These lesbian brides had a classic and elegant summer wedding with NOLA traditions

For their New Orleans, Louisiana, wedding, Kelly (she/her) and Tayl’r (she/her) wanted the vibe to be classic and elegant, with pops of both of their personalities. The lesbian couple’s summer wedding included a lush color palette of ivory, gold, eucalyptus green and peach. With the florals being a focal point tying all of those color accents together, the brides chose eucalyptus, white garden roses and peach ranunculus as their main flowers, with gold accents sprinkled throughout the rest of their decor.

Tayl’r’s family are Cajuns from Baton Rouge, so the couple wanted to give their guests the full New Orleans experience. The menu consisted of upscale New Orleans classics, with jambalaya and beignets served as a late-night snack. One of their wedding cakes was a five-tier king cake. Another wedding cake was decorated with Italian meringue buttercream and gold flecks, showcasing the brides’ playful personalities with the flavors being Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Captain Crunch cereal milk flavors. They topped off the night with a second line that stole the show and exited on a traditional New Orleans trolley car.

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On the morning of their wedding, the brides-to-be got ready separately and did a first look. Kelly wore a mermaid-cut ivory wedding dress with her hair in a low bun with a simple white veil, and Tayl’r wore an ivory suit that she paired with black dress shoes accented with silver buckles. For her hair, Tayl’r sported a unique wedding hairstyle featuring a side braid feeding into a chignon.

Their love story

Tayl’r and Kelly met in high school at a softball tournament about a mile from Kelly’s childhood home. Tayl’r’s team was playing, and Kelly’s team went to the tournament to watch a few games. The future wives met briefly after the game and became friends on social media. Every couple of years they would reconnect and catch up, but it was nothing serious.

Almost a decade after meeting, they reconnected again, and this time the conversation never stopped. With Kelly in Florida and Tayl’r in New Orleans, they flew back and forth to visit each other every couple of weeks for about eight months, until Kelly moved to New Orleans for good. During Kelly’s first visit to New Orleans, the wives say they went to Capulet Bywater on a date and “loved the whole vibe and aesthetic of the space.” As a bonus, it is extremely LGBTQ+ friendly, with its owner being a part of the LGBTQ+ community himself. After that date, Kelly and Tayl’r knew they would end up getting married, and that their wedding would be there. Kelly says, “fast forward three years later, and the premonition had come true.”

The proposal

Tayl’r proposed to Kelly in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, after kayaking to a small island ironically named Honeymoon Island. They had beached their kayaks at the sandbar and gone for a walk around the island in the crystal clear water. Tayl’r dropped to a knee and pulled a gorgeous diamond ring out of her bathing suit pocket–which Kelly says was “risky!” but not to worry, it all worked out safely. Two months later, on a picnic date at Bayou St. John in New Orleans, Kelly got down on a knee to propose back.

The ceremony

The ceremony took place in an old historic building that is now the Marigny Opera House. Its old charm and aesthetic speak for themselves. Fun fact: Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, was married there a few years before Tayl’r and Kelly! The high ceilings and romantic arches made for a fabulous ceremony setting, and the soundtrack of a live string duo added to the romantic ambiance. Tayl’r walked down the aisle first, along with her dad, and then Kelly walked with hers. Kelly says, “Tayl’r’s younger brother, Easton, was the officiant and he gave the most beautiful ceremony.” The brides wrote their vows in letters they gave each other that morning and exchanged standard “I dos” in front of their guests.

The reception

Tayl’r and Kelly personalized every element of their wedding reception. They had signature cocktails: The Glittering Gaytor, which featured edible glitter-prism powder, and The Fleuridian, an ode to the fleur di lis of New Orleans and the wives’ home in Florida. The former included a nod to Pride and the latter had a rock candy stick and dehydrated orange slice for garnish. In a nod to their NOLA venues, the couple also had personalized mardi gras beads and handkerchiefs to give out during their second line, as well as customized matchboxes and frosted cups for everyone to use.