Alex and Bryon Featured on Brides

Alex and Byron had a show stopping vibrant wedding in Southern California. Their wedding was featured on Brides and here is the article:

“Though Bryon and Alex were both on Bumble when they met in 2018, they each had their settings limited to matches only within 20 miles: With Alex living in Venice, California, and Bryon in Montclair, they were more than 30 miles outside each other’s range—too far for the app to connect them. “Fun fact about the night we matched on Bumble is that we only matched together because I was in LA for a party one night,” says Bryon. “Since we lived pretty far apart, we decided to meet halfway in Pasadena at a bar called The Speakeasy on December 29, 2018.”

Nearly four years later, in February 2022, Alex and Bryon took an Uber to a secret date-night location Alex had chosen. “The Uber was longer than normal for our date nights, so I was really stumped trying to figure out where we were going,” says Bryon. “Forty minutes later we arrive in a back alley, and the door opens to a bouncer asking for a password. We walked through a back kitchen, and I still had no idea where we were.” As the staff pulled open a curtain, they revealed the same restaurant where the couple had their first date: This time, rented out just for the two of them, and filled with candles. “I was in shock, and then he asked me to marry him! I, of course, said yes!” says Bryon. “The crazy thing about where they set up the table was that, out of all the places to set it up, they set it up at the same table we sat at on our first date. It was really more than I could have ever imagined.” After the proposal, Bryon took Alex to Cartier to pick out an engagement ring of his own. “Alex is more low key and didn’t want anything elaborate,” says Bryon. “He found the perfect ring and after I bought it, I proposed to him in the store.”

Alex and Bryon set out to plan their May 30, 2024, wedding on their own, “but it was becoming overwhelming,” they say—so it was “the easiest decision” to hire Heather Balliet of Amorology to take the lead. “The process was fun once we started working with Heather and her team,” says Bryon. “They made things so much easier and helped us during the whole process to stay on track—from picking a photographer, finding décor, and scheduling everything leading up to that day, Amorology just made it seamless and easy.”

The couple decided to draw inspiration for their wedding-day aesthetic from their favorite hotel—the Parker Palm Springs—with a vibrant citrus color palette (starring the Minted + BRIDES Wedding Color of the Year 2025, Verona Sunset!), subtle hotel-themed details, and what they call a “Palm Springs vibe.” Their venue, Hart and Main in Santa Clarita, California, offered a similar aesthetic, plus plenty of outdoor space for the cocktail hour and reception. “When we selected the venue they had only been open for two months and were still getting the place together, but we could see the vision and just fell in love with the space,” says Bryon. 

The details of the day included a “main character moment” dress code for their 104 guests (”Everyone really got into the dress code theme, and to see all our guests so excited to go all out was amazing,” says Bryon); an elevated menu with pizza and salad; and the couple’s favorite ice cream for dessert. “We wanted the wedding to be a day of our favorite things as a couple: We both love fashion, drinks, and food, so we tried to make sure there was a little bit of ‘Alex and Bryon’ in everything,” says the couple.

In the highlight reel, one moment stands out: Alex’s family, who traveled to the celebration from England, met Bryon’s family for the first time at the couple’s welcome party the night before the wedding. “It was beautiful to see how well everyone got along and connected to make lasting memories and friendships,” says the couple. “We are both so happy we met each other and can now share the rest of our lives together. We always say it’s so crazy we matched that one night, and how we had no idea on our first date that we would be just what the other person needed—and now we love and embrace our differences because together it only makes us stronger.” Ahead, see every vibrant, upbeat detail, as captured by Lucy Munoz Photography.

Both grooms turned to Alexander McQueen for their complementary wedding looks—a nod to their first movie date, when Alex talked Bryon into watching a documentary on the designer (his favorite). “After watching that film, I fell in love with Alexander McQueen as well and knew we had to wear something from him for our wedding. He and his designs hold a special place in our hearts,” says Bryon.  

Though the men had done their research on styles before visiting the store, they changed their mind the moment they walked in. “I immediately saw this dramatic white draped suit,” says Bryon. “It had all the drama I was looking for! And Alex found a black double-lapel suit, which was the last one in his size. It was meant to be.”

Alex and Bryon’s enthusiasm for the label even inspired their sales associate to put them on the invitation list for an exclusive brand party. “We met amazing people who shared the same love of Alexander McQueen as we did,” says Bryon. “It was the best experience we could have asked for when finding one of the most important outfits of our life.”

While bringing in big-name vendors for some elements of their event, Alex and Bryon also enlisted local experts—including florist Juan Renteria of el Creativo—to diversify their aesthetic. “Because we wanted our suits to be the focal point, we asked for a simple boutonnière,” says Bryon. “Juan came up with a ‘spider’ boutonniere that worked well with our looks and style.”

The men also chose complementary Cartier rings and Alexander McQueen loafers with steel detailing on the heels.

The couple used pillars in the same shade of orange to hold arrangements of flowers, foliage, and fruit. “We wanted the flowers to mirror the colors we think of when we go to the Parker—so, lots of citrus, orange, green, and red,” says Bryon. “We wanted the flowers to be a little bit messier than put together; we also wanted to incorporate not only flowers but fruits as well. Juan brought our vision to life: He knew we didn’t want traditional flowers, but more statement flowers that would warm up the event space with bright, vibrant colors.”

A professional disco ball dancer directed guests toward the cocktail hour with a sign that referenced Bryon’s love for Beyoncé (more quotes from the singer were incorporated throughout the reception). Soft sofas, gold and bronze accents, and muted lime fabrics brought the couple’s sophisticated style to their lounge areas. “Alex and I both really love fashion, so on our invite we told everyone, ‘There is no bride to outshine and no color to avoid. Cocktail attire is suggested, creativity is encouraged, and giving yourself a glamorous main character moment is definitely recommended,’” says Bryon. “Seeing how the guests showed up was the best part—people went all out, and it was perfect.”

“That day you could feel so much love in the space,” says the couple. “Everyone there said it was the first wedding they came to where they could see how happy everyone was to be together celebrating our love. Most of the guests had never been to a gay wedding before, so to see everyone from a conservative Christian background, all coming together to celebrate us, was amazing.”

Instead of committing to a single tablescape, Alex and Bryon chose two different arrangements designed by their planner. “Heather and her team created place settings for the reception that had two different feels/vibes to them,” says Bryon. “This really made the reception décor stand out, in my opinion, because everything wasn’t all the same. They played with the colors of the flowers to the napkins to the plates to create a colorful moment on the tables and around the venue that really made the space feel like a Palm Springs getaway.”

Alex and Bryon treated their guests to their favorite dessert instead of cake: Dipped-on-the-spot ice cream from Afters in flavors that included cookie monster, mango sorbet, cookie butter, salted Oreo, and cereal milk. “Everyone loved the more casual approach to the reception, and said it did really make it feel like they were just at a fun party,” says Bryon.

The disco ball dancers also hit the dance floor, keeping the energy up alongside custom mixes from DJ Austo. “They were the hype people to get people on the dance floor, and to interact with guests and take pictures,” says Bryon. 

As the men decided on each individual element of their day, they tried to balance a memorable experience for their guests with an aesthetic that felt like their own. “The hard part was trying to plan a wedding that we hoped everyone would love, but still be true to us,” says Bryon. “We started off thinking of our wedding as how we will make other people happy and have fun, but then we realized that this day is about us and celebrating our love: The people that will be there love us, so they will love whatever we come up with. We wanted it to just feel like a big party to celebrate our love and the joining of two families.”

Photography Lucy Munoz

Venue Hart and Main

Wedding Planning and Event Design Amorology

Flowers el Creativo 

Day-of Paper Products Four Things Paper

Music Austo Entertainment

Catering The Urban Oven

Dessert Afters Ice Cream

Rentals Folklore