Each year, Harlem’s historic Alhambra Ballroom celebrates the start of the wedding season with a showcase of culinary delights in the opulence of their Grand Ballroom. Beneath the draped chandeliers, local wedding vendors joined in to display their specialties in bridal services for budding couples. For this year’s event the Alhambra welcomed a refreshing, new approach to their presentation lineup by showcasing ethnic bridal gowns created by TeKay Designs “Queen of the Brides” gown collection. The Queen of the Brides is a prestigious and award winning luxury brand with design and production in Houston Texas and Ghana, Africa. The Fashion Designer, Ms. Kimma Wreh is internationally recognized for her ethnic inspired, and Afrique-Chic fashion creations.

“Queen of the Brides introduced a re-imagination of the conventional wedding. When we saw photos of these dresses on the Internet we knew the Queen of the Brides gowns would be a great fit for our bridal showcase.” explained Alhambra’s CEO Tracey Dechabert. Harlem is a place of history, ethnic diversity and there exist a cultural pride about African aesthetic. Harlem’s brides need to see that there is a cultural alternative to contemporary bridal fashions. The gown, just like cuisine can set a tone to your wedding day that intuitively shares your families heritage. “The fusion between cultural fashions and cultural foods can be an experience that resonates throughout generations”, said Dechabert.

Queen of the Brides offers formal gown creations that includes quality pieces of jewelry that reference a historical time period. The collection exemplified diverse cultures, as each gown represents a woman of royalty who has left an indelible mark on humanity. The collection included gowns named after Queen Nefertiti, Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Queen Cleopatra Selene II, Queen Ankhesenamun of Egypt, Mumtaz Mahal – Mughal Queen of India, Queen Manta Tisi of South Africa, Queen Padmini of India, Queen Amina of Zaria Nigeria, Queen Nzingha Amazon of Matamba West Africa, Empress Candace of Ethiopia, Queen Consort Margherita of Italy, etc. The menswear line is culturally inspired  with aesthetic themes that ranges from historic to contemporary design.

“We are really honored to have been asked to present Queen of the Brides to the Harlem community. New York is a melting pot of ethnic cultures and that’s what makes this city an ideal place to present gowns that represent queens from varied cultures. Now, anyone can express their heritage and be a royal bride”, explained Fashion Designer, Kimma Wreh.

The bridal showcase was interactive, entertaining and offered a variety of food dishes for sampling. The fusion between fashion, food and music stimulated every sense that created an experience that offered couples unique cultural ideas for creating their special wedding day. Dechabert stated, “Harlem is also growing more culturally diverse and we wish for this bridal showcase to be all-inclusive with vibrant cultures.  At the Alhambra, we take pride in delivering on request for many types of international cuisine from our ethnically diverse clients.”

View fashion show photos below.

(fashion show and look book photos by Macintosh Smith)

(repost from Taji Mag)

Zuri Concepts provided video testimonial of TeKay Designs: Queen Of The Brides at Alhambra New York Bridal Show. Zuri Concepts is a boutique design studio located in Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, specializing in custom invitations and stationery.

Precious L. Williams (CEO at Perfect Pitches by Precious and Curvy Girlz Lingerie, LLC) gave endorsement of TeKay Designs: Queen Of The Brides showcase at the Alhambra Ballroom’s 4th Annual Bridal Expo in New York. Thank you.