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Jamie & Jessie – Two Brides Wearing Black

Jamie & Jessie – Two Brides Wearing Black

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Jamie and Jessie both wanted to stray from tradition and wear all black – Jamie in a black wedding dress, Jessie a black wedding suit.

THE PROPOSAL

We went to the same tiny high school, and although we admired each other from afar, we never spoke. Our paths crossed here and there over the years, but three years ago, we finally confessed our love to each other and have been inseparable ever since.

Jamie held on to the engagement ring for several months, trying to figure out a perfect time to pop the question. Jessie made it clear that she did not want a big, elaborate, public proposal! 

Eventually, Jamie realized there is no such thing as the “perfect” time, and we had an upcoming Vegas trip planned, so she did it on our first night there right in the hotel room so we could be emotional in private! Jamie hid the ring in her suitcase and wrote a heartfelt letter that she had planned to read to Jessie, but she choked through the first sentence, and Jessie ended up having to read it herself.

Spoiler alert, Jessie said yes.

ALTERNATIVE WEDDING OUTFITS

We can’t say we had a theme for our wedding, but we knew we wanted to stray from tradition, and both wear all black. We decided on a color scheme of black, burgundy, and blush for our outfits, the cake, and small accessories. We wanted to look back at our photos and see our true selves, so we stuck with a vibe representing our authentic everyday styles. 

Jessie: My mom, step-mom, sister, and I went to Nordstrom to find my suit, and the staff was incredible. As a masculine-presenting lesbian, shopping in men’s clothing sections can be a bit anxiety-inducing. This was not the case here. I fell in love with the very first suit they handed me. The staff treated me like anyone else, made me feel confident and comfortable, made sure I left with exactly what I wanted, and had it perfectly tailored to me. The shoe hunt was another story. I eventually found the perfect shoe and had a similarly positive experience in a traditionally men’s shoe store!

Jamie: Traditional wedding dresses don’t really resonate with me, and I knew I wouldn’t have felt comfortable in one. I found the perfect dress online and it ended up being exactly what I had envisioned! I had my alterations done by the fantastic Tyla (Tyla’s Bride), and she made me feel so beautiful and confident for the big day.

THE WEDDING DAY

The big day! We arranged for our ceremony to be later in the day to take advantage of the beautiful golden light for our photos. We spent the beginning of the day just enjoying each other’s company…while extremely anxious with anticipation. We eventually split off to get ready separately since we were doing a first look. 

Jessie welcomed our officiant and our photographer Liv, and we took solo photos before our first look. The first look and ceremony couldn’t have gone more smoothly or more perfectly. It was beautiful, romantic and fun!  

Right after the ceremony, we took a few minutes alone to really look at each other for the first time. Now that the anxious anticipation was over, we were able to talk, laugh, and soak up the beauty of those initial moments as a married couple.

We enjoyed our wedding cake and had a toast with our two guests before heading out into the wilderness so Liv could work her magic. Once our guests were gone and it was just the two of us, we changed into jeans and sweats, danced to Elton John, and cooked each other dinner. It was absolutely perfect. 

STAND OUT WEDDING VENDOR

I think we both agree that our photographer Liv stood out the most to us. We wanted to prioritize our wedding photos since they are what we will have to look back on. She did not disappoint! Liv’s presence and energy made our day that much more perfect. She took two insecure people and made us feel confident and beautiful. She used her undeniable talent to capture beautiful moments between us while making sure we were having fun. Every time we look back at our photos or share them with others, we still feel the fun and excitement of our day, and we are so happy to have these works of art to cherish forever. 

MARRIAGE

Of course, committing our love to each other publicly and legally is special, but it runs deeper than that for us. We grew up in a time where we weren’t sure if it would ever be legal for us to marry the person we love. We were both young college students during the fight for marriage equality, and we remember the challenging process of same-sex marriage becoming legalized in California. So being able to get married and honor that fight is important to us.


Photography by Liv Schultheis

Cake Sugarbee Custom Bake Shop
Cake Topper
NK Wood Design
Dress Alterations Tyla’s Bride
Officiant
Silver and Sage Weddings
Shoes Allen Edmonds, Kailee P
Suit Designer Hugo Boss
Vow Books
Willow Gifts Co
Wine Box Re-Imagine Brewing 

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