Influencer Who Went Viral for Affordable Wedding Dies at 32 After Welcoming 1st Baby

An influencer who went viral after sharing her budget-friendly wedding has died after welcoming her first child.

According to her obituary, Kiara Janae Brokenbrough died as she welcomed a son with her husband Joel Brokenbrough on March 30. She was 32.

A GoFundMe launched by Joel’s mother Shaneka Greene shared that Kiara died “unexpectedly” and “went to her Heavenly home while Baby Jonah entered his earthly home.”

The GoFundMe page also shared an update on baby Jonah’s condition after he was born prematurely. (He was originally due in June.)

“He is in NICU and has begun his long journey to grow stronger and healthier each day,” the description read. “Jonah is a cutie and a fighter and by God’s grace and POWER we know he will astound the doctors with his daily progress.”

Kiara’s obituary also detailed Jonah’s progress in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“Jonah, like his parents, is a fighter,” the obituary read. “He is inspiring his family members and NICU hospital staff with his remarkable improvement.”

The GoFundMe description also described the impact Kiara’s death has had on her husband Joel.

“Understandably, this tragedy has taken a devastating toll on Joel,” the description continued. “He will need support (physically, mentally, spiritually, and monetarily) from his family and friends and the kindness of strangers.”

It further added, “As Joel begins this unimaginable next chapter as an only parent, to a premie in the NICU and having to deal with the heartache of losing his beloved wife (whom he loves so much) he needs all the support he can get as he tries to navigate through life without her.”

As of Friday, April 24, the GoFundMe has raised more than $104,000 of its $150,000 goal.

Kiara and Joel had been married for four years, after tying the knot in a wedding that had a budget of $500. Kiara’s wedding dress cost $47 and she went viral after she detailed how she pulled off the low-cost but still stylish nuptials.

“We knew that it would not be wise for us to go into debt over a wedding or to spend a lot of money just to have a wedding,” Kiara told the Los Angeles Times in April 2022.

She said, “I just seen how, culturally, how we’ve gotten so far away from how weddings were something so simple as bride and groom coming together, bowing to God to stay together, and vowing to each other to stay together and in front of witnesses.”