A Stoop Wedding in Brooklyn

Maddy and Cory wanted their wedding to be low-key and sweet, so they held it on their Brooklyn stoop. Their dog, Wally, watched from the apartment window, and their upstairs neighbor served as officiant. Here, Maddy walks us through the day…

“Cory and I got ready together in our apartment, just like a regular weekend morning. We took Wally on a long walk around the neighborhood; then we came back and drank tea and coffee and hung out on our couch, chatting about our day.”

“My mom arrived early. She never gets her makeup done, but our makeup artist had time to do hers; she was amazed by how a pair of fake eyelashes change your entire look.”

“I found the dress shortly after we got engaged. Even though I had it in a garment bag for over a year, Cory never looked. I love how comfortable the dress was with long sleeves and a mock neck.”

“I also wanted a party shoe, and I loved that these added color and sparkle. Now I’m waiting for someone else’s wedding so I can wear them again.”

“Here, I’m smiling at my dad, who was waiting to walk me to the stoop. Even though our hallway is pretty disgusting with the stained carpet, cracked banister, and laundry door behind me, this photo is kind of perfect. Cory and I have experienced so much here; this building is our home.”

“Our neighbor, Madison, was our officiant. We met her and her partner when they moved into the upstairs apartment after the pandemic began. Since none of us were going out or socializing much, we ended up spending a lot of time together on our stoop. Madison put so much care into making our ceremony beautiful. She even created an incredible questionnaire for Cory and me so she could gather stories about our relationship.”

“Our families and neighbors attended. I’ve lived in New York for more than 10 years, and this is the first time that I’ve ever been friends with my neighbors. We joke that our building is kind of like Seinfeld. We’re always in each other’s apartments or talking in the hallway. Our downstairs neighbor just got married in the backyard, and Madison officiated theirs, too.”

“Wedding kisses are stressful. People look weird kissing — it’s hard to know if your hands are in the right place or if your face is smushed — but I think ours came out okay!”

“During our wedding, there was still the usual traffic. A trash truck drove by, and they waved and honked. We signed our marriage certificate on the hood of this random Jeep parked on our street, and a roofing truck went by as we were signing.”

“The scaffolding next to our building has been up for three years. It’s an eyesore, but the perfect metaphor for the city: you have this beautiful flower-adorned stoop at one angle, and then you turn your head and there’s this ugly, but necessary, scaffolding. Cory and I have learned that the magic of New York City is all about perspective.”

“Our stoop feels like the most special spot, and we couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. When I’m walking through the door, I’m sometimes tired and carrying a bunch of groceries and just go inside. But there are other days when it hits me that, wow, this building holds so many memories, and now our wedding is one of them.”

Thank you so much, Maddy and Cory!

P.S. Seven NYC city hall weddings, a wedding at home, and would (or did) you do a first look?

(Photos by Karen Hill. Flowers by Alex Brannian.)