar, while staying safe, and longtime lovebirds seized the moment to embrace the good and got engaged. Love was on full display this year and we’re celebrating. Here’s a look at the couples who got married or engaged in 2020!
01Melanie FionaSinger Melanie Fiona is officially a married woman! After having to postpone her wedding plans three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiona finally made it to the altar with her love, American Idol Season 6 contestant and fellow singer Jared Cotter. “As soon as we decided we were [marrying] in 2020, we planned—fast and furious,” Fiona told The Knot. “We locked in our wedding planner in January and we started moving full steam ahead… and then COVID happened.”The couple had initially planned to marry in a destination wedding in Italy but that became impossible. Instead they eloped. “Anything is Possible… If you’re willing to adjust your perspective,” the happy bride shared on Instagram. “We had to postpone our wedding three times this year. We had to accept that a full ceremony with our loved ones could not be possible until 2021. But we also knew we wanted to be married this year. So, we made it happen!!! We took what was in our control and saw it through. On 12-12-2020, I married my best friend, my partner, my twin flame, in the most perfectly possible way.” 
Instagram 02Danielle BrooksThe Orange Is The New Black star kicked off 2020 with big news. She and longtime love Dennis Gelin got engaged and shared the love via Instagram. “I never thought one of the best days of my year would happen the last week of the year,” she wrote. “I get to marry my best friend. We’re ENGAGED!! So excited to become your wife. D&D until the end.” Gelin and Brooks welcomed their first child together, daughter Freeya, on November 16. 
Instagram 03Keshia Knight PulliamActors Keshia Knight Pulliam and Brad James closed out the year with a surprise engagement. “I said Yes!!,” the House Of Payne actress captioned an Instagram photo of herself, James and her daughter Ella on the night of their engagement. “I LOVE YOU @mrbradjames! This is my favorite photo from our magical engagement dinner. My desire is a lifetime and beyond filled with love & family. My heart is so filled with joy!! So excited to continue to choose each other & our family every day.” 
Instagram 04Amber Riley Got EnagedIn November, Glee star and singer Amber Riley shared some major news—she and fiancéDesean Black are headed to the altar. The couple shared their news with heartfelt captions on Instagram. “There was a time when I thought I didn’t want or deserve this kind of love,” wrote Riley. “I’m looking at a man who changed my mind. My time by myself, loving on myself, getting comfortable with myself, prepared me for you, and prepared me for this. I am so proud to say, I am the future Mrs. Black.” 
Instagram 05Jeannie MaiAtlanta Rapper Jeezy didn’t let stay at home orders stop him from pulling off the perfect quarantine proposal to his girlfriend, The Real host Jeannie Mai. His original plan was to pop the big question during their April trip to Vietnam, but had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead Jeezy (real name Jay Wayne Jenkins) decided to bring a taste of Vietnam home to them with a special date night indoors where he asked her to marry him. 
06Ashley Blaine FeathersonIn September, Dear White People star Ashley Blaine Featherson got the oceanfront proposal of her dreams. The actress called her love Darrell Jenkins’ sweet beach proposal the “most precious moment” of her life. The romantic proposal took place in Santa Barbara, California as the couple rode horses on the beach. “My Love. My Legacy. My Light. My Life,” Blaine Featherson captioned a photo of her sparkling round cut engagement ring. “Forever & A Day Isn’t Long Enough.” Congratulations via Instagram poured in from celebrities like Issa Rae, Kelly Rowland, Lena Waithe, and the bride-to-be’s fellow Dear White People star Logan Browning. 
Instagram 07Kierra SheardAnother December bride we love! Just six months after sharing her engagement news with fans, gospel singer Kierra Sheard married the love of her life, Jordan Kelly, in a small church ceremony attended by their parents. A bigger post-pandemic ceremony is still in the works, but until then, make way for Mr. and Mrs. Kelly. “I’m so excited and honored to be your wife. With God at the center, us staying committed, putting our work in it, Here’s to forever. Forever & ever. Just until the wedding celebration,” wrote Sheard after sharing the news. 
08Cynthia BaileyThe Real Housewives Of Atlanta star wed her love, Mike Hill, on Saturday in Georgia. The couple exchanged their vows in front of 250 guests, which included many of her RHOA costars. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Bailey told PEOPLE that it was still important to them to celebrate their love. “Mike and I are elated that today has finally come! 10/10/20 is and always will be our perfect date. We are not perfect, but, are perfect for each other,” the newlyweds told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “We are living in a very different time, and now more than ever we realize that life is too short, and to never take anything for granted. We are so grateful to have found each other. Love with the help of God conquers all.” Bailey, 53, and Hill, who got engaged in July 2019 after dating for 14 months, were adamant about making sure the safety of their wedding guests was still their top priority. 
Instagram 09Aisha HindsNovember isn’t just the start of the holiday season—it’s also the beginning of engagement season too. Which was no exception for FOX 9-1-1 star Aisha Hinds and her love Silky Valenté who decided to begin their own journey to the altar. “It takes 21 days to form a new habit. Habit fondly formed…w/ @silkyvalente Three weeks ago, today, he asked if we could grow together for the rest of our lives………Ai said bet. #BlackLoveForTheDub 
10Gabourey SidibeOver the Thanksgiving holiday, Empire actress Gabourey Sidibe and her longtime boyfriend Brandon Frankel got engaged. The actress shared that the love of her life had put a ring on it via Instagram. “It’s weird that people think we’re already married but I guess our hearts and intentions for each other are just that clear to see,” Sidibe wrote in an Instagram post posing with her engagement ring. “My BFF proposed and now I get to hold him forever. The funniest man I’ve ever met. The sweetest human to exist.” 
TOPICS: black celebrity couples engaged married
The post The Celebs Who Got Engaged Or Married In 2020 appeared first on Essence.
