Celebrating Pride at Carroll Hall

A Safe, Inclusive Space for All

June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate love in all its forms, honor the history of the LGBTQ+ community, and recommit to creating a more inclusive and equitable future. At Carroll Hall, Pride isn’t just a moment on the calendar—it’s part of our foundation.

From the very beginning, Carroll Hall has stood for inclusivity, creativity, and connection. We believe that love is love, and that every couple deserves to feel fully seen, respected, and celebrated. Our botanical garden and event space in Brooklyn was designed to foster beauty, joy, and belonging—for everyone who walks through our doors.

Given the climate of the world today, these values matter more than ever. We recognize the responsibility we have not just to offer a stunning venue, but to make it a safe space—one where LGBTQ+ couples and guests can gather, celebrate, and feel at home.

A key part of that commitment is the incredible community of vendors we work with. We’re proud to partner with florists, photographers, planners, caterers, and creatives who share our mission—who treat all couples with dignity and care, and who show up with the same respect, warmth, and professionalism we hold as core values at Carroll Hall.

To all our LGBTQ+ couples, colleagues, and community members: You are welcome here. You are safe here. And you are celebrated here—not just in June, but all year long.

Justin McCallum (He/They)
Photographer

“Being a queer vendor has informed how I operate my business because I always want to approach my clients as a source of affirmation and comfort. Weddings can be so stressful, even if you're not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, that being a cheerleader for folks and making them feel supported is so paramount to make it a positive experience for everybody.”

Justin McCallum
Photographer
Justin McCallum Photography

“When there are still forces trying to quash our joy, safety, livelihoods and identities in the LGBTQ+, I feel so protective of that for my clients to serve as a barrier. When I was getting married, I was discriminated against - both unintentionally (like when a caterer heard there were two grooms and asked if it was double wedding) and very deliberately (being harassed by a store clerk and denied the chance to open a wedding registry) - so I never want to let that happen to my community or anyone my business serves.

I will always remember having the opportunity to photograph a marvelous lesbian couple who eloped from Texas to NYC before the Obergefell v Hodges ruling. They were very nervous and felt often the need to hide any affection they had for each other in their less welcoming home state, but getting to really encourage and affirm them helped them come out of their shell and feel more comfortable. They held their mini-ceremony in Central Park and the surprise and joy I saw on their faces as dozens of passersby would congratulate them or whoop and holler was such an honor to behold, and I feel so lucky to helped facilitate a bit of that for them.” 

Kate Bancroft-Wells (She/Her)
Photographer

My work and the way my business is run is very inclusive, which is a direct result of being queer. We are always looking for ways to improve our experience for every single person and that comes from knowing what it feels like to be othered and not wanting anyone to feel that way. 

Kate Bancroft-Wells
Photographer
Firework Photo Booth Co

“We love getting to work with LGBTQ+ clients who often assemble fully queer vendor teams. It's powerful to see the collective talent and love filling those rooms, overcoming adversity to thrive.

Pride Month is a time to reflect on where and how far we've come, learning from the past to pave the way forward. It's also a time to celebrate!”

Dani & Karla
Wedding Officiants

“Siblinghood - showing up as sibs for our couples and our fellow wedding pros like we do for one another - is what we're about. Dani has always been my fiercest ally and comrade who's never been able to ignore the disparities in treatment, access, and services available to communities we are a part of and love. From the start, she's worked to make Once Upon A Vow inclusive by aligning our business practices with our values. We regularly collaborate with like-minded creatives and progressive business owners to give back to our beloved communities.”

Dani and Karla
Wedding Officiants
Once Upon A Vow

“Siblinghood - showing up as sibs for our couples and our fellow wedding pros like we do for one another - is what we're about. Dani has always been my fiercest ally and comrade who's never been able to ignore the disparities in treatment, access, and services available to communities we are a part of and love. From the start, she's worked to make Once Upon A Vow inclusive by aligning our business practices with our values. We regularly collaborate with like-minded creatives and progressive business owners to give back to our beloved communities.

Dani created and brought me into the family business. She paved the way for me and made it safe for me to join her in this world of love and marriage as my authentic self. I am qariwarmi (Qechua word for 2-spirit/non-binary) and my little sis has my back! My queerness, like our Latinidad, impacts what we do simply because it's a part of who we are. ¡Somos familia!

I've been attending Pride celebrations since the late 90's. For me, they've mostly been about embracing and then embodying queer love and liberation - about our queer joy and rage fueling our individual and collective efforts towards co-creating a more just and loving world.

The first time I was able to celebrate Pride month without fear or reservation, however, was not until 2018 when I joined Once Upon A Vow and I'm eternally grateful for how this work helps keep me balanced and pumps me up to continue fighting for what's right.

Dani showed me that despite the fact that there is plenty of rainbow fam in the wedding industry, it never feels like enough. Learning that there are even fewer folx openly representing trans and gender expansive folx, particularly those who are also Latinx & Spanish-speaking or AFAB & masc or an immigrant who's also a veteran or a woo woo weirdo that's also political made me realize that my visibility matters. 

Just as it's been important for me to see others like me in spaces and places I want to be in and doing things I want to do, I know there may be someone out there who sees themselves in me too. So, regardless of how uncomfortable I may feel at any given moment about being in the spotlight for some aspect of my identity, I'll take it on the off-chance my presence helps someone else feel less alone or more like they belong.”

Nic + Jack

Photography: Karina Mekel
Venue: Carroll Hall
Event Design: Poppy + Lynn
Florals: Floral Designs by Sofie

Erin Smith
Marketing Coordinator
Carroll Hall

"I love working for a venue where everyone feels seen and included. At Carroll Hall, creating a safe, welcoming space for all couples is more than just a value — it’s something I care deeply about, and something we live every day as a team.

It’s truly special to witness couples share their love so openly in our garden and warehouse spaces — surrounded by nature, light, and the people who matter most. Whether it’s a quiet ceremony or a joyful celebration, every moment here feels meaningful and we are proud to be a part of it. “