'GMA' co-anchor Robin Roberts prepares to say 'I do': All the details of her upcoming wedding

Roberts is marrying her fiancee Amber Laign after an 18-year romance.

August 30, 2023, 9:10 AM

"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts is almost ready to get married.

Roberts and her fiancée Amber Laign are less than two weeks away from saying "I do" after an 18-year romance.

With the countdown on for their wedding day, Roberts and Laign are giving "GMA" viewers a behind-the-scenes look at their road to the ring.

Stay tuned here and tune into "GMA" all this week for more details on everything from their wedding dresses to their flowers, wedding cake and more.

PHOTO: GMA’s “Road to the Ring” celebrates co-anchor Robin Roberts and longtime partner, Amber Laign with a live bachelorette party, Aug. 16, 2023, in New York.
GMA’s “Road to the Ring” celebrates co-anchor Robin Roberts and longtime partner, Amber Laign with a live bachelorette party, Aug. 16, 2023, in New York.
Michael Le Brecht II/ABC News

The fun of wedding planning

After being a couple for 18 years and deciding to wed late last year, both Roberts and Laign said the journey of planning their wedding has been something they never thought they'd experience.

"It's been fun watching sweet Amber, just watching her get emotional and having fun and giggling," Roberts said. "That's been the best part of it."

"I never really thought I would be doing this, ever," Laign added. "Just having it all unfold and discovering parts of myself I didn't really know were there. It's been fun."

The happy couple let's "GMA" tag along during a dress fitting and cake tasting ahead of the big day.
The happy couple let's "GMA" tag along during a dress fitting and cake tasting ahead of the big day.

After a marriage proposal in late 2022 that included "calamari rings," Roberts and Laign tapped an expert, wedding planner JoAnn Gregoli, to help them execute their big day.

The wedding planning has been full-steam ahead since January, when Roberts announced on "GMA" that she and Laign planned to wed in 2023.

The wedding gowns

Roberts and Laign are both wearing dresses on their wedding day that will be a surprise to everyone, each other included.

The couple did some of their wedding dress shopping together with designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, but are keeping their final choices a secret.

PHOTO: Amber Laign shares a sneak peek at her wedding dress from Badgley Mischka.
Amber Laign shares a sneak peek at her wedding dress from Badgley Mischka.
ABC News
PHOTO: "GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts shares a preview of her wedding dress from Badgley Mischka.
"GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts shares a preview of her wedding dress from Badgley Mischka.
ABC News

"The final fitting, we're doing separately," Roberts said. "I want us to each see each other in the final dress for the first time on the wedding [day]."

The wedding theme

Like the dresses, many of the wedding details will only be revealed on the big day, but Laign gave a hint of how she wants the wedding to feel.

"The wedding is the feeling of an enchanted garden," Laign said. "Our colors are white, blush, pink, a little bit of green, ethereal."

The wedding cake

One of the best parts of wedding planning is the cake tasting, a tradition in which both Roberts and Laign partook.

The couple said at Vincenzo Salvatore Cakes, they tasted everything from a brown butter banana cake to one with an orange ginger flavor before deciding on the perfect choice for their guests to enjoy.

The wedding flowers

At Jen Gould Events, Gregoli gave Roberts and Laign a preview of the beautiful floral arrangements for their wedding, including a "cascade of flowers" near the doorway.

PHOTO: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign's wedding venue will include their monogram as well as bountiful flowers.
Robin Roberts and Amber Laign's wedding venue will include their monogram as well as bountiful flowers.
ABC News

“When they came to me back in January, we were just talking about where it was going to take place and what their vision was and they kept using keywords, ethereal, romantic, Midsummer's Night dream," Gregoli said. "And that is the catapult [that] kind of takes you from the actual concept to the creation."

The wedding venue

Alongside the flowers, the venue's layout is also being finalized -- with a round table anchoring the dance floor and a custom bar that was built specifically for the wedding.

PHOTO: According to wedding planner JoAnn Gregoli, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign's wedding dance floor will be anchored by a round table.
According to wedding planner JoAnn Gregoli, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign's wedding dance floor will be anchored by a round table.
ABC News
PHOTO: At their wedding, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign will have a custom bar that was created for their special day.
At their wedding, Robin Roberts and Amber Laign will have a custom bar that was created for their special day.
ABC News

Laign and Roberts said seeing their vision come to fruition has been astonishing.

“When you express what you want or what you feel and what you have in your mind, to walk in and actually see it executed beyond what you even imagined, it just takes your breath away,” Laign said.

Roberts added, “Wow is the word and you just hope that when you express what it is that you're hoping that that special day, not just for ourselves but for our family and friends who are going to be there, we want it not just [to] be a joyous occasion for us but for them as well. It makes your dream come true.”

The wedding well wishes

With the wedding preparations in their home stretch, Roberts said she is feeling "excited" for the main event coming up.

"I'm excited for the wedding day, our friends seeing us for the first time as a married couple. I'm looking forward to the joy, the pure joy of that day," Roberts said.

"Really looking forward to bringing everybody together. Her family is amazing. Bringing everyone together and celebrating life," Laign added.

Roberts and Laign's "tribe" of family and friends, many of whom have been a part of the couple's journey from the very beginning, are also sharing their good wishes for them.

"It's just wonderful to be able to celebrate their love, their romance, their storybook fairytale love," ABC News' Juju Chang said.

Roberts' sister Sally-Ann Roberts said she was "so glad" the couple's wedding day would soon arrive.

PHOTO: Sally-Ann Roberts, center, poses with Robin Roberts, left, and Amber Laign.
Sally-Ann Roberts, center, poses with Robin Roberts, left, and Amber Laign.
ABC News

"Robin has always been an exceptional human being and Amber is just so perfect for her. They can complete each other's sentences," Sally-Ann Roberts said.

"My prayer for you is that you will have many, many, many happy and healthy years together, that you will enjoy peace, prosperity, purpose, and freedom. I love you both," she continued.

Longtime "GMA" co-anchor Diane Sawyer added, "It's as if it's two stars merged and the light is so bright. You can't describe it to people. They are the most wonderful combination of ease and joy."

"When I first found out that Robin and Amber were going to get married, I was shocked because I said, 'I thought they were already married.' They are each other's better half for sure," Niecy Nash-Betts, who helped bring the couple's bachelorette party to life, said.

Chef Carla Hall shared an important piece of marriage advice as well.

"Laughter is the key to a marriage success. So when you're mad, find some humor in there and just share it," Hall said.

"Just really do your best to sort of cherish the good moments," ABC News' Deb Roberts added. "You'll be hitting your 28th [anniversary] before you know it."

Fellow journalist Gayle King said, "You guys are the ultimate ride or die. You're an inspiration to all of us and I couldn't be happier for the two of you. It gives me hope because I know true love really exists and you guys embody that. I'm cheering you on. Always. Always."

"It has just been a gift to be able to be in your lives and to be at this moment with you," Scarlett Spring added.