Pinky Cole, founder of Atlanta-based food chain Slutty Vegan, and Derrick Hayes, CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, tied the knot on Saturday. As reported by People, the two culinary superstars held a storybook wedding at Atlanta’s St. Regis hotel.
“It’s a fairytale, a Cinderella wedding,” Cole told People. “Just the other day, my mother saw me in my dress for the first time, and I never thought I would see myself in a wedding dress. It’s a dream come true because I’m doing something that no one in my family has ever done. To be the first to have a wedding is a big deal. I’m breaking generational patterns and creating a new one.”
Cole and Hayes crossed paths for the first time back in 2020, when the two restaurateurs met at Atlanta’s Sunflower Cafe for a business meeting. While business took center stage that day, love was not far behind.
Hayes popped the question during the New Orleans Essence Fest last year, with Cole later sharing the touching moment on Instagram.
“Becoming husband and wife means everything to me because I can finally share myself with someone and become a union,” Hayes told People ahead of the weekend’s nuptials. “I’m looking forward to it because it allows me to raise my kids in an environment I want to see them in. I believe everyone wants to be happy, and I’m seeing that true happiness come into my life.”
Cole wore a custom “masterpiece” Milano di Rouge dress as she walked down the aisle to Cobbs Leonard’s “Looks Like We Made It.” Designed over a four-month period, the strapless mermaid gown was a first for the luxury lifestyle brand.
“Milano Di Rouge had never designed a wedding dress before,” Milan Harris, founder of Milano Di Rouge, told People. “We didn’t know how we were going to make it happen, but we knew we were going to do whatever it took to design the perfect dress for Pinky. It was important to us to create an experience that allowed Pinky to see more than a sketch or design. To bring the dress to life, we made sure to include Pinky’s face and skin tone on the model in Photoshop so she could visualize herself in the dress.”
Already a landmark Atlanta eatery, The Slutty Vegan has opened a number of restaurants across the state, with additional locations planned for Birmingham, Alabama, and Brooklyn, New York. Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is also featured across a number of Atlanta locations, making the newlyweds a true restaurant power couple.
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