Food Network Star Kardea Brown Marries Bryon Smith in 'Classic and Clean' Cabo San Lucas Wedding (Exclusive)
The chef walked down the aisle to Brian McKnight's "Never Felt This Way" and wore a custom wedding dress designed by 'Project Runway' alum Laurie Underwood
Food Network star Kardea Brown married her fiancé Bryon Smith in a "classic and clean" wedding on March 8 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Their reception featured "phenomenal" food selections, fireworks and a surprise performance from rapper Project Pat
"It wasn't until I met Bryon where I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is the man of my dreams. I would love to be a bride. I would love to be a wife,'" the chef tells PEOPLE
Chef Kardea Brown is married!
The Food Network star, 37, tied the knot with Bryon Smith, 38, on Saturday, March 8, at Solaz, a luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos in Mexico. The couple's "classic and clean" nuptials had "touches of the Lowcountry," as a nod to their home in Charleston, South Carolina.
"It's a fun affair," says Brown, who co-hosts Kids Baking Championship with Duff Goldman. "Lots of love and lots of family there, friends as well."
The wedding was attended by 85 of the couple's closest family and friends, including Harlem-based restaurateur Melba Wilson and Jawn Murray, the executive producer of Sherri Shepherd's daytime talk show, SHERRI.
Brown walked down the aisle to a song she had been "thinking about for years" — "Never Felt This Way" by Brian McKnight.
The bride has always been a "big fan" of the '90s sitcom Martin. In one episode, the titular character Martin Payne (Martin Lawrence) pops the question to Gina Waters Payne (Tisha Campbell) in the park where they had their first date. During the proposal, McKnight serenades the couple with his song "Never Felt This Way."
"I was a kid when I saw this episode, and I said, 'Oh my God, that's such a beautiful song … If I were to ever get married, this would be the song that I walk out to,' And I stuck to that," Brown says.
She wore a one-of-a-kind wedding dress designed by Laurie Underwood, who was a contestant in season 14 of Project Runway. The custom ballgown from Laury Bride bespoke bridal shop in Chicago was inspired by one of Adele's concert dresses, and featured a detachable skirt that was removed during reception to give "a little bit more movement and flow" so that Brown could "dance the night away."
"I had my first and final fitting all at once," Brown says. "I literally went on just feelings and vibes. I just trusted her to make this dress as beautiful as possible, and it was."
Her hair was styled by Jessica Geiger and makeup done by Valisha Wigfall.
Growing up in a single-parent household, Brown never dreamed about getting married. But when she started dating Smith, her outlook on relationships changed.
"It wasn't until I met Bryon where I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is the man of my dreams. I would love to be a bride. I would love to be a wife.' It was meeting him that kind of gave me that inspiration to be a wife," she says. "I've always wanted it, but it wasn't until him that I really felt like, 'Oh my gosh, this is what I want. I want the white picket fence. I want the dog. I want the kids, and all of that that comes with it.'"
She and Smith met in September 2016 and "dated casually" before going their separate ways. The COVID-19 pandemic rekindled their romance because they were both sheltering with their families in Atlanta.
"My mom mentioned him and said, 'Hey, that guy you used to date, how's he doing?'" Brown recalls, noting that they got back together around March 2020.
Smith proposed at the strike of midnight on New Year's Day in January 2023. Later that day, Brown announced their engagement on Instagram. Alongside footage of Smith getting down on one knee and presenting her with a ring as loved ones cheered from off-camera, she wrote in part, "The best night of my life."
After the couple were married by Cinthya Vega, they headed to their reception, which was filled with white florals.
Of course, a wedding non-negotiable for Brown — who is currently writing a new cookbook — was having "phenomenal" food. She and Smith even traveled to Solaz in December 2024 to finalize their menu.
"The food was a big thing from the very beginning," Brown says.
"Because we're a fun and kind of loosey-goosey couple, we have stations instead of a plated dinner. We didn't want to be so stuffy," she continues. "We're really highlighting the local seafood and the food of the region."
From a salad bar and a cold bar to a dessert bar and an open bar, Brown and Smith's catering had it all. Because Smith has the sweet tooth in their relationship, he was "very particular" about their wedding cake. He and Brown ultimately decided on a multi-tiered red velvet and dulce de leche cake adorned with wafer paper from local bakery Cabo Cakes.
But what Brown was even more excited about was the surprise performance by rapper Project Pat, whose real name is Patrick Earl Houston.
"The big thing is the special performance that I think is going to make Bryon's life," Brown told PEOPLE ahead of her big day. "I have never seen him shed a tear. Hopefully I can get him to cry when I walk down the aisle. But the second time I think I'm going to see him cry is when his favorite artist comes out and performs for him."
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When Project Pat wasn't performing, DJ D-Nyce spun catchy tunes.
"He's flying in from Charleston to kind of bring that Charleston flair to Cabo," Brown says.
The wedding, which was planned and designed by Linda Warner of Pinnacle Weddings, ended with a fireworks display from Pure Cabo.
"Once you love someone to the degree that Bryon and I love one another, I think the idea of marriage, it's just something that we now are very excited about taking on that title," Brown says. "I think our love will definitely grow, but it's just the level of responsibility that we are just excited to take on."
The newlyweds plan to travel to Italy for their honeymoon, but will wait until Brown's schedule winds down. Just days after her nuptials, she is off to Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival. Simultaneously, she's preparing to open a restaurant at the Charleston International Airport. Further down the road, Brown and Smith hope to expand their family.
"We are most excited about potentially having our family, growing a family, having children," Brown says. "We have our fur baby, Rhubarb, but we would definitely love to expand our family and have children."
Additional Credits:
DJ Rental Equipment/Lighting: DJ Alexandra Ayala @djalexanderayala
Ceremony Stage/Shelving: Gabby @vvrproductionhouse
Florals: La Florista Designs @lafloristeria.loscabos
Welcome Party Photography: CarrieAnne @pinnacle_weddings
Rentals: Thelma @yayarentals
Deck/Woodwork: VVR Pro
Film: Roman Rojas Films @ramonrojasfilms
Drone: Diego Ruiz @diegoruizphoto
Read the original article on People
