Groom Goes Viral for First Look Reaction to Bride's Black Wedding Dress (Exclusive)
- - Groom Goes Viral for First Look Reaction to Bride's Black Wedding Dress (Exclusive)
Ashlyn RobinetteDecember 20, 2025 at 12:13 AM
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Dale McDonald
Cara Garrett; Cara and Levi Garrett's first look -
Levi and Cara Garrett got married on Oct. 25 in Harmony, Pennsylvania
After the couple shared their first look wedding photos on Instagram, they went viral for the groom's awestruck reaction to the bride's black wedding dress
"I could feel the love the second he saw me," Cara tells PEOPLE
When Levi Garrett turned around to see his now-wife Cara Garrett for their first look, his surprised smile said it all.
Levi had previously predicted that his bride would pick a black wedding dress, and he was thrilled that she did at their Oct. 25 nuptials at the The Center Of Harmony in Harmony, Pennsylvania.
Wearing a purple suit, Levi, 40, couldn't contain his reaction, and later went viral for his expression on Instagram. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped in awe as Cara, 44, glided toward him while wearing a matching black veil and holding a bouquet of orange and red flowers.
Dale McDonald
Cara and Levi Garrett's first look
"I was flooded with a mix of emotions in the best possible way," Cara tells PEOPLE of her reaction to seeing Levi. "I could feel the love the second he saw me. I could see that sticking to my decision of wanting to embrace my curves with a fitted dress was the right decision. And excited relief that from that moment forward I'd get to be by his side."
Just one week before Cara went dress shopping, Levi had joked that she would "get a black dress." In response, Cara "laughed at the idea and said, 'Nah,' " only to fall in love with the nontraditional wedding gown color.
"It was more me than any of the other dresses," Cara says of one black wedding dress she tried on. "I instantly joked [to friends], 'Oh no, Levi's gonna take credit for the idea.' "
Dale McDonald
Cara and Levi Garrett's first look
Cara, who lost 100 pounds in the year leading up to the big day, explains she "had the worst experience trying to find a plus-size wedding dress," so for Levi to react so sweetly made the reveal all the more special.
"[My] initial thought was, 'Wow, I really get to spend my life with her. She's gorgeous,' which made me emotional with tears," Levi tells PEOPLE.
Cara's dark shimmering wedding dress wasn't the gown that originally made her decide to go with black — it was even "better." A seamstress had seen Cara vent about her awful shopping experience on Instagram, and offered to assist her in creating her dream gown.
"I purchased a $35 bodycon dress off Amazon and then a few hundred in tulle, and she created the amazing dress," explains Cara, whose hair and makeup was done by Shelby Lee.
Levi and Cara decided to have a first look because they couldn't wait to see each other, and thought it would be "calming" to spend most of the day together instead of being separated until their 4 p.m. ceremony.
Dale McDonald
Cara and Levi Garrett's first look
"Nothing about us has been traditional, so I didn't see the need to keep traditions such as staying the night before apart [or] waiting until the ceremony," Levi says.
The maid of honor, Hiba Hamati, also had a sneak peek at the wedding dress, and was just as wowed.
"Hiba's reaction made me laugh and cry at the same time," Cara shares. "Levi's reaction had her with a few tears of happiness for me. It had me laughing as throughout our relationship any time I shared something sweet that Levi had done she would jokingly act disgusted."
Dale McDonald
The maid of honor's first look reaction
During the ceremony all of the couple's 55 weddings guests were surprised by their attire.
"I think the No. 1 thing I heard was, 'I never would have guessed you'd pick black for your dress! But its perfection,' " Cara recalls. "Everyone seemed so surprised that we had picked nontraditional colors but stated that it was 100% us."
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Dale McDonald
Cara and Levi Garrett's first look
The newlyweds' friends, family and followers also weighed in on Instagram after the wedding photos were posted in late November.
"Black wedding dress is such a cool statement piece," one person said, with someone else commenting, "May a love like this find me!! Such a gorgeous couple! The black and purple combination is incredible!! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness ♥️♥️."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
