The Brides Described Their Martha’s Vineyard Wedding as a “Black Met Gala”

When Naima Green asked to photograph fellow artist Sable Elyse Smith for a project in 2015, it sparked much more than just a creative exercise. “From that first encounter, a string of mutual friends (because black, queer, and Brooklyn), and an awkward photoshoot, we began a long, slow,  tumultuous love story,” shares Sable. The pair wrote letters while apart between Mexico and Virginia before finally settling back in the same city and driving full force into a relationship. “We gave in to fate,” she says.

Over five years later, the relationship moved into its next stage. While on vacation in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Sable took Naima to a spot she scouted by the water at dusk, brought out a ring, and asked her to be her wife. “It was the day after Sable’s birthday and I had absolutely no idea,” remembers Naima. “I was so surprised I threw the ring upon opening it.” A year later, in September 2022, the couple would officially tie the knot at City Hall. However, the newlyweds always intended to host a larger celebration as well. “It was special to do something just between us, but this wedding with our community and family present was absolutely necessary for too many reasons to name,” they say.

The couple decided to host that special celebration on the weekend of September 23, 2023, in Martha’s Vineyard. Naima’s family would frequently visit the coastal town when she was young and she always imagined herself getting married in a place that felt like home to her. “We immediately fell in love with Lambert’s Cove Inn,” the couple shares. “For Naima, the garden there held some of the essence of her childhood home and the vision she had of her future wedding.”

The brides had a vision for their nuptials that they described as far from conventional. “We are both visual people and we knew what we wanted when we saw it,” they say. “The majority of the design was built around the place, Martha’s Vineyard, and the floral design.” In fact, Naima sent their florist Vivian Zhou of Forevermark Flowers a 19th-century still life painting to serve as the reference for the celebration’s aesthetic. “We wanted bold colors, patterns, and unconventional decor,” the couple shares. “Our floral arrangements included mushrooms, dragon fruits, pitcher plants, and ginger root, in addition to a variety of flowers, herbs, and plants.”