Wedding | Noelle & Lexi

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We’re Noelle and Lex, we live in Brooklyn, NY, with our 2 cats and pup, Dante. Noelle works at a non-profit and is a former educator, and Lex owns a barbershop in Brooklyn called Seven Fishes Hair Studio.

We have been together since we met at Lex’s barber shop in 2020, when Noelle was supposed to go bleached blonde but instead just ended up flirting with Lex. We love spending time with friends and family, discovering new museums, trying all the different cuisines that NYC has to offer, and escaping the city whenever we can to camp or spend time outdoors with our dog, Dante.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

The Phoenicia Diner is special to us— it was a stop on our very first trip together, which was to the Catskills, and probably where we first realized we were falling in love. Diners have always felt like a true community space to us: warm, fun, welcoming, and a place to gather at all hours.

We really struggled with what the concept of a wedding would look like for us. What we did know was that we wanted cocktails flowing and tons of food, an unconventional venue space, Diana Ross blasting as we walked down the aisle together, and a dance floor that felt like a queer bar on a Saturday night. The diner gave us all of that.

It also mattered that we could work with local small businesses that we love to frequent when we visit the area. The diner’s team (especially Courtney, their events manager) completely understood our vision.

How many guests did you have?

We had about 100 in total on the big day.

What was your budget? 

$45,000, including the rehearsal dinner, which was beer, wine, and pizza, and our outfits.

Tell us about your outfits.

Noelle: My gown was a journey—I think I dragged my best friends, Cassie and Tanner, to more dress appointments than they ever signed up for. But eventually, at The White Gown in Soho, with the help of the amazing Harlow, I found the one. With Tanner’s styling eye and the beautiful alterations done by the incredibly talented Atelier YQS, I made significant changes to the dress, and when I finally put it on, it just felt like me.

For the second half of the reception, I switched into something playful and 1950s-inspired—my little nod to diner chic. Perfect for dancing and truly leaning into our venue.

Lex: Finding an androgynous suit as a queer woman is… a quest. After striking out a dozen times, I wandered into Suit Supply in Williamsburg and met Olivia, their incredible manager. She knew exactly the look that I was going for and helped me tailor the suit exactly as I had wanted it. I am so thankful that she was able to see the vision. It was truly the suit of my dreams.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The guest experience was our biggest priority. We wanted everyone to feel not just invited, but truly seen. From hand-painted table numbers and handwritten place cards to custom placemats with little games, every detail was designed for our guests to know: you matter to us, and we are so happy you’re here.

We made info sheets about our closest friends and family—who they were, why they mattered to us—so that by the time the weekend was over, it felt like everyone had known each other forever. It turned the whole thing into more than a wedding; to us, it felt like a big, celebration of life, love, and community, which is all we ever wanted from our wedding. Not too formal, just great food, flowing drinks, and the happiest dance floor we’ve personally ever seen.

Another huge priority was making it queer, in our own way. We created our own “gay bar” and “gay agenda” signage, worked with as many queer- or women-owned vendors as possible, and collaborated with our officiant, Allie, to ensure the ceremony honored the people who fought for the rights we have today. And of course, we walked down the aisle together, holding hands and dancing to Diana Ross’s I’m Coming Out.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

From the start, we knew we didn’t want a traditional wedding. We wanted it to feel like a family and friends getaway—our families and bridal parties stayed at The Leeway all weekend, which turned it into a camp-style hangout full of bonfires, breakfast together, and mornings on the water surrounded by our favorite people.

We leaned into personal, non-traditional details wherever we could: hand-painted table numbers,  handwritten place cards, custom-made placemats with silly games about us, Lex hand-drew both our save the dates and invites, and we even included little bios of our closest friends and family so everyone felt instantly connected. 

We believe this helped us in creating a space that was warm, genuine, fun, and very us.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Start by making your own priority list—separately. Write down what matters most to each of you, then combine the lists. That exercise made everything else fall into place for us. We knew we wanted incredible food, somewhere driving distance from NYC, to avoid a traditional ‘wedding venue,’ and for it to feel like a true party. That’s how we landed on the Phoenicia Diner, and honestly, it was the wedding of our dreams.

Also: don’t get trapped in the idea of what a wedding is “supposed” to be. Embrace your venue, your quirks, your relationship. If you’re having fun, everyone else will too. Our best decision was planning a wedding that was unapologetically us—and because of that, we have zero regrets.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Working with so many incredible small businesses was such a treat—we honestly can’t say enough good things about every single one of them.

Daniel Bergin, our photographer, was our easiest yes. From the first call to our engagement shoot at our Brooklyn apartment, he felt more like a friend than a vendor. On the wedding day, seeing him walk in was like greeting a guest we’d known for years—he partied with us, judged nothing, and somehow managed to capture everything.

Karla Crespo of Wildly Rooted Weddings was our partial planner and a total dream. She instantly understood our non-traditional vision and didn’t just support it—she amplified it. Smart, hilarious, innovative, and grounding when we needed it most.

Our DJs, 32LVS, have been Lex’s hair clients for years, which already felt serendipitous. Before booking them, we went incognito to the local lesbian bar they perform at to “scout” their set, spent the whole night dancing, and left knowing they were the ones. On our wedding night, they kept the floor packed; everyone was sweaty and happy.

The Leeway. where we took portraits, is this funky, gorgeous spot that was once owned by the lead singer of the B-52s. We found it on a Catskills wedding-scouting trip and immediately knew it was perfect—equal parts beautiful and offbeat, just like we wanted.

Beacon Jewelers of Maplewood holds a special place in our hearts. Gee, the owner and a family friend of Lex’s, worked with us separately to secretly design each other’s engagement rings. Months of covert planning (and many NJ Transit train rides later), we ended up with rings that are exactly who we are. We couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.

The Phoenicia Diner of course, was the soul of it all. Beyond being one of our favorite places in the Catskills, their team made the wedding feel effortless. Courtney, their events manager, completely embraced our non-traditional ideas and brought them to life - delicious cocktails, incredible food, and a space that felt like it was really ours for the night.

Photographer: Daniel Bergin @danielcbergin | Planning: Wildly Rooted Weddings @wild_rooted_weddings | Flora: Florale NY @florale_ny | Ceremony & Reception Location: Phoenicia Diner @phoeniciadiner | Celebrant: Allie Shulman (friend) | Makeup Artist: Stacy Beneke Makeup & Hair @makeupstacyb | Hair: Norman C James @normancjamesny | Catering & Beverages: Phoenicia Diner @phoeniciadiner | Cake: Overlook Bakery @overlookbakery | Stationery:  Hand drawn by Lexi | DJ: 32LVS @32LVS | Family & Friend Photo Location: The Leeway @theleewayny | Noelle's Dress: Willowby by Watters @willowbywatters from The White Gown @thewhitegown | Alterations: Atelier YQS  @atelieryqs | Noelle's Second Look: Mode & Affaire @modeandaffaire | Lexi's Suit: Suit Supply 

@suitsupply | Engagement & Wedding Rings: Beacon Jewelers of Maplewood @beaconjewelers | Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell @jeffreycampbell