Dreamy Garden Party Backyard Wedding Celebrating Queer Love

One look at Peter and Bailey’s wedding photos by Maya Lovro Photography and you’ll instantly feel as though you’ve been transported into a fairytale love-story.

The high school sweethearts wanted their Pittsburgh wedding to be romantic. But they also wanted to make sure their personalities were infused into every moment.

“Our vision was very inspired by the ‘vintage-style not values' motto. We wanted our wedding to be timeless and elegant, but still express our queer love and community,” states the couple.

Not having done a first look, the first time the pair locked eyes that day was during their Unitarian Universalist ceremony at First Unitarian Church.

“I spent a lot of my life not being able to picture myself as a bride, and realizing that instead one day I could be a groom, seeing my wife coming down the aisle was a huge moment for me in gender euphoria. It was amazing for that dream to become a reality,” mentions Peter.

Bailey walked down the aisle in a tea-length gown inspired by Audrey Hepburn complete with a tiered veil made by the bride herself. Peter stood proud at the altar at sight of his bride, wearing a classic black and white Indochino tuxedo that held a deeper meaning.

“Wearing a suit has always been a meaningful expression of my masculinity as a transgender man,” mentions Peter. “I wanted to include an homage to that [by] finding a beautiful pair of He/Him pronoun cufflinks from Etsy shop Dissent Pins.”

Post-nuptials they posed for photos together, with family, and alongside members of their wedding party. Their wedding party’s attire paired so well with the flourishing bouquets arranged by the groom.

And the blooming style didn’t stop there, but rather continued into the reception.

“Aesthetically, we love an eclectic style with a touch of moodiness, which we wanted to bring to our wedding with antique furniture, gold filigree details, and lots of warm glowing lights. We opted to forego a traditional wedding color palette and instead focused on metals, neutrals, and greenery,” shares Peter and Bailey. “We were so happy when Bailey’s grandparents agreed to let us hold our wedding reception in their backyard. We both have great memories of loving family and community there, so it felt like the perfect place to celebrate our love.”

The design of their celebration was the perfect setting to fuse together authentic traditions like the Pittsburgh Cookie and burnt almond torte cake with modern traditions.

“A unique element of our wedding was hiring a drag queen to kick off the dancing portion of the night. We both love the energy and fun of drag shows, and how it celebrates queerness and gender diversity. It was a great way to infuse that into the party.”

As for their advice to couples planning a wedding, Bailey says “Delegating tasks not only keeps you sane, but also can help your wedding feel even more special because it is infused with love from your friends and family.” Peter added, “I would say not to worry about things you want to skip because they don’t feel authentic to you. It won’t be that big of a deal in the long run. People have lots of opinions on weddings- but yours is the only one that really matters.”