WEDDING WISDOM: RIGEL & CAMERON

Rigel & Cameron

To us, there’s nothing better to see than couples that fit together like a puzzle piece.

Instagram influencer Rigel and artist Cameron first met at a bar in San Francisco in 2011. “I looked around and everyone in the bar seemed to have their game face on, you know, sizing people up- but then I looked across the room at Rigel and you could tell that he had the most infectious energy,” Cameron says of his first meeting with his partner.

“Cameron walked up to me and told me I had a nice smile,” Rigel laughs. “There was definitely some drinking involved.”

“From there it was history. We basically instantly started dating. We saw each other every day and even took the bus to meet each other, so that’s how we knew it was real,” they laugh.

“I tried really hard to keep it together the first four months, but then I realized we were both weird anyways,” Rigel said. “Cameron skips around the apartment and talks to himself. I wear sparkly clothes and leggings, so we’re both pretty weird!”

“To be fair, I watched a lot of cartoons when I was younger,” Cameron protests.

From there, their relationship moved from strength to strength–from rooming with 6 people in San Francisco to moving into a beautiful brick loft in LA together, to planning their engagement rings as a couple.

“We custom-designed our rings. We wanted something that was more bold than the traditional man’s wedding band, but nothing too large and ornate,” they said. “We eventually settled on a white gold band with a yellow diamond in the center.”

From talk of rings, naturally, followed talk of engagements.

“Cameron’s a much more slow-paced guy than me–I’m more like an excitable puppy. I eventually started reminding him once every month about getting engaged, but I knew that I had to wait for Cameron to propose to me,” Rigel laughs.

“I come from a family of divorced parents, so I’m much more cautious about this kind of thing. But eventually, I just realized that nothing much would change if we got married, because we already knew everything there was to know about each other,” Cameron said.

The two eventually finalized their proposal with a trip to Barcelona, where they went to a labyrinth , found a dead-end path, and Cameron eventually got on one knee to take their relationship to the next level.

Despite their lack of a wedding planner, the two did an admirable job of making their special day just right. While the two initially wanted a big wedding in LA, they eventually settled on a small wedding with just family and very close friends.

“To keep the ceremony very small, we had a pretty strict filter with who we wanted to invite to our wedding. We decided that we would only invite people who had been an active part of our relationship from the very beginning and who knew us both equally well,” they said of choosing guests.

Finally, the time came for their special day. The couple had several activities planned for their guests over the Labor Day weekend, from a mimosa brunch to a trip to a family art project.

“We wanted significant one-on-one time with each guest,” Cameron said.

“We were invited by Colleen of Langwood Barn in Cornish, NH to have our wedding at her property – she was married to J. D. Salinger (who passed in 2010) and now runs the estate in Cornish, NH. This became a prideful, historic connection for our ceremony. She is a friend of my parents and a community leader. We were so honored that she supported us in creating our celebration,” the couple said about their venue choice.

The couple decided to pick out their suits that contrasted with the all-white theme of the wedding.

“Mr. Turk is my go-to designer. His suits are beautifully designed, delightfully creative, and they fit perfectly every time. The fabrics are always unique and surprisingly comfortable. And the bold patterns give what I call a "California dapper" flair. We are extremely grateful to Mr. Turk for providing both of our suits and shirts for the ceremony. The suits were exquisite,” Rigel said on their choice of suits.

Unsurprisingly, of course, the two found their dream suits almost as soon as they entered the store. And so, dressed in outfits of maroon and black & gold, Rigel, Cameron and their guests arranged themselves in a semi-circle on a hill at their wedding venue. Their guests all wore white.

“We actually used my parents’ wedding vows at our wedding,” Rigel said. “And it worked out perfectly, too. As I said my vows, I started bawling so hard that I could barely talk,” he laughed.

No wedding is complete without exquisite photography to accompany it, and Rigel and Cameron left no stone unturned in their quest for a picture-perfect wedding.

“Brianne Seekins of Belfast, Maine came all the way out to our wedding. She charged a very modest fee and produced such lovely images. She was professional and captured every moment of our day,” the couple said.

Rigel and Cameron may have had their actual wedding in a court two years before their “wedding reaffirmation,” as they called it, but that didn’t make their day any less magical. Instead of rings, they exchanged flower stoles, and with their closest friend, Jane Choi, as the officiant, they set out on their journey into everlasting love. The two had their honeymoon the year before in Costa Rica’s most LGBTQ+ friendly town, Manuel Antonio, and stayed at the Gaia Hotel & Reserve.

“If I had any advice to give, I would say that when you’re planning a wedding alone, you’ll definitely need a few of your friends to help you out with last-minute things,” Rigel says of undertaking such a massive task alone.

Clearly, these puzzle pieces were meant to be together. Rigel and Cameron’s story isn’t just one of everlasting love, but also one of teamwork and determination to make the perfect wedding more than just a dream.

More Vendor Details:

Alcohol

Purity Vodka – a premium, organic vodka from Sweden – graciously provided enough vodka for the entire wedding. The vodka tastes delicious. Winc Wines - formerly Club W – provided Rosé for our pre-ceremony mixer. Their "Summer Water" is a refreshing, dry rosé that's absolutely great!

Florals

Rigel and Cameron hired local floral artist, and close family friend, Peggy of Song Garden Flower Farm to create beautiful, unique floral "stoles," which to them represented an open-ended lei/boa. They chose the exact flowers to be included in their design from the garden, which included a mix of bright summery tones and moody fall tones. The result was stunning and we they kept these and dried them to cherish. She also created hand bouquets that the grooms' mothers carried as they processed into the circle.

Catering

The amazing food was provided by Anne’s Plainfield Country Convenience Store, a local, gourmet gathering spot in Plainfield, NH on Route 12-A. The menu was delicious and Anne's service was impeccable.

Decor

80% of the grooms' decor came from Amazon.com – from uplighting to crystals to gauze drapery, Amazon made everything easy and affordable. Another portion came from local stores like Michael's, The Party Store, and even the dollar store and Wal-Mart. Decor doesn't need to be expensive, it just needs to produce an effect. So "hacks" like the Dollar Store and other discount stores are great for elements like table settings, flatware, and small decorative items.

Centerpieces

At the recommendation of a friend, the gents used GlobalRoses.com to order 200 roses to create centerpieces for the tables.

Tent rental

Rigel found Under Cover Tents by searching online for affordability, and they took care of set up and removal of all tents and seating for the dinner tent. They did a great job and were very professional.

Pies

The pies were provided by a local pie baker, Doug Moulton. All the pies were local, seasonal creations: Strawberry Rhubarb, Raspberry Peach, Apple, and more.

Marriage Bands

Kyle Chan Design created Rigel and Cameron's custom bands. He has designed custom jewelry for celebrities like Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, and Vanderpump Rules cast members. The gents went a different route from the traditional men’s bands and opted to include a yellow diamond. The bands are thick without being too bulky on the hand.

- By Nisha Venkant