Rachel (she/her) and Sarah (she/her) met playing ultimate frisbee while in college at Emory University. They went from teammates to friends to best friends, then eventually realized they were more and became girlfriends, coming out as queer to each other and their loved ones. Rachel and Sarah have a relationship built on deep friendship, a love of breweries, a passion for Top Chef and Drag Race, and their love of their adorable dog, Gus.
The bisexual brides wanted their spring wedding to be modern, rustic and comfortable with lots of personal touches. Their Atlanta venue featured a brick wall, speakeasy cellar and rooftop that Rachel and Sarah wanted to highlight. For their color palette, the couple went with neutral hues of white, ivory, green and gold, and let the venue shine on its own. The floral design featured calla lilies, Sarah’s favorite flower.
True to their desire to include lots of personal touches in their wedding day, the brides sprinkled in elements that were meaningful to their relationship. In a nod to their two years as a long-distance couple while Sarah was in graduate school, the reception included a telephone guest book. Beer growlers were used for the reception seating chart, and there was custom craft beer on tap tie in their brewery proposals. There was also a nostalgic ice cream truck with their favorite treats. Rachel and Sarah celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride at their wedding with a rainbow flag and custom Converse sneakers with a rainbow logo on the tongue.
Most importantly to the brides, their dog, Gus, was included every step of the way. He got to hang out in both getting-ready rooms, explore downtown Atlanta, do a first look with his moms, walk down the aisle and take a serious nap as soon as he got home.
We caught up with the couple to learn more about their love story and wedding.
Who proposed? Tell us about the proposals.
We’ve always loved going to breweries and playing cards, specifically gin rummy, so Rachel felt that slipping one extra card into the deck to ask Sarah seemed like the perfect plan. That’s how Rachel popped the question. A few weeks later, Sarah proposed to Rachel by writing “Marry Me” across a winning rummy hand at Three Taverns Brewery. A brewery with playing cards, playing rummy…sound familiar? Apparently, Sarah had this idea first, for years actually, and decided it was too cute not to follow through with. That’s how we unintentionally planned nearly the same surprise proposal for each other.
Tell us about the ceremony.
Our favorite part of our ceremony was having our friend Jacob as the officiant. He knocked it out of the park. We also incorporated two readings by friends: “Love is Friendship Set on Fire” and an excerpt from Obergefell v. Hodges. We chose to write our own vows as well.
What advice would you give to engaged LGBTQ+ couples or marriers?
Find vendors that you feel comfortable with and don’t just “work with LGBTQ+ couples” but celebrate your love and our community. We sought out vendors who featured queer couples on social media frequently and had statements of outward inclusivity on their websites. Not only did doing this make us feel safe and celebrated, but weddings are a financial investment, and we wanted to support such businesses and individuals.
RELATED: Search our directory of LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming wedding vendors
What challenges did you face as LGBTQ+ marriers planning your wedding?
One thing we loved and embraced was that there are no rules for queer weddings. We enjoyed crafting every detail to be specific to us and how we wanted our day to portray our story. However, others’ expectations and assumptions about what a wedding should look like and how it should be planned definitely created some bumps in our planning road. Maybe these reactions were rooted in heteronormativity, gender roles, religion or tradition, but ultimately we encourage couples to embrace the day as theirs and do what makes them happiest at every turn!
Did you encounter any pleasant surprises as an LGBTQ+ couple planning your wedding?
We’d love to reiterate just how amazing all of our vendors were. Even things that may seem small like changing the wording from “bride and groom” to “brides” in their materials meant the world to us and showed us how inclusive they were. 
Search our directory of LGBTQ+ inclusive wedding vendors.
FEATURED VENDORS
Photographer: Ashley White Photography
Planner: Mitchell Event Planning, an Equally Wed Pro Certified LGBTQ+ Inclusive Vendor
Venue: Terminus 330
Florist: Moss & Clay
Rachel’s Attire: The White Magnolia
Sarah’s Attire: Formally Yours
Attendants’ Suits: Birdy Grey
Attendants’ Dresses: Dear Cleo
Jewelry: D Gellar & Son
Hair and Makeup: Brenner Beauty
Invitations: Zazzle
Lettering: Letters by Lanta
Catering: Dogwood Catering
Ice Cream Truck: Atlanta Ice Cream Truck
Phone Guest Book: After the Tone
Band: Atlanta Wedding Band
Pet Care: FairyTail Pet Care
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