June 10, 2023 – Alexander City
“Believe it or not, we met on Tinder. I refused to travel more than a mile for a first date. Luckily, Em lived less than a mile away. We bonded over a love of food (Em: cooking; me: eating), laughter, and silliness. We spent our entire first date laughing together and we were smitten. Five years later, Em proposed at our beloved Brooklyn Botanical Garden with a sapphire ring that she had designed. That evening, she surprised me again with an engagement party with our family and our closest friends!” – Grace
Advice From the Couple
When we first started dating, Em and I had wildly different views of weddings. To plan our wedding, we first had to sit down together and decide what we wanted from our special day. What did we want – bonding with community, celebrating our love, having the biggest party of our lives? Over the course of our relationship, we figured out what we most wanted about this special day was a true celebration of our incredible community. As a queer couple, we sought to create a wedding weekend that reflected our relationship, so we cut out any wedding traditions that did not feel connected to us. We focused on details that brought us joy. In place of a solo first dance, we brought our friends out with us. I wore a red dress and Em designed her custom outfit; and we spent all of Friday in the lake with friends. We advise all couples planning a wedding to throw out the traditions and only include celebration elements that bring you joy.” – Grace
The Creatives
Bridal Veil: Alex Polo. Bridal Suit & Wedding Party Homme Attire: The Tailory New York. Catering, Ceremony & Reception Venue: Springhouse at Russell Lands. Event Rentals: Eventworks. Floral Design: Stems & Styles. Lounge Furniture & Décor: Prophouse. Hair Stylist: The Stylist Abroad. Lighting & Draping Design: D4 Events. Linen: BBJ La Tavola. Music/Entertainment: Creative Entertainment. Photographer: Bang Images. Rings: Amanda Deveney. Stationery: Truly Engaging. Wedding Planner: Occasions with Symone Shaw.
