All Aboard for This Epic Train Ride Wedding

Choo-choo! Jump on board for this incredibly unique wedding!

Tyler and Joshua put a lot of thought into the details of their wedding in Connecticut. Their day occurred with a color palette tht was perfect for the time of year and a uniqueness inspired by Joshua’s love for steam trains.

The experience for their guests was top priority. They incorporated Joshua's love of trains by renting out the Essex Steam Train and using it to transport their guests on a journey through epic New England and arriving at their final destination of the ceremony and reception venue.

On their wedding day, each leg of the journey on the train was given a name, starting with the ride to the ceremony at The Lace Factory which was titled “The Lone Star” to honor Tyler’s home state.

“The Lace Factory was one of the few venues in the tri-state area that could seamlessly integrate a steam train into the wedding weekend. Joshua is a transportation planner and has a love of trains that knows no bounds, especially steam trains.” says Tyler. “Our guests gathered at the train station in Essex, Conn., for a welcome toast on the station platform before hopping on board the train to take the ride to the town of Deep River, where The Lace Factory is located. We were hiding on the train and, at the right moment, surprised everyone on board while wearing conductor hats that the railroad gave us.”

To showcase their appreciation of musicals, they chose to have a string quartet for their ceremony and happy hour. As the group played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” the processional began. At the altar, Tyler and Joshua’s two best friends officiated their uniting where they read their written vows to each other.

Since their family and guests were of utmost importance that day, they made sure to include them in the ceremony, too! “The ring exchange involved our parents who held the rings up until the moment our officiants invited them up to hand them to us,” shares the pair. “We also wanted a little audience participation and, in an homage to RuPaul, Dennis and Aaron led the audience in a call and response, yelling, ‘Everybody say LOVE!'”

Their vintage minimalistic vibe was expressed through multiple facets of the day, including the vintage-inspired 1900s logo of the Boston & Albany Railroad that displayed the duo’s last names This design appeared on their stationery, wedding signs, and drumheads.

After the ceremony and reception were complete, it was back onto the train for “The Junction City Flyer” journey to the afterparty which took place back at The Essex Station. This stretch of the journey was named to honor Joshua’s hometown in Utah.

Their photographer recalls, “They danced, they laughed, they celebrated. I love how unique they made their wedding day, showing us just a smidgen of how unique their love is.”