'Happiest day of our lives’: Brian McKnight marries Leilani Malia Mendoza
She’s the only one for him!
On Sunday, Brian McKnight celebrated his marriage to Leilani Malia Mendoza with a series of sweet social media posts.
“Ladies and Gentlemen introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brian McKnight,” the 48-year-old singer wrote alongside a picture of him and Mendoza sharing one of their first kisses as husband and wife. The wedding took place on New Year's Eve at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York.
The singer also shared a photo of the couple walking hand-in-hand down the aisle, barely able to contain the smiles of their faces.
(Photo: Theo Milo/ Brian McKnight via Instagram)
(Photo: Theo Milo/Brian McKnight via Instagram)
(Photo: Theo Milo/Brian McKnight via Instagram)
In December 2016, McKnight told the Montgomery Advertiser that although the couple — who had been together for three years at the time — hadn’t decided to tie the knot yet, “we’re more married than any married couple I know.”
Five months later the couple announced their engagement. “She said yes ????? took me 42 years to find her and I’m never letting her go I’m so in love with you baby #iloveourlife #priceless #brianized,” he wrote alongside a black-and-white snap showing the happy couple — and Mendoza’s dazzling engagement ring.
McKnight had previously been married to Julie McKnight, but the couple divorced in 2013 after after 13 years of marriage. The pair have two sons together: Brian Jr. and Niko.
In 2016 during an interview for Oprah: Where Are They Now?, the singer opened up about what he had learned from his previous marriage.
“When you decide to make a commitment to someone,” he said, “make sure that that person has everything you want. Do not compromise on one thing because it’s those things that are going to get you through the tough times.”
