It’s been an active year for celebrity weddings and engagements. I’m delighted as anyone that megastars like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have found their forever people. But my favorite wedding news was that of the rappers Monaleo and Stunna 4 Vegas. The couple livestreamed every moment of their bright-pink ceremony on TikTok. Now, I’ve never been one to join in on wedding festivities remotely, but I was sat for everything from their vow exchange to Stunna’s teary-eyed reaction to his bride walking down the aisle. And for me (both a fan and a sappy wedding content-enthusiast), it stood out from the rest of this year’s Hollywood marriages. Not only because celebrities don’t typically livestream their nuptials, but because it was such a wholesome, positively received celebration of young Black love.

Lately, several influential young Black women in culture have been going viral not for scandal but for joyful milestones in their love lives. On TikTok, you can find Megan Thee Stallion posting her workouts and adorable Labubu unboxings with her boyfriend, NBA player Klay Thompson. This past weekend, couple Ryan Destiny and Keith Powers announced their next big step (and reminded us how genetically blessed they are) in some stunning engagement photos. Over the summer, musician Coco Jones shared news that she and NBA star Donovan Mitchell will be getting married, and earlier in the spring, singer Normani announced her engagement to Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. All this to say, 2025 has been a great year for Black It Girls settling down, and the virality and positive reception surrounding these moments leave me hoping that they’ll create a lasting cultural impact beyond your standard relationship goals.

The online narrative around Black women’s desirability and perceived worthiness of marriage looks very different than what it did a decade ago. Today, there’s clearly a wealth of positive representations of Black celebrities committed and in love to be found. But in the digital media landscape of days past, I recall plenty more headlines about Black women’s bleak dating prospects. Reports suggesting that our demographic was statistically the least likely to get married (or even find success on dating apps) were everywhere. And those official statistics only supported negative social media commentary branding Black women, particularly dark-skinned ones, as undesirable or unworthy of lasting love. There were memes and viral videos that thrived on stereotypes portraying Black women as a whole as perpetually single and worthy of nothing more than “baby mother” status.

All of that marks 2025’s high concentration of famous Black women going viral for getting married, engaged, or even sharing sweet moments (like Labubu unboxings) as a meaningful shift. It signals not only a cultural rebranding of Black love but also an overdue celebration of Black women’s joy being recognized, valued, and widely shared.

“When Black celebrity engagements and weddings go viral, they challenge long-standing narratives that Black women are somehow less desirable or less chosen,” says Roma Williams, a relationship expert based in Houston, Texas. “These moments create a chain reaction in families, communities, and culture because they show joy, partnership, and commitment in ways that shift the [narrative] about Black love on a bigger platform. At a systemic level, that visibility is powerful because it affirms worth and possibility far beyond one couple’s story.”

Couples therapist Beverley Andre adds that these celebrity couples could do some serious good in the long term. “Seeing more young Black celebrities choose each other publicly pushes back against the idea that Black love is fading within the younger generation,” she says. “The public displays of Black celebrity couples committing to one another challenge the long-held notion that Black men don’t prefer to marry Black women, particularly those with darker skin.”

“For young people who are dating, these visible examples of Black love validate their inner desire to experience it and, for some, restore a sense of hope and possibility that counters the narratives promoted in the media.”