Rito & Garrett's Intimate Fall Wedding

A beautiful DIY home wedding with a personal ceremony at the AIDS memorial garden and a reception on the couple’s rooftop

9.23.23

Rito and Garrett had a crystal clear vision for their home wedding: celebrate on their rooftop with their closest friends and family as the sun sets behind them. For their ceremony, the couple wanted to pay tribute to the queer community and exchange vows at the AIDS garden on the lake. On a warm, early fall day in September, Rito and Garrett tied the knot in front of the iconic Keith Haring statue in the garden.

A gay couple exchanges vows at the AIDS Memorial Garden in Chicago.

One of my favorite things about a home wedding is the attention to detail. The couple asked their guests to wear monochrome, bright colors as a tribute to the LGBT+ rainbow flag, and their adorable dog accompanied them during the ceremony. The bright sun and lake breeze was just the cherry on top of such a gorgeous, meaningful ceremony. After their ceremony, we captured some photos of just Rito and Garrett walking along the water and enjoying their first moments as a newly married couple.

Following their ceremony, the couple moved to their rooftop for their reception. Their home wedding continued with amazing food, cocktails, and a picturesque sunset. Both Rito and Garrett made a thank you toast to their guests for coming, and it was clear their friends and family were touched. As the sun set behind the buildings, the string lights turned on, the music came on, and people started dancing and relaxing by the fire (dog included, of course!) It was the perfect way to end the day, and I loved every minute I spent with this couple.