Natalie and Anni, who affectionately referred to themselves as ‘the bride and broom,’ had a wedding which merged their love for roller derby with the vibes of old Las Vegas and a touch of Britney Spears!

Their love story began in 2018 during their time at the Texas Roller Derby rookies program in Austin. Despite initially being opponents on the track, their connection blossomed into a beautiful romance. Fast forward to 2022, and they found themselves saying “I do” at the Sure Thing Chapel in Las Vegas.

“We knew we wanted our special day to reflect our personalities”, they told us, “fun, whimsical, with a touch of old Vegas. We were inspired by Britney Spears’ Vegas wedding!”

The couple began the day with a first look down the street from the chapel. They they arrived to their ceremony and walked down the aisle together. In a playful twist, their flower girl handed out $5 bills to guests rather than throwing flower petals, encouraging them to enjoy the vintage photo booth inside the chapel after the vows. The grand finale saw Natalie and Anni donning their roller skates, skating out of the chapel together.

Their wedding took place during the Life is Beautiful festival. With the surrounding streets closed it allowed them to capture amazing post-ceremony photos on their roller skates. “It was a fun and unique way to capture memories of our special day,” Anni shared.

Being a queer, non-binary couple posed challenges in navigating the traditional wedding industry, which is why they were very careful with who they worked with. “Navigating the wedding industry as an LGBTQ couple can be an overwhelming experience,” they said. “The lack of inclusivity and the limited options available in terms of accessories can be disheartening. It is unfortunate that many of the products and services cater to gendered norms, which may not align with the preferences and identities of queer individuals.”

“Moreover, finding welcoming venues and service providers can be a challenging
task. As a queer couple, we had to invest a considerable amount of energy into
ensuring that every person we collaborated with was not only an ally but genuinely willing to cater to the needs and desires of a queer couple. This process involved careful vetting and open conversations to ensure that our wedding was a celebration of love and inclusivity.”

“Despite these obstacles, our determination to create a memorable and meaningful wedding persisted. We actively sought out vendors who were LGBTQ-friendly and supportive, aiming to surround ourselves with individuals who understood the significance of our union. By doing so, we were able to curate an experience that reflected our authentic selves and celebrated our love in a way that was true to who we are as a couple. While the wedding industry still has progress to make in terms of inclusivity and accessibility, our experience navigating through it has taught us the importance of advocating for ourselves and seeking out vendors who genuinely embrace diversity.”