While the presentations of New York Bridal Fashion Week showcase garments for buyers, press, and members of the wedding industry, recently engaged designers Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassel of Tanner Fletcher decided to host a special event for those actually about to tie the knot. On Friday, April 10—the last day of a very busy bridal week—the coupled creatives brought a handful of Etsy wedding vendors (as well as their newly debuted wedding and event fashions) to the rooftop of Nine Orchard on the Lower East Side for a wedding fair that was open to the public.
“Tanner and I are recently engaged and really went down this rabbit hole of planning a wedding,” Fletcher Kassel tells Vogue. Having previously partnered with Etsy for their September NYFW runway show, the pair dove into finding vendors on the platform they loved for their future celebration. It was this process that inspired the fair. “This is kind of the perfect opportunity to bring together our favorite things, and at the same time scope out potential things for our own wedding,” says Kassel. “We really wanted to have an opportunity to meet people who are part of our customer community we haven’t met before, meet some of Etsy’s customers, and meet some of the sellers that we’ll be working with for our wedding and for our events.” He adds, “I think it’s really community driven.”
Photo: Rey Photography
Earlier in the week, the designer duo showcased their weddings and events collection at St. Bartholomew Church on Park Avenue with a fairytale-inspired show full of florals, ruffles, fanciful suiting, and cake-inspired details. The presentation also featured a love story narrative, culminating in a breathtaking ballet pas de deux between a prince and his soon-to-be groom, both wearing pastel brocade jackets. Pieces from the collection were on display throughout the fair space. “We’re trying to make the wedding fair kind of an extension of the collection itself,” shares Kassel. “So it’s very English countryside with French antiques—almost like a secret garden or backyard wedding.”
