Anna Ivelisse Clayton

ABOUT THIS WEDDING

"Sydney and Brandon’s ceremony at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden was one I will remember for a long time. It was a beautiful September afternoon, although Texas decided to give us a 104-degree day, and our ceremony space was directly in the sun! What made this celebration especially fun was that many of their guests thought they were attending Sydney and Brandon’s wedding. What they didn’t know was that the couple had already been married for two years. We intentionally wrote the ceremony so their secret would stay safe. I began by sharing their story, including how their families knew each other, how their relationship grew during COVID, and the hilarious fact that Brandon, who was bartending at the time, once banned Sydney from the bar. Somehow, she married him anyway. Their story took us from their first official date at the Texas State Fair to adventures in the Virgin Islands and Brandon’s proposal during a family trip to Alaska. Then came my favorite moment. Partway through the ceremony, I told their guests that normally this would be the point when I asked Sydney and Brandon if they were ready to become husband and wife. Then I explained that I couldn’t ask them that question because they already were. The reaction was wonderful. From there, the ceremony became what Sydney and Brandon had planned all along: a celebration of the marriage they had already been living and an opportunity to renew their vows surrounded by the people they love. Despite the 104-degree heat, they laughed, held hands, renewed their promises, and never lost sight of why they were there. And because every good story deserves to come full circle, just before their kiss I reminded Brandon that since banning Sydney hadn’t worked out particularly well for him the first time, perhaps we should leave this particular decision to her. She let him kiss her. ❤️ Two years down, forever to go."

-Anna Ivelisse Clayton