TJ & Delaney: A Biltmore Estate Wedding
For TJ and Delaney, their celebration at the iconic Biltmore Estate was a deeply personal homecoming, returning to the very place where their engagement unfolded to begin the next chapter of their lives together. Thoughtfully designed with intention, impeccable hospitality and an editorial eye for detail, every moment reflected not only their shared love of beautiful experiences, but the journey that brought them there. From heartfelt traditions to unexpected touches and a celebration that honoured both their relationship and the significance of marriage equality, TJ and Delaney created a wedding that was as meaningful as it was unforgettable.
Photography Abby Jiu | Location Biltmore Estate, North Carolina, USA
THEODORE Mag: How and when did you meet?
Delaney: It started in the DMs. I slid into TJ’s Instagram with a casual "howdy." What was meant to be a quick exchange turned into months of effortless conversation. When we finally agreed to meet in person, the connection was instant. We navigated a year of long-distance dating—constantly flying back and forth between Dallas and D.C.—before TJ ultimately made the move to Washington.
THEODORE Mag: Tell us a little about that first time you met…
Delaney and TJ: The connection was immediate and undeniable. We skipped the usual surface-level first-date pleasantries and dove straight into the heavy hitters: politics, religion, dreams, family, and what we wanted out of life. Our official first date that evening was at Ambar in Eastern Market, and we ended up spending the entire weekend together, exploring D.C. and realizing very quickly that this was something permanent.
THEODORE Mag: What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Delaney: TJ’s effortless ability to make people around him feel comfortable and seen, and the magnetic warmth he brought into the room.
TJ: Delaney’s quick wit, sharp style, and the way he instantly made a crowded room feel entirely private.
THEODORE Mag: Tell us about the standout moment or milestone in your relationship…
Delaney: The ultimate testament to our relationship was the mutual willingness to uproot our lives for one another. TJ left his deep roots in Dallas to join me in D.C. Then, two years later, when an opportunity called TJ back to Texas, and I traded the East Coast for Dallas to build our life together. Those moves weren't just geographical shifts; they were deliberate choices to choose each other, over and over again.
THEODORE Mag: What does marriage mean to you?
Delaney and TJ: For a same-sex couple, marriage carries a weight of profound gratitude. We grew up watching the grueling, state-by-state fight for marriage equality happen in real-time, seeing the last domino fall just as we were coming into our own. Because of that history, marriage to us means honoring the right to publicly choose your person. It’s why we prioritized surrounding ourselves only with those closest to us; people who don't just love us but fiercely share and champion our values.
THEODORE Mag: Who proposed and how?
TJ: Delaney orchestrated the ultimate surprise. Under the guise of a routine Thanksgiving trip to visit family, he convinced me to take a weekend trip to Asheville. Because it was a familiar spot, I didn’t suspect a thing. Delaney managed to catch me entirely off guard, securing a private, intimate moment on the Biltmore grounds to propose. After a quiet session with our photographer, both of our families stepped out of hiding to surprise me all over again, celebrating together over dinner.
THEODORE Mag: When did you get married?
Delaney and TJ: June 20, 2026 (06.20.2026). We loved the symmetry of a palindrome date. It reads the same forward and backward, mirroring the full-circle sentiment of our venue and our journey together.
THEODORE Mag: What was the main influence behind your wedding day?
Delaney and TJ: We wanted the weekend to feel like a meticulously curated, high-touch guest experience where our loved ones were the true stars of the show. The goal was an intimate dinner-party atmosphere paired with a sense of discovery, subverting traditions with unexpected twists.
Every guest touchpoint was intentional: being personally escorted to dinner seats rather than reading a table card, locking up phones, and passing out Camp Snap cameras to keep everyone fully present. We anticipated every comfort—from cooling stations, dancing slippers, sunglasses, and custom silk headscarves inspired by our officiant and close friend, West Wilson, to a perfectly stocked fridge for our non-drinkers.
The design narrative evolved from an intimate, Old-World supper club at dinner to a swanky, 80s-inspired NYC Manhattan club for the afterparty—complete with a Motown band, poker and pool tables, an Arrowhead Stadium groom's cake, and a custom Monkey Bar-inspired wall mural featuring painted illustrations of our actual guests.
THEODORE Mag: What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Delaney and TJ: Absolute ease. We promised ourselves we wouldn’t stress over the variables outside our control, like the weather. The most important thing was building a creative team we implicitly trusted to execute our vision. Because we felt so secure in their hands, the entire weekend felt seamless, fun, and entirely present.
THEODORE Mag: Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Delaney: We beautifully split our legal and spiritual moments. While our friend West Wilson officiated our larger, public ceremony on the lawn, TJ and I exchanged our private, personal vows earlier that afternoon. We were guided by the exact same pastor who married TJ’s parents, his brother, and his sister, bringing a deeply meaningful thread of family history into our day.
THEODORE Mag: Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Delaney and TJ: Hundreds of hours on Instagram, carefully building a digital portfolio of editorial imagery, specific textures, and spatial layouts. We maintained live, shared albums with our planning team for nearly two years, watching the aesthetic vision organically evolve from raw inspiration into real-time design boards.
THEODORE Mag: How did you choose your suppliers?
Delaney and TJ: We discovered our planner, SAMKOMA, through photos of a wedding they had executed at the Biltmore years prior, and the flawless execution instantly struck us. Meeting virtually sealed it. As an LGBT couple themselves, Josiah and Justin brought an invaluable layer of nuance and understanding not just of our aesthetic but also of the distinct intricacies of navigating a gay wedding.
Our photographer, Abby Jiu, had captured our engagement photos and party, so keeping her for consistent, editorial imagery across our entire wedding timeline was a must. For everything else, we surrendered to SAMKOMA’s expertise. As a Type-A person, I assumed I’d want to handpick every single vendor, but when you have planners this exceptional, the greatest luxury is to sit back and trust their curation.
THEODORE Mag: What was the most difficult thing about planning your wedding?
Delaney and TJ: Editing down our own ideas. When you have a clear appreciation for design and hospitality, the challenge isn't finding inspiration—it's learning when to stop adding layers. Striking the balance between an experiential, surprise-filled evening and a cohesive visual narrative required strict curation, but the restraint paid off.
THEODORE Mag: Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Delaney and TJ: We started at Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands, which held immense sentimental value; TJ’s grandfather’s sister, Caroline Hunt, founded Rosewood Hotels, and this legendary property was once a crown jewel of the family's portfolio. Afterward, we escaped to Ambergris Cay in Turks and Caicos for total, uninterrupted seclusion.
THEODORE Mag: Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Delaney and TJ: Trust your gut and hire for chemistry. You will spend an immense amount of time communicating with your creative team; if you don't genuinely find joy in working with them, the process will drain you. When you find vendors who understand your lifestyle, taste, and goals, you gain the freedom to step back, hand over the reins, and actually enjoy your own celebration.
TJ and Delaney’s Team
Planning + Event Design @samkoma.world
Event Support @samkoma.mariann
Photography @abbyjiu
Videography @klasseyproductions
Detail BTS @emilyhoganvisuals
Content @the_contentfriend
DJ @entertainofficial
Violinist @alanmilanexp
Performances @sakarisweet
Activations @snyderentertainment
Florals @stellarosefloral
Rentals and Production @whitedoorevent
Rentals @curatedeventscharlotte
Custom Mural @codyalanodyssey
Lighting @pisgahavl
Confession Booth @klasseyconfessions
Paper Goods @5by7designs
Venue @biltmoreestate @biltmoreweddingsnc
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