Bouquet Sword Fights and Bubble Guns at a Dye House Wedding

Sarah (she/her) and Iryelis (they/them) had been together five years when they each proposed during a trip to Maine. When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew it had to feel like them: intimate, intentional, and rooted in community. They filled the Dye House in Providence with handwritten guest letters, DIY florals, and table names tied to their favorite memories (yes, including the avocado from their first date). It was tender, playful, and deeply personal.

What made the Dye House the right venue for your wedding?

We actually found the Dye House through a blog post by Rhode Tripper Photography, who we hadn’t yet realized would become our dream photographers. It was the first venue we visited and immediately felt like the right place. We loved that it was close to Boston, full of natural light, and could be a total blank canvas. Plus, it had on-site rooms where we and our parents could stay the whole weekend, which made everything from getting ready to winding down feel seamless.

What were some of the personal touches you included?

So many! We named our tables after meaningful places in our relationship, including the spot from our first date where Iry gave Sarah a giant avocado. We wrote handwritten letters to every guest and included them at their place settings. Sarah’s brother’s band, Populace, played during dinner and surprised us with a rendition of The Best by Tina Turner. We had a crossword puzzle about us, a community vow, a DIY photo booth, and a full-on nugget and fries bar later in the night. Everything we included was about honoring our history, our families, and the people who’ve shaped us.

Bouquet Sword Fights and Bubble Guns at a Dye House Wedding – photo 1

Bouquet Sword Fights and Bubble Guns at a Dye House Wedding – photo 2

How did you plan everything on a budget?

We prioritized the things that mattered most to us: venue, photography, and food. We used a whiteboard to map out each task and scheduled projects week by week. For florals, we got creative. Sarah practiced making bouquets ahead of time, and with help from a friend who flew in from Spain, we bought flowers from Brattle Square Florist and Trader Joe’s. We used faux florals for the ceremony arch and built our own signage and decor.

We rented chairs through Ocean State Rental, ordered our invites through Zola, and DIYed everything from table signs to our temporary tattoo station. It was a lot of work, but it meant every detail felt like us.

What was your wedding day like?

We started the day with hair and makeup (shoutout to Maddie Fish and Wicked Beauty Studio for helping us both feel our best) and a quiet morning getting ready with our parents and siblings. At one point, we realized Sarah had left her vows back in Cambridge, but luckily a friend rescued them in time.

We each made our bouquets (with a little help from Iry’s brother), did a first look outside the venue, complete with a sword fight using flowers, and had a moment with our families before the ceremony. Our friend Onyeris officiated, our brothers were ring bearers, and we invited guests to participate in a community vow and read letters we had written to them. We made it clear there were no phones allowed, but Onyeris paused mid-ceremony for one collective selfie before everyone put them away.

After the ceremony, we had a private cocktail hour in the loft and toasted with champagne and bites brought up by Nicolette from Troop PVD. Iryelis changed into a white J.Crew shirt and matching pants, while Sarah swapped into a silky halter dress from Abercrombie & Fitch before we joined everyone for the reception. Our brothers welcomed us back with bubble guns, and we kicked off the first dance to A Sunday Kind of Love.

What was on the menu?

Food was a big part of our day. We worked with Troop PVD, one of our favorite local restaurants, to create a menu that felt casual and creative. During cocktail hour we served pimento cheese toast, plantains, Nashville hot chicken bites, and charcuterie. For dinner, we had a buffet-style BYO noodle station with pork belly, shrimp, tofu, and chicken. Later in the night, we served up nuggets and fries for a late-night snack.

We also had signature cocktails named after our cats, Penny’s Potion and Elliot’s Elixir, and a dessert spread that included treats from Sin Desserts and Ellie’s.

What did you wear?

We both started the day in dresses from David’s Bridal, which we kept a surprise until the first look. After the ceremony, we changed into second outfits that felt a little more us. Sarah wore a silky halter dress from Abercrombie & Fitch, and Iry rocked a white shirt and pants from J.Crew. The outfit changes gave us room to move and dance freely all night long.

How did you choose Rhode Tripper Photography?

We came across Rhode Tripper Photography while searching for venues, and once we looked through Meaghan’s website, we knew they were the ones. Their portfolio was full of fat, queer, and POC couples (people like us) and their values aligned with ours from the start.

From our engagement shoot in Cambridge to the wedding day itself, Meaghan and Evan made us feel comfortable, celebrated, and truly seen. They weren’t just photographers. They helped with our timeline, kept things moving, and felt like an extension of our chosen family.

Any advice for other LGBTQ+ couples planning a wedding?

Do it your way. We skipped the traditional “giving away” and had both of our parents walk us down the aisle. Our siblings were involved in every part of the day, from officiating to dancing, and we built the ceremony around community, not just us. Writing letters to each guest and inviting them to take part in a vow with us was one of the most emotional and meaningful moments of the day.