Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Quori Theodor’s “Forest Rave” Catskills Wedding Was a Celebration of Community

For the wedding bands, Bobbi’s mother, of Kria Jewelry, made simple 18k yellow gold rings cast from hand-carved wax engraved with the phrase “don’t postpone joy” that they saw on a sign during that first date to Coney Island. “I felt pretty calm during the ceremony—giddy at times and at other times more grounded, with waves of gratitude,” Quori remembers of being soothed by the rocking of the dock. “It was powerful and surreal.” After the adrenal release of a run down the aisle, “I felt extremely present and full of energy,” says Bobbi, who was calmed by Tourmaline taking the lead. “I felt very cared for and truly loved, in this profound way—seeing everyone witnessing us and bringing their own presence to be shared was so moving. It felt so good to have our friends so woven into the ceremony as well. I felt really sure, looking at Quori across from me. I cried a bit, as I expected I might.”

For the recessional, Amandla Stenberg improvised a solo on their violin as Cherry Iocovozzi fixed a “perfect plate” for the couple to taste the food before it went out. In the meantime, there was more fashion. “The ceremony look evolved for dinner by removing the train, pannier, and veil,” says Bobbi. “I then added this amazing ‘big ring’ necklace from my designer friend Marland Backus that looks exactly like an oversized diamond ring, switched into some white fishmonger rain boots from Japan, and brought a dreamy archive Vaquera umbrella where the white fabric of the umbrella drapes down to the floor.” Quori also chose Miss Claire Sullivan for his reception look. “The final look was a custom balaclava made out of lingerie mesh with a giant satin rosette collar, a boxy cropped oversized suit jacket, coffee-dyed satin boxing shorts, a custom cummerbund, and a satin train designed as a backpack. The undershirt was a sheer tight garment with ostrich feathers stuck to my skin, which referenced Bobbi’s look—although we kept our main looks secret from one another.”

The food, of course, was the star of the show. (The cake, by Jen Monroe of Bad Taste, was even made in the shape of an actual star.) Guests made their way to a tent enveloped with pink satin and lace, complete with a U-shaped dining table with a buffer down the center. For the tablescape, “we installed the floral under a layer of nude mesh fabric, above layers of white linen. Lights were placed under the cloth to make it all glow,” says Bobbi. It would’ve been impossible to pick a single caterer “because our life is so steeped in food as a creative practice,” Quori shares. “Collaborator Precious Okoyomon and I individually have a conceptual food practice. We wanted multiple culinary voices from long-term relationships with fellow chefs and food artists—we reached out to this community and let them lead creative on their own individual dishes.” Highlights included Silver and Cherry Iocovozzi driving their new smoker from North Carolina (where they have their restaurant Neng Jr’s) and “smoking a whole pig from Lover’s Leap Farm”; a non-nicotine sweet cream butter vape that Angel Dimayuga started the meal off with “that was served with a Perilla Melon drink in one-of-a-kind ceramic goblets by artist Bibi Belo”; delights from ACQ Bread baker and fermentologist Orchid Lee like “sourdough milk bread to go with the pork” and a special dessert bread; “funk butter” cultured with Chaseholm Farms triple-cream brie in a base of butter from Normandy; fresh mochi from Mama Luli of Breakfast Club in Tokyo; and veggies grown at Gentle Time Farm “a transgender, cooperatively run farm focusing on Asian diasporic produce.” They also served beverages from Kin Euphorics and had guests BYOB. “We are both sober, so it was fun to have intentional non-alcoholic beverages.”