Rainey Qualley Married Anthony Wilson at a Halloween-Themed Wedding in the California Mountains
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Actor and musician Rainey Qualley and filmmaker and photographer Tony Wilson first met on a photo shoot a few years ago. “Tony had apparently been harboring a crush on me,” Rainey, who performs under the moniker Rainsford and just released her debut album, says. “When he saw me out again at Café Triste in LA a few years later, he asked me out, and that was it!”
They were living together in Echo Park when he proposed in their backyard last summer. “I was newly pregnant, so it wasn’t a huge surprise,” Rainey explains. “He acted like he was setting up an early maternity shoot, and got down on one knee while I was shutting my eyes ‘for a photo.’”
Their wedding was held at the Perch in Twin Peaks, a retreat in Lake Arrowhead, California, over this past Halloween weekend. “Planning was really fun and easy!” Rainey says. “We knew from the beginning we wanted to have a ‘Hallo-wedding’ and leaning into the theme made the whole process exciting and focused. We made Pinterest boards together and separately and just kept coming up with ideas to make the event as fun, spooky, gorgeous, silly, and romantic as possible.”
To help realize their very specific vision, the couple worked with the event planner, Carly Rae Williams. “She totally understood what we were going for and helped us bring all my dreams to life,” Rainey says. One of the reasons they picked the location, she explains, is because there are 13 cabins on site, so everyone in the wedding party, close friends and family could all stay for the weekend. “We wanted it to feel like a big sleepover and just made it easy and cozy,” the bride says. “We didn’t do a rehearsal dinner, instead we did a pajama party and a vegan pizza and game night the following evening. The whole weekend was just such a blast.”
Rainey was similarly specific when it came to her wedding weekend wardrobe. She knew she wanted to wear something that was either vintage or second-hand and started trying on dresses when she was about four weeks postpartum. “I care a lot about the environment,” Rainey explains. “And I wanted a dress that was light, and easy to wear and dance in. Lots of women change dresses after the ceremony, but I wanted to wear mine all night because you only get to wear it once!” She found a Mira Zwillinger dress at Loved Twice Bridal in Beverly Hills. “It was off the runway, so hadn’t been worn by a bride yet, but was still considered second-hand,” she explains. “It was perfect for me.” For accessories, her mother-in-law had a necklace made for her from a family heirloom; her sister Margaret lent her some antique drop diamond earrings to wear, and she had blue ribbons in her little white boots. She also had lace from her mother’s antique wedding shawl sewn into her veil. “The veil was my favorite part,” Rainey says. Tony wore a striped suit and black boots made by Husbands Paris. “He looked so handsome,” the bride adds.
Playing into the Halloween theme, the bridesmaids were dressed as witches and the groomsmen were warlocks. The bride’s father walked her down the aisle dressed as a skeleton; her mother was a crow queen; and her best friend, Jac Cron, officiated the ceremony in a vampire costume. “Being our close friend, Jac made it so intimate and special,” Rainey notes. “She was actually there the night Tony and I met!” Rainey’s big brother and his family were the ring bearers and flower girls, all dressed as the cast of Peter Pan. “Everyone went all out,” Rainey says. “The costumes were immaculate.”
The couple wrote their own vows. “Tony actually wrote his on a scroll,” Rainey laughs. “During the ceremony we passed around a rope for everyone in attendance to hold and send their blessings into for our union, and at the end, we used the rope for a hand-fastening to tie the knot! It was really special. I picked my daughter Bluebell up off my mother’s lap when it was over, and the three of us ran back to our cabin to sign the papers!”
For Rainey, the ceremony was very personal and just perfect. “I felt so full of love for my husband and everyone in attendance,” she says. “Going from seeing Tony tear up during his vows, and my dad crying in the front row to laughing at my friends’ immaculate costumes in the crowd was everything I could have asked for!”
After the service, the couple signed the marriage certificate. “I then had a really hard time bustling my dress and ended up just using safety pins because I didn’t want to miss out on the party,” Rainey remembers. “We all sat down for a stunning vegan meal, lit by string lights under the moon. The food was incredible! We kept getting compliments about it for days afterwards. I loved all the details, from the flowers to the spooky cocktails to the homemade signs. The entire event felt both elegant and like us.”
There were a few speeches during the meal, which was followed by dancing. Rainey’s brother-in-law, Jack Antonoff, played a song for the couple’s first dance. Then, their friend Shawn Mendes played for the family dance. “And finally, our buddy Holden Jaffe [Del Water Gap] played ‘Monster Mash’ to welcome everyone to the dance floor,” Rainey recalls. “We had someone doing magic and tarot readings in a tent. There were s’mores by the fire and bobbing for apples. Everyone boogied their hearts out. I didn’t want it to end! It was the best night ever.”
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Photo: Dana Boulos1/87I painted this sign, and Tony and my dad hung it out front. Our venue was on a small winding road and we didn’t want anyone to miss it!
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Photo: Dana Boulos2/87I wore the blue slip to get in the mood and make myself feel romantic while getting ready.
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