Brian McKnight married Leilani Malia Mendoza in a romantic ceremony on New Year’s Eve.
The R&B singer posted several sweet videos and photos from the nuptials on Instagram on Sunday, December 31. “Ladies and gentlemen introducing Mr and Mrs Brian McKnight,” he captioned a picture of the couple as they were about to kiss.
The pair, who’ve been together since 2014, tied the knot at Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate in Huntington, New York, and the bride wore a one-of-a-kind Sabrina and Mannings gown embellished with 50,000 Swarovski crystals that took more than a month of hand work to apply along with hand-cut fabric folded to create a vanishing out effect.
McKnight shared a video with his wife after they exchanged vows, captioning it, “Happiest day of our lives.”
In a March 2016 interview, he said that he was inspired by his relationship with Mendoza. “I thought that true love was just a fairy tale but I have it and it’s pretty amazing,” he told Soul and Jazz and Funk.
The “Back at One” singer, 48, announced their engagement on Instagram in May 2017, sharing a black-and-white photo that showcased Mendoza’s stunning diamond ring. “She said yes,” he wrote. [It] took me 42 years to find her and I’m never letting her go. I am so in love with you baby #iloveourlife #priceless #brianized.”
The 16-time Grammy nominee was previously married to his college sweetheart Julie McKnight, with whom he shares two children, Brian Jr. and Niko. They divorced in 2003 after 13 years of marriage.
