Candice Huffine and Shelly Lynch-Sparks began their relationship 15 years ago like so many do: as friends. But after some changes in their personal lives a little over a year ago, the two began leaning on each other and spending more one-on-one time together than ever before. “And we fell in love!” Huffine stells Vogue from North Carolina, where she and Lynch-Sparks were celebrating their marriage with their families.
“Getting together was something that was really unexpected to even the both of us,” Huffine says. “For us to instantly know that we were in love, and that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, was a pretty quick decision, because we weren’t really doing this long courtship.”
When it came to a wedding, Huffine and Lynch-Sparks were initially planning an Amalfi Coast bash in late 2024. But given that the two recently opened a coffee shop-meets-bar in Westhampton Beach called One Trick Pony, they decided that planning a destination wedding would be too much of an undertaking. So, when the couple decided to attend two concerts in Las Vegas during the same week, they knew it was perfect timing. As Lynch-Sparks put it: “Beyoncé and Adele were also playing the same weekend and we were like, Why not?” The two tied the knot at Sure Thing, a woman-owned chapel in Las Vegas, and celebrated with an Adele show afterwards.
Huffine, a longtime muse of Christian Siriano, knew there was only one person to turn to for her wedding look. “Christian was one of the first people I told that we were together. He was also one of the first people I told that we were engaged, and he was like, ‘Well, we’re obviously doing the looks right?’” While Siriano, per the couple, was a big proponent of the Italian wedding, he sprung into action when Huffine texted him about their change of plans. She notes that she and Lynch-Sparks were married on August 25, just before New York Fashion Week. “He was like, ‘Yes, come in, we’ll talk about it,’” she recalls. “I didn’t have an idea, I just knew that I was going to collaborate with my friend whom I admire.” For Siriano, the feeling was mutual. “Candice was a dream to work with,” he says. “It was so different from our normal fittings. She really wanted her vision to come to life, so it was a full collaboration from sketch to final looks.”
The duo wound up brainstorming two looks: For the ceremony—officiated by a female Elvis impersonator—Huffine wore a lace corset with matching sheer pants, complete with sweeping, off-the-shoulder sleeves. And when the two lovebirds headed into the Nevada desert in a vintage car, she swapped her pants for a lace miniskirt, and changed out her sleeves for a grand veil, embroidered with a lyric from “Cold Desert” by Kings of Leon: “Hand over your heart, let’s go home.” For Siriano, the functionality of the look was just as important as the aesthetics. “I think it’s important for a modern bride to think about her day. Candice was in the desert, then dinner, then dancing with Adele so it all had to function differently than a traditional wedding dress,” he says. “I love that the look became so many pieces and everything can be worn in different ways. The sleeves with the top and pants, or just the mini skirt and bodice alone with the embroidered veil was fabulous in the end.”
For her part, Lynch-Sparks wore her beloved white Gucci suit with black cuffs and lapels. “Alessandro Michele is a huge inspiration to me,” she says. “Obviously, when we made this plan in two weeks, it was a no-brainer that I was gonna wear this suit because it’s super fun, and this is a part of his last collection, which is pretty major.” When they moved into the desert for photos, she unbuttoned the jacket to reveal a silver sequined tank top, for which Lynch-Sparks was inspired by a Harry Styles Grammys look.
While Huffine is vocal about the relationship on her social media, the wedding also felt like a solidifying of her place within the LGBTQ+ community. “The most exciting part for us for sharing our wedding—and it feels like we’re coming out as a couple in a really big way,” Huffine says. “We just want to share more and we want to inspire people to feel proud to be themselves.”
