On a Thursday afternoon at just after 3:30 p.m., Michael and Parker were married at St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church on 22nd Street and 7th Avenue. I couldn’t tell you their last names. Because—even though I was sitting in the first pew at their wedding–I’d never met them before. Most of the 360 guests gathered there hadn’t either.
The mystery grooms wore matching organza pussy bow shirts, one in white and another in black. They recited their own vows. “You are my best friend, my comfort zone, the person I feel safest with, and the only person I can truly be myself with,” Michael told Parker. “I promise to believe in your dreams and support you in chasing every single one of them. Just like you sort of do for me when I say I want to be on Broadway or win Drag Race—despite the minor fact that I can’t act, dance, or sing. I just really love attention, which is why this is happening.”
“This” was the surprise wedding ceremony, organized by Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell of Tanner Fletcher. Earlier this month, the New York designers sent out invites for their bridal fashion show. For the first 20 minutes, it was a standard-issue one: the duo sent 30 looks down the aisle-turned-runway, including a sequined toile suit, a black and white lace ballgown complete with a petticoat, and a t-shirt that said “Hitched” which they paired with jeans. One model wore a blazer accented with handmade rosettes. Another wore a 1930s style wedding dress with long sleeves and lace paneling. (Richie spied a similar garment while thrifting in his home state of Wisconsin and decided to make his own.)
Some women wore suits. Some men wore dresses. The last two models who walked out weren’t models at all—but the real life couple, Michael and Parker, that Tanner Fletcher had found with help from Tinder. After their appointed officiant, fashion illustrator Angelica Hicks, pronounced them officially wed, The Late Show Gospel Choir came out of the wings singing “Going to the Chapel.” I turned to the person next to me. She was crying.
Most bridal lines or collections focus on brides. There’s a practical reason for that. Most men marry in a suit or tuxedo—which can be worn for many other occasions besides weddings. Women, however, marry in a formal white gown—something they’re taught early on in life is really only meant for one occasion…their wedding.
The once-in-a-lifetime nature of the style leads to the romanticization of it: what it looks like, the statement that it will make. Brands know this, and provide specialty collections for the garment that they know women will spend a lot of money on. But there’s also a societal reason: the institution of marriage has existed for over 4,000 years. For nearly all of them, it was only hetrosexual couples that could participate. So all the bridal fashion was geared toward their clothing customs, their traditions, because they were the only ones that existed.
That is, until the Supreme Court ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which legalized same-sex unions. Over the pivotal decade between then and now, Tanner and Fletcher sensed both a paradigm shift and a market gap. “Most wedding brands cater to one demographic, which is a straight couple.” says Richie. “People don’t realize how many gay people there are out there, who are getting married, and need wedding clothes.”
In 2024, the designers launched their first bridal collection. There were white dresses, many of which vere vintage-inspired. But there were also baby blue velvet suits, frilled blouses, and oversized bows that could be worn by brides, grooms, or frankly anyone who felt like it. It caught on with the queer community and then far beyond it, with the brand seeing gay, straight, and nonbinary couples all buying their clothes. “We have a lot of people who want to show their character and authenticity,” Kasell says of their wedding customers.
Their unconventional designs tapped into the zeitgeist: Pinterest’s 2023 trend report—the motherload of all wedding inspiration—saw the term “anti-bride” jump by 490%. Even the seemingly-traditional crowd, oversaturated with the same type of wedding content on their social media feeds, is eager to break the nuptial mold. Over the last year, Tanner Fletcher’s designs have been seen on brides and grooms whose weddings have been covered in Vogue and on Ariana Grande, who wore their Dorris Dress on the cover of her new album Brighter Days Ahead.
The brand’s success comes at a complicated time. Lawmakers in over nine states have sought to restrict same-sex marriage rights, and in February, the Idaho House of Representatives called on the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges. So as much as Tanner Fletcher’s bridal show and surprise marriage was a celebration, it was also a statement. “Being gay ourselves, we are obviously worried and could be affected. So we really wanted to show up and show that this current administration isn’t stopping us—and it’s not stopping other people from spreading love and getting married,” Richie says. “We’re not hiding.”
Instead of a program, Tanner Fletcher put a self-written list of 10 wedding commandments in the pews. Most of them were playful, like “thou shall not overthink the napkin color” or “thou shall feed thy guests well (and on time).” Except for the last one—“Thou shall remember that the wedding is one day, but the marriage is forever.” Perhaps they wanted to end on a serious note. Oh and the couple’s names? I texted Richie and Kasell to ask—they’re Mike Kaye and Parker Simoni. Best wishes to the happy couple.
