One Couple's Chic Wedding Inspired by "The Princess and the Frog" at 501 Union in Brooklyn, New York
Not only did this couple lean into fairytale inspiration for their wedding, but their love story also started much like a fairytale—with a few obstacles to overcome. “Ty and I met at a birthday party when we were both 21,” Janelle Kelty explains. “I said I didn’t want to go, but my best friend insisted, and thank goodness she did. I was instantly attracted to Ty and told my best friend, to which she promptly responded, 'no!' as they were not homies. My friend’s resistance, of course, made her even more appealing.” Despite her efforts, Janelle and Tiara (Ty) Carroll remained just friends for seven years, supporting one another’s personal and professional endeavors until the stars aligned romantically for them in 2015.
After getting on one knee—and in the sand, no less—in 2019, Ty popped the question, and the to-be-weds began the difficult task of narrowing down an overarching theme for their big day. “I wanted the wedding to feel like Disney’s Princess Tiana had a nightclub. Our planner and her team over-delivered, making dreams come true that we didn’t know existed,” says Janelle. The couple selected green and gold as the leading colors to reflect the movie, pulling in tons of greenery and shying away from too many blooms, as Ty is allergic to flowers.
When choosing their wedding-day looks, both women decided to stay true to their personal styles. “Ty and her Best Bros had suit custom-made—it was super important to Ty that her sister and friends be suited up and sexy. So her Best Bros wore brilliant blue suits while Ty’s jacket was a slightly lighter blue with a lovely pattern overlay, an iridescent shine, black lapels and a black bow tie,” describes Janelle. After a disappointing search for her own ensemble, Janelle’s good friend persuaded her to explore a dress store that had been off her radar, Brides by Young in New Jersey, where she was finally able to find “the one.” Her off-white gown featured a shimmering base underneath a delicate lace overlay, straps bedecked with sparkles and a plunging neckline for an element of sensuality.
On the morning of their June wedding, each to-be-wed met their respective wedding party to sip cocktails, laugh and get ready for the day. Janelle donned a glamorous pink robe with a train of tulle to ready herself, while Ty’s outfit included a lovely handkerchief with the words “Happy Tears” embroidered in blue. “Matching my wedding jewelry, bangles and drop earrings, I also wore a rose-gold crown atop a mass of curled locs,” Janelle details. “And—surprising if you don’t know me, totally sensible if you do—on my feet, I wore customized Converse sneakers.”
Friends and family of the couple gathered in the chic-but-verdant ceremony space, finding their seats on sleek black chairs that matched the dark details of the room. The aisle was flanked with overgrown bouquets of green that matched the tiered altar setup, which featured hanging, planter-box and spilling leaves. As the couple descended the aisle, a small layer of smoke followed, making them look like they were walking on a cloud, and Janelle’s younger sister sang a different rendition of the song, “He Loves Me”—“She Loves Me.” “We had amazing greenery lining the aisles, creating our wedding altar. The greenery was a huge part of my vision for the day; I wanted it to feel like a magical bayou, and it definitely did!”
The reception space incorporated the same ample vibe, displaying overgrown looks over chic lounge furniture and high-top cocktail tables featuring texted linens. The skylight above and the spherical chandeliers added just enough light into the space, and suspended vines completed the black-and-green look. “As a lesbian couple, we wanted to incorporate a few rainbow pride flags into our decor, as well as elephants—they are our favorite animal and closely linked to our business,” says Janelle.
While the dancing, laughing and merriment was the newlyweds’ gift to their guests, their wedding planner had a special surprise just for the newlyweds—each member of the wedding party held a different color smoke bomb to take a pretty epic photo. “We came outside and discovered that we would be making our own rainbow, along with our bridal party! It was so unbelievably gorgeous to watch the colored smoke billow into the sky,” beams Janelle. “However, it also set off a smoke alarm near our super-safe venue, which then led to us taking pictures with fire trucks and being congratulated personally by FDNY,” she laughs. “The intended and unintended memories are equally amusing.”
