For this month’s Brides of Long Island’s Monthly “Mrs.” series, we switched it up and spoke with Tiana about the things she did to help herself heal after her engagement ended – including a self-love photoshoot.
(Photo courtesy of Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto)
The last thing on any bride’s mind is the possibility of her engagement ending. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to Tiana – two weeks before her wedding day. And while it felt like her world was ending, Tiana took something negative and learned to love herself again. Here’s how she did it.
The Unimaginable
Tiana and her ex-partner of nine years were supposed to be married in June 2024. He ended things two weeks before they were supposed to say ‘I Do.’ “It was the worst moment of my life,” said Tiana. “But it ended up being the best moment of my life.” At the time, she said she honestly didn’t know how she would move on. “How was I supposed to tell people? How was I supposed to live my life? How am I going to do this?” said Tiana. “All of these things were running through my mind.”
Because it was such short notice, Tiana had to go through the painful task of calling her vendors to tell them the wedding was called off the day after their break-up. “I didn’t really have time to wait and process what was happening,” she said. Her photographer, Sam, of Sam Lesser Photography, is also a good friend. “When I called her, she immediately asked what she could do to help me,” said Tiana. “I told her, ‘I don’t know,’ and that’s when she suggested a self-love photoshoot. She said, ‘You need to feel loved and appreciated.’” Sam told her she wanted to give her the photos she deserved, and even suggested they add video to the day with her videographer, Darya from Sea Films LLC.
(Photo courtesy of Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto)
An Empowering Day
Tiana said she immediately took Sam up on her offer. “I worked with her for my engagement photos, and I just love her work,” she said. “I also wanted photos of myself – after nine years, the majority of my photos were with my ex-partner.” However, she waited a few months so she could get her head in a good place. Tiana said she went on her honeymoon with her sister – a cruise to Bermuda. “We had such an amazing time, and when I came back, I felt empowered,” she said. “I felt refreshed and ready to take those photos. And it was awesome.”
So on an August day, Tiana met with Sam and Darya at Captree State Park in Bay Shore for her three-hour self-love photo shoot. “It was in the early afternoon into sunset, and it was just beautiful,” said Tiana. She put together a playlist of all her favorite songs, and even started singing as both Sam and Darya gave her direction for some poses, all while saying words of affirmation to make Tiana feel amazing. “As I was taking these photos and listening to their words – things I hadn’t heard in a long time, and I didn’t see myself in that light because I was broken – I remember thinking it was such a beautiful healing experience for me,” she said.
Tiana said she did an outfit change, and took photos and video in different areas of the park. “They gave me poses, but the whole shoot felt very candid,” she said. “They made me laugh, made me smile and made me whole again.” At the end of the day, she started crying because she couldn’t believe she could feel that way again. “I actually felt worthy of being loved again,” she said. “It was one of the most defining moments of my life. I felt so empowered and confident. When I look back at these photos, I’ll say, ‘I got through this awful time and was okay.’”
(Photo courtesy of Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto)
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The Healing Process
Now that four months have passed since her broken engagement, Tiana can say she’s in a much better place. In addition to the self-love photoshoot, she started doing things to help her healing. “I had a great support system with my friends and family,” Tiana said. “I started therapy, I continued to go to church, I started going to the gym – I could finally do things for me, things I hadn’t done for me in a really long time.” She also started reading more, something she never really had time for in the past.
Tiana also turned to Brides of Long Island. She posted something about how she could save her dress for a wedding in the future. “I connected with someone who was going through the same thing as me,” she said. “We actually met up in person. It was to find someone who understood what I was going through. Knowing I wasn’t alone allowed my healing process to really take flight.”
(Photo courtesy of Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto)
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A Negative Into a Positive
Throughout the healing process, Tiana knew she didn’t want to allow a negative moment in her life to define her. She’s sharing her story now to help empower other women who may be going through something similar. “Though it seems like your world is crashing down – because I know I felt that way – know that things happen for a reason,” she said. “And it’s important to know that what you’re walking away from will lead you to walk into a situation that is far beyond what you could have expected.”
Tiana understands that not everyone heals in the same way, but says it’s important to realize that there’s no right or wrong way to heal. “When this happened, I never thought I’d get to this place where I am now,” she said. “But I look at myself in the mirror and I see a woman that I never would have become if this didn’t happen to me. I’ve literally transformed into someone that I don’t even recognize in the best way possible.”
Tiana hopes that all women dealing with broken relationships or engagements will be able to get to a place of healing and peace like she did. “It’s different for everyone, but know that it will happen,” she said. “There is no timeline, and everyone has to do things at their own pace. But know that I’m living my life the way I want to live it, and eventually you will too.”
(Photo courtesy of Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto)
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Vendors:
Photographer: Sam Lesser Photography, @samlesserphoto
Videography: Darya Bradshaw at Sea Films LLC
View Tiana’s video below
(Video courtesy of Sea Films LLC, @daryaseafilms)
