A Brooklyn Brewery Wedding with Books, Beer, and a Ring Bearing Dog
Laura (she/her) and Fletcher (they/them) had just two months to plan their Brooklyn wedding, but the celebration feels anything but rushed. Instead, every decision reflected what mattered most to them, from a women-led brewery that already felt like home to tacos and pizza instead of a formal dinner, a dog named Saluda stepping into the role of ring bearer, and a book table that sent every guest home with a story.
After ten years together, they weren’t interested in following tradition for tradition’s sake. They built a celebration that centred accessibility, friendship, and the freedom to do things their own way, proving that a wedding doesn’t need a long timeline or a rulebook to feel deeply personal.
How did your story begin?
We met on OkCupid, and the meeting almost didn’t happen because Laura, for very real reasons, cancelled our first date twice, causing Fletcher’s best friend (who eventually officiated our wedding) to advise them against seeing Laura. But the third time was the charm.
We met at a bar in Laura’s then neighbourhood of Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn and spent seven hours talking, ultimately ending up at Popeyes for late night fries. The only big thing that needed to happen after that was for Laura to meet Fletcher’s dog, Saluda, who eventually became the ring bearer at our wedding. Aside from a little jealousy on Saluda’s end, which led to her gently pushing Laura out of bed every night for the first six months or so that we dated, it went perfectly. Laura is now completely obsessed with Saluda, and she likes to think the feeling is mutual.
Ten years, two grad school stints, and many apartments later, we still love hanging out, watching Buffy, reading, and spending time with friends, both new and old. Along the way, we’ve also picked up a few new shared interests, like our recent obsession with women’s sports.
Why did you decide on a two month engagement?
We were pretty much engaged from the day after the 2024 election results were finalised until two days before the inauguration. We’re sure you can guess why.
Two months, especially when it included the fall and winter holidays, definitely felt short, but it was also so much fun throwing together a wedding in such a short amount of time. We had low expectations for what we’d be able to accomplish in only two months and how many of our friends and family would actually be able to attend, so we were pleasantly stunned by how fun the event was and how many people made the often long trip to celebrate with us.
What was wedding planning like?
It was a little rushed because of the whole two month engagement thing, but we think that let us really focus on the essentials and only do the things we actually wanted. Nixing a seated meal with escort and place cards made things so much easier.
We basically each took on the tasks we were interested in and found exciting. We were fitting wedding planning into odd hours of the day and night, so often one of us would go down a rabbit hole and report back with something like, “Okay, I made appointments at four local jewellers.”
Some things were elements that one of us felt really strongly about, like Laura and the book table or Fletcher and the board game options, and the other person simply said, “Go for it,” and supported it however they could.
How did you choose your venue and vendors?
Talea Williamsburg was one of the first things we booked, and it immediately felt right. We wanted something local that felt very Brooklyn and very “us,” and as soon as Fletcher suggested Talea, a women led brewery, we knew it was the perfect pick. The team was wonderful to work with, the space was beautiful and unique, and we didn’t need much in the way of decorations.
Talea also suggested food vendors, which helped us land on both Los Tacos No. 1 and Bad Cholesterol instead of choosing between them. Good food that our many dietary restricted family members could enjoy was a big priority, so we were thrilled with both. For cake, Clementine Bakery was the obvious choice because we needed something gluten free and used to live near them in Clinton Hill.
We were also lucky to have friends with excellent wedding vendor recommendations. Amy Sims Photography photographed our friend Grace’s wedding, and we loved her vibe and photos so much that we didn’t look at anyone else. We also chose vendors and details that felt personal to us, including Lisa Franklin‘s artwork on coozies, rings from Bario Neal, a book table with McNally Jackson Books, and a la carte florals from Grace & Grit Flowers, who also made Saluda an incredible floral collar.
How did you stay on budget?
We kept a pretty simple spreadsheet. Some things definitely ended up costing more than we planned, partly because everything was so last minute, like paying a rush fee to have our rings arrive in time.
But we also saved money on things we didn’t feel as strongly about, like choosing a la carte flowers instead of a full custom floral installation. Overall, we feel like we got great value for money, especially considering the New York City wedding market, by choosing a more relaxed venue, casual food vendors, no seated dinner, and minimal decorations.
How did you approach your ceremony?
We initially planned to have a city hall ceremony, so we were definitely leaning towards something small and casual. We ended up expanding it so we could have more people there, and we’re really glad we did. We kept things super simple and quick, with around 20 close family members and friends there for the ceremony. The most important element was having our dear friend Jack officiate, which we’d been talking about for probably eight years. We trusted him to know the vibe we wanted, and we both shared our vows with him so he could compare them and make sure they fit well together. Without really discussing it, we both wrote vows that were short, sweet, and had a really similar sense of humour.
We also wanted to include Saluda in the ceremony, so Fletcher figured out how to make her our ring bearer, while Laura sourced her beautiful collar flower crown. For music, we walked down the aisle to an orchestral version of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen after Fletcher found a string quartet version on YouTube. It ended up being one of the trickiest parts because the venue’s setup wasn’t working, but our DJ from JTD Productions ran to her car to grab extra equipment and make it happen. We left to the regular version of “Run Away with Me,” making it a very Carly Rae Jepsen forward ceremony. Overall, it was really quick, fun, funny, and lovely.
What did your wedding day look like?
Laura spent the morning getting hair and makeup done with her mum, aunt, cousin, sister in law, and Fletcher’s mum in the suite we rented at The William Vale for the weekend. It was such a fun way to spend time together before heading to the venue around 4pm for the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Laura’s brother and his then fiancée, now wife, were absolute legends, helping transport all of our DIY items, including the books. They and Fletcher made multiple trips to the venue, then helped set up the flowers and book table after the ceremony and before the reception guests arrived.
The ceremony itself went by quickly, which was probably for the best because we were running late. It set such a lovely tone, and it was really special to celebrate with our immediate family before everyone else arrived.
Once the reception began, everything became a happy blur. We made sure we both ate plenty of the amazing food and cake, which was important to us, and then danced the night away while hearing plenty of compliments about our DJ.
Which traditions did you leave behind, and what did you do instead?
We walked ourselves down the aisle rather than being walked by our parents, which felt right for the casual, informal ceremony we wanted. It was also lovely to see all our family in the front row as we walked down the aisle to Carly Rae Jepsen. Laura’s Jewish, but we didn’t include religious elements because we wanted something really chill, personal, and casual, and we had a friend officiate instead of a religious figure. Laura has POTS, so we sat at a high top table for the ceremony rather than standing at an altar or beneath a chuppah.
We had our dog, Saluda, as our ring bearer, skipped a traditional wedding party, and asked our closest friends to officiate or give speeches instead. Overall, we wanted to keep the ceremony, and the wedding as a whole, as gender neutral and non traditional as possible. We also skipped a sit down dinner, giving guests the flexibility to eat pizza and tacos, dance, mingle, or play board games throughout the night.
Accessibility was a huge priority for us. We included gluten free and vegan food, mocktails, plenty of seating, board games, Covid precautions, and other thoughtful details to help everyone feel comfortable. Laura also embraced the accommodations she needed, including having the ceremony seated and using two custom Neo-Walk Sticks canes. She loved how everything turned out and felt fabulous on the day.
Which vendors really stood out?
Honestly, they were all fantastic.
Amy Sims Photography had the best energy as a photographer. She guided us through posing, made sure we got every photo we wanted, and even bustled Laura’s dress when no one else could manage the tiny buttons. We’ve recommended her to so many friends already and will continue to do so.
Our caterers, Los Tacos No. 1 and Bad Cholesterol, and Clementine Bakery were incredible, especially when it came to accommodating our family’s dietary needs, including garlic free options, which is surprisingly difficult with pizza.
People absolutely raved about the DJ from JTD Productions, and they were right to. After one Zoom meeting, it was obvious she completely understood our music taste. We genuinely can’t imagine anyone doing a better job.
Laura also loved her hair and makeup from JC Hair Design and Beauty On Location. The team did such a wonderful job translating her vague requests into something that looked amazing.
We were obsessed with Lisa Franklin‘s artwork, and McNally Jackson Books was endlessly patient while helping us organise around 200 books, answering countless emails, and allowing us to return any leftovers after the wedding.
How did you make traditional wedding customs work for you?
We tried to remove as many hyper gendered wedding traditions as possible. Some customs never even occurred to us until people mentioned them, while others we consciously decided to skip.
Our officiant, Jack, carefully removed gendered language from the ceremony, which made everything feel much more comfortable and natural.
We didn’t have anyone walk us down the aisle, we skipped first dances and parent dances, and we also skipped the cake cutting because neither of us particularly enjoys having everyone’s attention focused on us.
Laura explored jumpsuits and colourful outfits before ultimately falling in love with a traditional white dress, even though that’s not usually her everyday style. Of course, she still changed into a jumpsuit and sneakers for dancing later in the evening.
Fletcher’s impeccably tailored suit from Indochino felt completely true to them, and they had a lot of fun putting it together. We never felt like one of us had to wear a suit and the other had to wear a dress. We simply wore what felt most like ourselves.
We also skipped a formal dress code and simply encouraged guests to wear whatever would make them happiest when looking back at the photos.
Photography Amy Sims Photography
Bakery Clementine Bakery
Book Favors McNally Jackson Books & Paperback Paradise
Caterer Bad Cholesterol & Los Tacos No. 1
Custom Canes Neo-Walk Sticks
DJ JTD Productions
Dress Boutique Emerald City Gowns
Dress Alterations Couture Atelier by Blanca
Florist Grace & Grit Flowers
Hair & Makeup JC Hair Design & Beauty On Location
Koozie Artist Lisa Franklin
Rings Bario Neal
Suit Indochino
Venue Talea Williamsburg
