Anika Noni Rose announced that she married actor Jason Dirden three months ago as they graced the digital cover of Brides for its music issue.
In a ceremony fit for a princess, the two wed at Paramour Estate in Los Angeles on October 16, 2022 with actor Colman Domingo as the officiant. With only eight weeks to plan their special engagement, they were able to have a dream wedding that fit into their packed schedules. The atmosphere represented the essence of flowers in bloom and was filled with stunning floral arrangements that contributed to the venue's natural beauty.
Rose and Dirden met while in the cast of A Raisin In the Sun on Broadway in 2014. “We were friends for a couple of years, actually,” said Noni Rose in the cover story. She continued, "We both went off and did our own things and were disconnected for a while and then swung back.'" Dirden echoed her sentiments while reflecting on how they met and bonded. “'When we first worked together, that's what drew us in together as friends. This woman is so silly. She has a four year old child living inside of her that will never go away. She loves to prank people, and she has that kind of spontaneous silliness to her that allowed us both to release any type of armor, or any type of defense mechanism, and allowed us to really just be who we are with each other. We created this friendship walking 60 blocks from rehearsal to the gym, just talking about life, or about anything really. It had nothing to do with the play that we were working on. There’s always been that kind of comfort and ease between us.'”
After keeping their relationship private for some time, in 2021, the two became engaged while attending Dirden's family annual Secret Santa Zoom party. Toward the end of the virtual event, with all of their friends and family bearing witness, he got down on one knee and proposed.
Noni Rose wore a dress by acclaimed designer Gbemi Okunlola, who went viral for designing Danielle Brooks' wedding dress last year. Dirden donned a single-breasted salmon wool suit and silk-charmeuse pleated tuxedo from Wayne Willis of Well Groomed Man.
It was important to the couple to be as hands on as their schedules would allow and have touches throughout the wedding—from inception to completion—that represented who they both are as individuals and as a unit. Dirden sauntered into the procession to Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet” and Noni Rose walked down the aisle to a rendition of H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar’s “Best Part.” As husband and wife, they walked out to Stevie Wonder’s “As.”
The evening ended with a tandem bike ride into the blissful night air, capping the wondrous event with an activity they both enjoy.
