Tara Bernstein Wore a 'Sports-Inspired' Bridal Dress for Her Pickleball-Themed Engagement Party with Hunter Fieri

Tara Bernstein was ready to get the ball rolling on her engagement party look when she decided it was going to be pickleball-themed! 

The social media content creator celebrated her engagement to Hunter Fieri, Guy Fieri’s eldest son, with an on-the-court bash hosted at New York City’s Central Park on June 23.

“I’m so passionate about pickleball and the positivity it brought into my life. I dreamt of a pickleball engagement party and the potential of a pickleball bridal dress that’s comfortable on the courts, but elegant as well,” Bernstein shared in a statement. 

The designer who was tasked with creating this kind of elevated athleisure look was Justin Warshaw, creative director and CEO of New York-based label Justin Alexander. Bernstein, who grew up in Glen Oaks in Queens, new she wanted to support a local designer, whom she and Fieri met during Bridal Fashion Week in N.Y.C. in April.

Going into the design process, the bride-to-be envisioned a unique piece that was the “perfect mix of athletic wear and bridal attire” — and that’s exactly what she got. 

“I couldn't wait to help bring Tara's vision for a sporty-inspired bridal look to life,” Warshaw shared in a statement. 

Warshaw and his team had less than five weeks to get the dress just right. "We were working up until the last minute to place the patches on the dress. We then had to get Tara the dress to try on the day before the event," he tells PEOPLE exclusively. Thankfully, the dress "fit like a glove."

The end result was a halter-neck collared minidress featuring a pleated skirt with pockets! The entire design was made out of Mikado ivory fabric. Warshaw also included a patch featuring Bernstein and Fieri’s initials as an emblem of the couple’s love story.

The all-white ensemble was made complete with a pair of sneakers, and the bride-to-be wore a large bow on top of her braided ponytail. 

The entire outfit also matched her engagement ring, which Fieri, 27, designed with Bernstein's profession and favorite sport in mind. 

While speaking with PEOPLE in 2023 about creating the sparkler with a longtime friend, Fieri said he made the ring band and crown thicker so that it’d be extra durable for when Bernstein was cutting it on the court. 

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Bernstein expressed how over the moon she was about the dress on Instagram, where she wrote: “What a MAGICAL day. The pickleball bridal dress of my dreams came to life at our engagement party! Thank you @justinalexander for making my vision a reality.” 

She tells PEOPLE that she was "in awe" with Warshaw's attention to detail. Whether she'll rewear the design on the court or another special occasion is something Bernstein is considering.

Bernstein also reveals that her fiancé "gasped" when he saw her in the stunning number. "I’m inspired with Tara’s mind. She’s always looking to create new, beautiful things and bring them to life. The dress fit her perfectly!" Fieri tells PEOPLE.

Bernstein and Fieri — who got engaged on Thanksgiving in 2023 and are set to tie the knot on June 14, 2025 — are now less than a year away until they officially say “I Do." But they’re wedding style is already on fire.

For their engagement photo shoot — shot by Zulie Blair on the Fieri family ranch in California (where the wedding is slated to take place) — the pair wore modern Western-inspired his and hers looks. He opted for a striped button-up and black skinny jeans while she rocked a white minidress, cowgirl boots and a hat with the word “Bride” on it.

"365 days - walking down the aisle marrying my best friend and we’ll be tearing up the dance floor with our loved ones by our side," Bernstein wrote in the caption. "The countdown to the best day of our lives has begun."

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