Female same sex LGBTQIA+ newlyweds holding hands and smiling as their wedding party cheers outside Brotherhood Winery

From the Moment They Met, Molly Knew She Would Marry Anna

Molly and Anna married in November at Brotherhood Winery in New York’s Hudson Valley, with Tracy Jade Photography capturing their day in a sublime mix of digital and 35mm analogue film. These two wanted a cosy autumn wedding with a little edge and atmospheric moodiness, bringing together rich greens and oranges with the help of Dhalia Events.

Couple embracing beneath autumn leaves, one wearing a Casablanca Bridal gown and lace-edged veil and the other a white tuxedo jacket

Molly wore the ‘Leona’ gown by Casablanca Bridal, which she found at The Barefoot Bride, while Anna chose a bespoke tuxedo with a white jacket by The Tailory New York. They looked so beautiful and happy together, and I’m so delighted to share their wedding and the thought this lovely couple put into making their wedding so personal.

I’ll leave you with Molly to tell you more, including how they met, their two proposals and some very good advice about trusting your own taste when planning a wedding. Enjoy!

We both knew that we wanted a cozy warm fall vibe with a little bit of edge. Throughout the process, we kept referring to it as ‘Moody Judy’. Think the Great Hall from Harry Potter, but make it a wedding.      

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The Venue & Location

Our wedding was held a the Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, New York.    

We chose Brotherhood Winery first and foremost because its stunning, especially at that time of year.

It also felt like the perfect blend of indoor and outdoor with our ceremony taking place on the grounds and cocktail hour on the patio outside the indoor reception space. The venue itself had the perfect moody cozy fall vibe we were looking for.  

White gabled building behind stone arches and vivid red autumn foliage at Brotherhood Winery in New York

Our first look was definitely one of our favourite moments of the day. We had kept our outfits secret from each other so we were so excited to see each other and to start the day. When we turned around we saw that our parents and wedding parties had snuck out on to the porch to share that moment with us.

Bride wearing the strapless Leona gown by Casablanca Bridal and a long floral lace-edged veil beneath autumn trees

The Fashion


My dress was the Leona style by Casablanca Bridal, from the Barefoot Bride in Red Bank, New Jersey. I went into the process with an open mind hoping the right dress would find me. My mother actually picked this dress for me to try on and I immediately fell in love.

Bride in a fitted strapless wedding dress standing beside a bridesmaid in dark green, viewed through an open doorway

I mostly went into the dress buying process not really knowing what I wanted but feeling like I would know it when I saw it. The second I put this dress on I knew it was the one, it was soft to the touch but also timeless and elegant. And the simplicity of the dress allowed me to go all out with the veil which was my favourite piece of the clothing that day. I feel like my whole wedding vibe came together when I found that veil.

My veil was from Amazon.

Bride wearing a sweetheart-neckline gown, drop earrings and a green pendant smiling at her partner beside a window

Anna’s tuxedo was custom-made at the Tailory in New York City. She knew she wanted a white jacket and that she wanted it to be made of a detailed fabric. When she met with the Tailory team, she described this dream fabric they showed her a sample that exactly matched that description. It was so perfect, she cried.

Anna wore my father’s Cartier Santos watch which he gifted to her that morning.

Our hair and make-up were by Beautini.

Back view of a bride’s textured white tuxedo jacket as a wedding party member rests a hand on her shoulder

The Ceremony

Anna’s father and my little brother walked us each down the aisle. Since before we were engaged I knew that I wanted to walk down the aisle to I Get To Love You by Ruelle and Anna found an instrumental version of Halo that she felt captured the romance of the day.

Anna’s friend from college Griffin officiated our wedding. He’s one of our closest friends and is a true believer in not only love but our love for each other.

LGBTQ Couple holding hands and laughing beneath a triangular wooden ceremony arch decorated with flowers and foliage

We each wrote our own vows and kept them to ourselves until the ceremony. They both were the perfect blend of humour and sincere expressions of love. Here’s an excerpt from each!

“When I was younger I used to watch Modern Family and say ‘Ugh I want to marry a man just like Phil Dumphey. He’s funny as hell, he’s endlessly kind, and compassionate.

LGBTQ Newlyweds walking down the grassy aisle as wedding guests applaud and blow bubbles

He’s obsessed with his wife and absolutely adores his family.’ I wish I could tell my younger self that she’d find her Phil Dumphey but she’s a small blonde woman who will change her life forever… but I think it’s kind of a fun surprise,” I said in my vows.

Anna said in hers: “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. You’re the funniest person in any room. Your advice is always insightful and you constantly challenge me to take another perspective. You care about your people so so much. And you are an absolute smoke show.”

LGBTQ Newlyweds holding hands outside stone arches as their wedding party cheers around them


Our photographer, Tracy Jade, did a phenomenal job. We can’t recommend her enough – she captured every detail and special moment. She was a total rockstar. 

LGBTQ Newlyweds kissing amid their cheering wedding party beneath red autumn leaves

How They Met

We met at Cubbyhole in 2016 but began seriously dating in 2018. I like to say I knew from the second I saw her that Anna would be my wife.

Anna recruited our friends to help set up a scavenger hunt for me through some of the important landmarks of our relationship. It ended with Anna and a ring box in Hudson River Park on the bench where Anna first told me she loved me.

Moody Autumn Wedding Brotherhood Winery 67

I proposed to Anna during a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, one of our favourite places to spend time together.

Bride in a floral lace-edged veil kissing her partner in a textured white tuxedo jacket outdoors

Bride seated on a blue velvet chair with her gown’s train spread over autumn leaves, her partner standing beside her in a white tuxedo jacket
Female LGBTQ newlyweds holding hands as they walk through Brotherhood Winery’s grounds with their wedding guests

The Reception

We did a fair amount of DIY for our wedding. We made all of the signage, including the seating chart, bar sign, and table numbers. We thrifted a lot of the materials that went into those projects as well as some of the little details throughout. It was amazing to look around on the day and see everything we made come to life in the space.

Our catering and rentals were by InnCredible Caterers and our flowers were by NYC Flower Project.

Neither one of us is a huge fan of cake and the Hudson valley is known for its apple pie and apple cider doughnuts. It was a great way to incorporate the location and season of our wedding into our day.

Round reception table with dark green linen, rust-coloured napkins, pillar candles and cream and burgundy flowers

Our first dance was to ‘You Are The Best Thing’, by Ray LaMontagne. We have always sung it to each other and have always thought it perfectly described the way we feel about eachother.  

LGBTQ Newlyweds holding hands as they enter their wedding reception through an arched stone doorway

LGBTQ Couple sharing their first dance beneath festoon lights as wedding guests watch

We are so grateful for all of our vendors. They truly understood our vision and made every aspect of the day perfect.

Newlyweds embracing on the dance floor, one wearing a strapless gown and the other a white shirt with braces

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Don’t let other people influence your day. When we were planning our wedding we were constantly seeing and hearing what other people considered in or out of style or what was considered overdone.

Fill it with things that you think are cool. We would also say keep in mind that, first and foremost, this is a celebration of your love more than anything else. It’s so easy to get so wrapped up in party planning that you lose sight of what it’s all about.

We took a mini-moon in Boston right after the wedding. We spent the week wandering around the city doing all of the historical and touristy things. After a year of wedding planning and the lead-up week of wedding craziness, it was so nice to just relax and hang out with each other. We spent the whole trip looking at each other and saying “Can you believe that we just had the best wedding ever?”

Couple kissing beneath a brick arch beside large wooden barrels in Brotherhood Winery’s dimly lit cellar

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Credits & Thanks

Below, you’ll find a full list of all suppliers, vendors & venues mentioned in this article. Those marked with a ✓ are personally recommended members of the Love My Dress Wedding Directory.

Wedding VenueBrotherhood Winery
Wedding PlannerDhalia Events
Wedding Dress DesignerCasablanca Bridal
Bridal BoutiqueThe Barefoot Bride
VeilAmazon
Hair & MakeupBeautini
Floral DesignerNYC Flower Project

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