New mom and bride-to-be Ciara is gracing the cover of the August/September 2014 issue of Brides magazine! The Grammy-award winning R&B singer just gave birth to her first child, an adorable baby boy named Future Jr. after his music producer/rapper dad and Ciara’s fiance.

Ciara appears on the cover in a long-sleeve embroidered Chantilly lace Reem Acra gown, accessorized with her very own colossal 15-carat engagement ring. A simply bouquet of cream garden roses, crafted by Milo Kosuda, plus soft, natural makeup by Urban Decay and a blonde bob with loose waves tied the entire aisle-ready cover look together.

Inside the issue, the former military brat dishes all about fiance Future, motherhood, and, of course, her wedding plans. The singer admitted she “loved” the classic dress she rocks on the Brides cover, which might surprise many since she’s known for her daring red carpet looks. “My everyday style is what I call ‘tomboy chic,'” Ciara tells revealed to Brides. “But for my wedding, I’m going to do elegance with a little edge.”

As for her fiancé, she shared that she always knew she’d spend forever with Future. When asked when she knew he’d be her husband, she replied: “Very early on. He came with something that I’d never felt before: The true presence of a man.” <—Insert Awww! here.

SIDEBAR: The August/September issue of Brides officially hits newsstands nationwide July 8. I’m personally excited to receive my issue in the mail. Part of the reason I launched BlackBridalBliss.com was because of the lack of coverage from mainstream media outlets targeted to brides of the African Diaspora. We still have a long way to go (trust me) but Ciara appearing on the cover of this issue is significant — particularly since this is probably their biggest issue of the year. September issues of women’s magazines are a huge deal from both an advertising and newsstand standpoint and cover subjects are chosen with extremely careful consideration. I wonder if chief edtrix Keija Minor will help to make this less of a rarity. Time will tell…