Some weddings take months to find their theme. For Corey and Scotty, it started at an observatory. Scotty proposed under the stars – literally – as they had private viewings of Jupiter and the moon. Back on Earth, Corey started to think about what their wedding theme might be. It wasn’t until she discovered Rue de Seine’s Desert Rose veil and Written in the Stars jacket that it hit her – duh, a celestial theme! “It was all too perfect and from that point on a celestial was all I could think about”, she said.

The ceremony itself was pretty simple by design. “We didn’t want a big wedding party around us,” Corey said. “Just us, our officiant, and our dog, Helo.” The music was chosen with the same intentionality. The bride walked in to Happiness Does Not Wait by Ólafur Arnalds. “It’s a song that carries so much emotion – joy, longing, sadness, hope. It felt like the right way to honour the full spectrum of what marriage really is.”

Tradition took a back seat throughout the day. There were no parent dances, no garter toss, no choreographed exits. Instead they had a first look with private vows, a private last dance, and a catering spread from Chuy’s that included queso, salsa, and banana pudding. “We didn’t want a big cake, we wanted dessert we actually like,” Corey explained. The late-night snack of PB&J sandwiches also went down a treat with everyone!

Most of the décor was kept simple, but rich tones and deep colours made the space feel on-theme. Corey created the invitations and signage herself after not vibing with the existing celestial-themed wedding templates. “A lot of it was just too kitschy for us, so I designed what felt right instead.”

Looking back, Corey has plenty of practical advice for future couples, such as like asking lots of questions and making choices to protect your own peace. “Set low expectations for family or wedding party involvement” she explained. “Everyone’s capacity to help will be different. We didn’t want to put pressure on people just because they were in our lives. It made the whole process so much easier.”