Noah Lyles looked at his bride, paused for a second and then said, “Oh wow… I didn’t think you would go with a princess dress. Yeah, this is good” No tears rolling down his eyes, no cinematic reel worthy reaction, just a playful comment as Junelle Bromfield stood in front of him in her wedding dress. The internet didn’t like it.

After the clip was shared by Stanlo Photography on TikTok, the reactions were quick to come. “This reaction was horrible,” said a fan. For many, it didn’t carry the emotional weight typically expected from a wedding “first look.” Now after days of mixed reactions online, Bromfield addressed the clip herself. 

“So I’ve been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on our first look and usually I would ignore videos like this…but I felt as if this time I really need to say something.” Then she went on to reveal what unfolded behind the scenes. 

She revealed the backstory to that one-minute video, stating that the wedding day had already been emotionally heavy for her. Several of her close family members, including sisters, nieces, and a childhood best friend, were denied visas despite multiple attempts. In fact just five minutes before she walked for that “first look” with Noah, she got another blow. 

Someone who was supposed to deliver the “first speech” was not able to come. She confessed, “[I] went out there basically holding back tears or whatever and there was like 10 cameras around us.” 

In that moment, the cameras and dress didn’t matter, she was simply trying to hold herself together. And that is where Lyle’s reaction takes on a completely different meaning. 

“That reaction that I got from Noah is exactly what I needed because he tried to make me happy. He tried to make me talk because if he did not do that, I would probably be shut off that whole wedding because I was processing so much disappointment mentally and emotionally. So what he gave, I truly appreciate.”

Bromfield described herself as overstimulated and emotionally drained, leaning on Noah for support. “I’m there overstimulated, just tapping Lyles on the shoulder,” she explained. So when Lyles met her with lightness, small jokes and a sense of humor, it was all because he knew she needed that normalcy the most. 

Lyles did have an incredibly emotional reaction in the moment when Bromfield was taking her wedding vows. A tear rolled down his cheek in a photograph that surfaced online. But this time, the cheery reaction was warranted.

For someone’s wedding day, having a mother present is often the biggest blessing. But for Junelle Bromfield, the day carried an even deeper emotional weight, as her mother had passed away in 2021. That absence was felt in every moment, and even small things became emotionally heavier than usual.

And Noah Lyles knew how to handle the moment in a calm way, something that comes from knowing each other since 2017 and being close friends for years before their relationship turned romantic in 2022. Even she had originally told Lyles she would wear a mermaid-style dress.

“If you know me…you know I’ma wear something tight. I’ma be in my little bodycon, anything fitted, that’s me,” she said.

But for the wedding, she chose a princess-style gown instead with a structured corset bodice, crystal embellishments, and an asymmetrical shoulder strap designed for a clean, elegant look.

“I was in a princess dress. So he liked it,” she added.

In closing, Junelle made it clear that the wedding moment was not about how it appeared online. “In that moment, that dress, that hair, that makeup did not matter. All I wanted was to feel comfortable. All I wanted was to laugh, to smile,” she said. But this wasn’t the only time Noah Lyles has stood by Junelle in emotional moments.

Noah Lyles stood by Junelle Bromfield when she was ready to give up

When Junelle’s mother passed away in February 2021 from stage 4 cervical cancer, Lyles and Junelle were still just friends. Even so, he became a source of support for her during that period. Junelle later shared that she was at a point where she almost walked away from track and field:

“I was going to quit, because it was getting hard mentally. And Noah Lyles helped me get through that. He told me that I’ve got nothing to lose, that I am talented, and whatever I aim for in life, I will be good at it.”

But then, years later, Junelle also went through public pressure during the Paris Games, where she faced online harassment and hurtful comments about her relationship with Noah Lyles. She spoke about being called a “sell-out” and receiving abusive messages, even saying she was targeted for weeks.

“I honestly thought we were past colorism in Jamaica, especially as a nation that is filled with Black people,” Bromfield said.

During that time as well, Lyles publicly defended her. He said, “This woman has been attacked by people who have never met her, heard her name before, never seen her smile, or heard what she believes in,” he wrote. Their support for each other also showed in personal moments.

Even during their wedding vows, emotions ran high. Noah Lyles later shared that Junelle was so overwhelmed that her hands were shaking while reading her vows, to the point where he had to hold the vow book for her. He admitted he was emotional, too.

“So I ended up holding it for her. But I was also crying, so I couldn’t wipe away my own tears. It was a super magical moment,” he said.

Over time, moments like these have shown the picture of a relationship where both have been present for each other through highs and lows.