Dani and Eric married in a colorful zebracorn rainbow wedding at their favorite plant store in St. Petersburg, Florida.
THE LOVE STORY
We met on Bumble and quickly hit it off. Our first date turned into an accidental karaoke session, which set the tone for our fun and spontaneous relationship. As we got to know each other, we realized that we were a perfect match, supporting each other through the ups and downs of life.
One of our most memorable moments happened on October 11 in a cabin in Asheville, North Carolina. Surrounded by our best friends, Eric proposed to me while wearing a zebra onesie, and I was wearing a unicorn onesie. It was a whimsical and heartfelt moment as he revealed that he had saved a puzzle we had completed together four years ago, with one missing piece. He declared that I was his missing piece, and it was a beautiful symbol of our love.
In January, we made a big move from Delray to St. Petersburg and started planning our wedding. We knew we wanted something unique and non-traditional that would reflect our love and individuality. After much thought, we decided to get married on September 21, just so we could always sing the Earth, Wind and Fire song to one another anytime we relive our wedding day.
Our love story is filled with adventure, laughter and resilience. We have faced challenges together, including navigating through a crazy pandemic and experiencing heartbreaking loss. But through it all, our love has only grown stronger, and we continue to support and cherish each other every day.
THE WEDDING VIBE AND COLORS
Explosion of color and fun
THE RAINBOW WEDDING OUTFITS
In addition to her multicolored hair, Dani wore a Lyndsey Clark steampunk wedding gown with unicorn colors of magenta, blue and purple (perhaps a nod to the bisexual flag colors) and aqua. Her husband-to-be, Eric, wore a black suit with a rainbow floral pattern overlay and matching bow tie by Ron Tomson Los Angeles. They both wore matching Vans with zebra stripes on the front and multicolored heels. Their dog, Genevieve, wore a matching tutu in pink, purple and blue.
THE CEREMONY
The couple got ready together for their wedding ceremony, which included taking shots out of ceramic shot glasses with breasts on them. In keeping with their faith and affection for color, they signed a personalized rainbow ketubah. For the ceremony, mallow girls threw tiny Squishmallows to the guests as they walked down the aisle toward a dazzling chuppah made of mirror discs and a neon pink heart, and surrounded by an array of large Squishmallows. Ceremony chairs were all outfitted with translucent rainbow umbrellas for the guests to open and walk to the wedding reception.
THE RECEPTION
At Lala, a local karaoke bar in queer-friendly St. Pete, the newlyweds shared their first dance to “You Matter To Me” by Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz. The kids and adults were entertained with Polaroid cameras, karaoke and colorful markers set out for the guest book.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ENGAGED LGBTQ+ COUPLES AND MARRIERS?
Don’t be afraid to be your truest, most authentic self. We knew we wanted color everywhere and we had some nerves about how some family members might fear our “offbeat approach”, but we were pleasantly surprised to see everyone really participate in all the fun. It was everything we dreamed it would be.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE AS AN LGBTQ+ COUPLE PLANNING YOUR WEDDING?
Fortunately, we live in a very queer friendly town, so we were welcomed as we went with all local businesses and vendors. We did have to create a special ceremony making sure to welcome all faiths while also sharing our own beliefs.
WATCH THE WEDDING VIDEO!
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FEATURED WEDDING VENDORS
Decor: Posy Exchange
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes
Photographer: Tiny House Photo
Ceremony venue: Wild Roots
Reception venue: Lala
Day-of coordinator: Day of Details Coordination
DJ: Events Done Right
Wedding gown: Lyndsey Clark Boutique
Wedding suit: Ron Tomson Los Angeles