When Aemilia Madden and Dylan Reitz-Cruz first connected on Hinge in 2022, her profile said she was looking for someone with “good taste in snacks and hikes.” Dylan messaged, asking her what “bad taste in hikes” looked like. After chatting and discovering their shared interest in the author Michael Pollan and the podcast 99% Invisible, she stopped responding. Luckily, Dylan double-messaged her, and she met him for drinks at Izzy Rose in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
Though their first date was a classic bar meet-up, the second date was special. “Dylan planned a date in Greenwood Cemetery, making good on the ‘hikes and snacks’ conversation, planning a walk and picnic,” Aemilia recalls. Aemilia had gone to pre-school in Oakland, California, next to the city’s Mountain View Cemetery, and grew up taking daily walks through the cemetery. “When I told my family, they had a good feeling about him, and said he knew me shockingly well.”
In June 2025, Dylan proposed to Aemilia on a camping trip in the Adirondacks. While the weekend started out stormy, the second day of the trip was sunny and clear. “We canoed to a private rock outcropping to swim,” where he proposed, Aemilia recalls. “When we canoed back to camp, Dylan had secretly packed a vintage tablecloth, candle, and a bottle of champagne. We made deep dish pizza over our campfire, spread the tablecloth over our cooler, and had a romantic candlelight camping dinner to celebrate.” The next day, Dylan surprised her with a visit to Hemlock Neversink, where they hiked, went to the spa, and later met up with Dylan’s family for a celebratory dinner.
When it came time to plan the wedding, Aemilia and Dylan’s creative backgrounds meant they had clear visions of what they wanted. Aemilia is a freelance fashion and lifestyle journalist, editorial brand consultant, and author of the newsletter Taestebud, while Dylan is an artist and 3D and visual designer at David Yurman. They decided to have an intimate wedding in Dylan’s parents’ backyard in the Hudson Valley, doing all of the planning, design, and outreach to vendors on their own, and enlisting Serena Bruce as a coordinator to help achieve their vision.
They held the wedding on June 20, and got legally married at City Hall weeks beforehand. For the Hudson Valley ceremony, Aemilia wore a Kamparett dress, Prounis earrings, Alaia wedges, and an antique wax flower crown from eBay. Dylan wore a green Paul Smith suit, Bode shirt, and green Aime Leon Dore derby shoes. “The crown came when I was researching potential alternatives to a veil. I knew I wanted something different, and learned about these antique wax flower crowns inspired by Queen Victoria’s orange blossom crown from her own wedding,” she says.
“I ended up finding my dress on a whim. I knew my mom, who lived in California, really wanted to be with me when I tried on dresses, and hadn’t had the chance since I was doing my shopping in New York,” Aemilia says.
She made an appointment at Kamparett, as she loved the simple elegance of their designs. “On a Saturday morning in December, my mom, sister, and I went together to try on dresses, and I knew it was the one. The fabric glowed, and it had these gorgeous princess seams. I felt like myself, but also otherworldly when I put it on,” Aemilia says. “I also loved that I was bringing a bit of home into the big day by choosing a San Francisco designer.”
For her wedding hair, “I jokingly told my stylist Collin that my inspiration was an Olsen sister running through a field,” she says. “I wanted it to feel romantic and a little imperfect, wavy and half-up. He crafted a beautiful braid detail in the back that helped to keep the crown secure.” For the welcome party, she wore a vintage Christian Dior dress from The RealReal and Tory Burch sandals. For the after party, she wore a Prada dress. The couple’s wedding bands and Aemilia’s engagement ring were made by their friend Nicole Hendry.
The ceremony took place in the field behind Dylan’s parents’ house, right around 5:30 pm. “We stood under a pear tree, surrounded by flowers and tall grass. Dylan walked down the aisle with his parents to ‘Thinkin’ Bout You,’ a Flea cover of the Frank Ocean song, and I walked down the aisle with my parents to ‘Our House’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,” Aemilia says. “We kept it very simple, no real processional, just us.” They stood on a platform hand-built by Dylan’s father, Stuart, and Aemilia’s brother-in-law, Jack.
Dylan’s best friend, Paul, officiated. “We wrote our own vows, which coincidentally, both centered around the same topic: making your own luck,” Aemilia says. Because Dylan is a lifelong Knicks fan who grew up in the city, Aemilia’s vows included a quote from Knicks head coach Mike Brown, in celebration of the team’s historic win a week before the wedding.
“I had that feeling where time seems to become more elastic,” says Dylan, thinking back to the ceremony. “The day went so fast, and I wanted more time with everyone, my family, friends, and wife! I felt full, felt loved, and full of love.”
After cocktail hour, they had pizza and wine. They danced their first dance to “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies, and danced to a mix of bachata (in homage to Dylan’s Dominican family), and what Aemilia calls “middle school dance music.” Dylan’s dad surprised everyone with fireworks. They danced for hours, eventually falling asleep at 4 a.m.
Reflecting on the wedding, Dylan says: “We set out to do something that felt like an expression of ourselves, our love and relationship, to host an ambitious party that was also full of emotion, and while it was all dressed up, it still felt very homey and handmade and personal. I kind of think we nailed it. “I feel so lucky,” Aemilia says.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 1/73At the courthouse with Dylan’s parents as our witnesses, waiting to make it official.
We wanted to make a cute day of signing the paperwork, so we said our vows at 11 and went to the Odeon for steak and martinis at noon.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 3/73Making it official!
Walking out of the iconic doors with Dylan’s dad, Stuart, cheering us on.
On the steps outside of the courthouse.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 6/73My jacket is from Christopher John Rogers, and I loved that it felt very city-hall. A little prim, a little playful. I wore a J.Crew skirt and blue Manolos.
The welcome sign for our wedding. Dylan’s dad drew it by hand inspired by the design of our invites (which Dylan also designed himself!) We’re a DIY family.
Getting ready with my hair stylist Colin, makeup artist Mitch, and my mom. I’d worked with both Colin and Mitch before, so I trusted them and felt so comfortable on the day.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 9/73My friends Alex, Martina, and Tori hanging out with me getting ready.
My shoes, from Alaia, and my earrings, from Prounis.
A mix of vintage glasses. Dylan’s mom collects them, so we thought a wedding would be the perfect occasion to finally break them all out. We used them to set the table.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 12/73Dylan looking handsome. He wore a Paul Smith suit and a Bode shirt. Our friend Alay couldn’t be there, but is a big watch guy, so he lent Dylan a matching watch.
I think I ran home mid getting-ready at the Airbnb across the street because I needed my sticky bra. Clearly I interrupted Dylan’s getting ready shoot.
Dylan getting ready.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 15/73Zipping up my dress with my mom and my sister. I knew I wanted a pretty sleek dress—it’s a backyard wedding, after all. I found this Kamparett dress on a trip home in San Francisco with my mom and sister. It felt like a nod to California to get to wear it on the wedding day.
After I got ready, I walked back over to the house to do a first look with Dylan.
Dylan and I saying hi. It was a pretty low-key first look—more like a moment to just be together before the chaos, and to take a few photo together. We’re outside of the cabin on the property where we slept after the party ended.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 18/73Me, excited (I wasn’t nervous yet, that came a little later). I never felt like a veil girl, and I had this vision strike me of wearing an antique wax flower crown (no idea where it came from), so I spent months scouring eBay to find one that was old but didn’t feel out of place.
Shooting some photos together pre-wedding was such a nice way to get a little alone time. I spent the morning split in so many directions, I loved getting to just slow down for a moment.
The green suit and floral textures were meant to reflect and be a nod to the setting—verdant, summery, everything in bloom.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 21/73Here we’re posing in front of the antique grain silo that’s on the property. We ended up stringing lights from the silo for the party, too.
McGuire, our photographer, was great at keeping things light and playful. We genuinely were all just having a fun time.
Walking out to the street, this was the gated area where all of our guests arrived for the ceremony.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 24/73Dylan and me, up close.
My engagement ring, which Dylan and I designed with our friend Nicole Hendry. It has a Montana sapphire and two small diamonds, and was inspired by Dylan’s mom’s rings and my trips to the gem show in Tucson.
Dylan’s dad Stuart, working down to the wire. We spent months working on the property to fix it up for the event. We built rock walls, painted, planted, watered everything! We told Stuart it was ok to take a break now that the day had arrived.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 27/73Stuart and my brother-in-law Jack built a small platform that was set in the middle of the backyard field. We wanted to do the ceremony in front of the old pear tree that sits there.
Dylan and my families all together.
The welcome cocktail set-up that greeted guests when they arrived.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 30/73A sign our friend Claire had made for our Friday welcome party. It was so pretty, we ended up hanging it up for the big event too. I believe it was an antique pillowcase
The flower arrangements done by Molly Ford of Flowers by Ford. I love that while extravagant and lucious, they also blended in so beautifully with the setting.
Our welcome cocktails. Each was inspired by a drink at one of our favorite spots in our neighborhood in Brooklyn, Clinton Hill. There was a white negroni in homage to The Fly, a passionfruit margarita-ish drink inspired by a cocktail at Doris, and a vodka spritz cocktail inspired by Izzy Rose (where we had our first date).
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Photo: McGuire McManus 33/73Guests starting to arrive.
Drinks in antique wash bins, strategically placed for easy access.
Guests in repose.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 36/73Everyone filing towards the ceremony.
Walking arm in arm with my parents Stuart and Cristian. —Dylan
I asked my mom and dad to walk me down the aisle together. I had to buy my dad this Alex Mill suit, he’s not a suit guy.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 39/73The ceremony started around 5 p.m. The day was perfect, high 70s with a little breeze.
Dylan is a lifelong Knicks fan, and we got married just a few days after they cinched the championship. My speech referenced a quote from head coach Mike Brown. Both of our speeches accidentally hit the same topic: making your own luck.
Luckily you can’t see me tearing up. I was nervous right before I walked down the aisle, but I felt very present up there on stage.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 42/73The good stuff.
Ready to start celebrating.
Literally running down the aisle, so excited.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 45/73The finishing touches going on the table.
Guests at the start of cocktail hour.
We really just took a quick moment inside the house before coming back out to rejoin the guests.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 48/73Friends milling about, it felt so special to have all of the people from different parts of our lives come together and finally get to meet. A mingling of the minds!
A little moment of Dylan and I with my mom.
Since we had the wedding in the backyard of Dylan’s parents, their beautiful home became a staging area for everything. Their home is from the 1800s, and it’s full of cool old details, art, and family photos. —Aemilia
A collection of old photos that includes family members who couldn’t attend, such as my late uncle Ramon. Along with some fun childhood pictures and artworks. —Dylan
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Photo: McGuire McManus 51/73Getting to finally mingle with my friends. We chose a semi-silly dress code we called “bucolic cocktail” and everyone rose to the occasion.
As a gift, Dylan and I handmade seed packets. Together we spent a week stamping each one, and filling them with wildflower seeds that are native to the Napa Valley.
All of our name cards were set on little veggies. We used asparagus, potatoes, little snap peas, even onions.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 54/73Our table settings (including the vintage glasses). We also used vintage table clothes and vases we collected. Dylan designed the menu to match our invites, and friends of my sister made our custom candles. They have a little business hand-dipping candles in Berkeley called Spiral Wick.
My bouquet was done by Molly Ford of Flowers by Ford. I wanted the florals to all feel like they could have been gathered from a field nearby. I love that she used garlic scapes, and even little strawberries.
After the ceremony, we took a moment to shoot some golden hour pictures.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 57/73More golden hour pics. After spending months worried about it, the weather could not have been more beautiful.
Dylan’s sister Rocky and her girlfriend Emma, looking stunning, as usual. They were working with us in the week up to the event getting everything ready. We couldn’t have done it without them!
For dinner, we worked with Romanaccio—they brought a pizza oven and made the most delicious seasonal pies for our guests.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 60/73Before dinner, we wanted to address our guests, and give them some context of why we were having this celebration now, some backstory on the location and our families, acknowledging those who couldn’t be in attendance, and thanking everyone for coming and making it such a special day.
A top-view of dinner. On the table was wine from Bricoleur Vineyards, which is a Sonoma County winery located right by where my sister lives.
Dylan and I giggling over my mom’s speech.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 63/73Soaking up the love during speeches.
My sister gave a speech during the wedding, and happens to also be pregnant. Here I’m giving a kiss to my future niece Faye, who was born in early September.
My best friend Amanda giving her speech.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 66/73Our first dance to “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies.
We hung a disco ball from the tree over the grass. Here it is mid-spin.
We’re not really cake people, so we decided to serve tiramisu—a dessert we both love. The team at Romanaccio used local strawberries for a seasonal touch.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 69/73Action shot of the party starting to turn up post-meal.
I changed into this sparkly number from Prada for the end of the night.
Dylan’s dad and sister keeping the party going! Stuart holds down the dance floor like no one else.
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Photo: McGuire McManus 72/73Our evening surprise for guests was fireworks, set off by Dylan’s dad.
We tore up the dance floor before finally falling asleep at 4 a.m.
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